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Nine original notebooks, from ca. 20x13 cm (7 ¾ x 5 in) to ca. 9x15 cm (3 ½ x 5 ¾ in). From 83 to 30 leaves (in all over 850 pp of text). Pencil and ink on lined or graph paper, numerous calculations and graphs in text. All notebooks with Healey's name and address written in pencil on the first leaves; six ? with pencil or ink notes about the notebooks' contents on the front cover. Five period brown full sheep, three period black cloth bindings and one period brown hardcover. Notebooks rubbed on extremities, several with occasional tears or losses on the spines, but overall a very good collection. Manuscript field notes: ca. 1893. Folio manuscript, 31,5x20,5 cm (12 ¼ x 8 in). 6 leaves (filled in on rectos). Brown and red ink on lined paper, occasional pencil notes in text. Fold marks, paper slightly age-toned, residue of old glue in the left upper corner of the first leaf, otherwise a very good manuscript. Historically significant, extensive collection of nine rare original manuscript notebooks and field notes by an outstanding pioneer land surveyor of California, Charles Terraine Healey, who gained prominence by his surveying and mining work in Santa Clara County in the 1850s-1860s, and in the Los Angeles area in the 1870s-1900s. In 1882, Healey became the first resident of Willmore City (modern-day Long Beach) and created its first map the same year. The notebooks contain Healey's notes on early land surveys in various parts of modern-day Greater Los Angeles, including the first mapping of Willmore (Long Beach) in 1882, survey for the partition of Narbonne and Weston's land in Rancho Los Palos Verdes (near modern-day Lomita), road on the Santa Catalina Island, a portion of the Southern California Railway from South Riverside to Olive, detailed notes on Long Beach and its environs, his participation in the early oil drilling in the Puente Hills near Whittier (with the data on over forty oil wells Healey got involved with) &c. The manuscript map in Notebook [1] (July 26 ? November 17, 1882), drawn under the entry from October 10, 1882, is a survey of the lot in Willmore (modern-day Long Beach), where Healey built his house (Ocean Park Avenue, between Locust and American Avenues). The notebooks contain a mine of personal names of land owners, government officials and public workers in the Greater Los Angeles area at the time (Aurelio and Juan Sepulveda, Jotham Bixby, Nathaniel Narbonne, Ben Weston, Don Abel Stearns, Captain William Banning, Judge Pierce, Colonel Robert Northam, and many others). The Folio manuscript is titled "Field notes of lands lying between western lines of lands sold or contracted and the proposed new boundary between Ranchos Los Coyotes and Los Cerritos, along the River" and defines the size and borders of the lots west of the properties by "Newton," "Moore," "Sackett," "M.B. Pages," "McGaugh," "Goodwin," "Walderman," "Alexander," "Freeman," "Dodson," and "Oliver Davis" (all in the Greater Los Angeles area). The text on p. 5 describes the land in "T.3 S. R.12 W. R.B.M." (Township 3 South, Range 12 West, San Bernardino Meridian) ? the area of modern-day cities of Paramount, Bellflower and Downey (Greater Los Angeles). Overall historically important, content-rich collection of early rare original materials on the land survey, oil drilling and mapping of the Greater Los Angeles area. A list of notebooks: 1. [July 26 ? November 17, 1882. Wilmington, Los Angeles, Machado, Cerritos, Mapping of Willmore, &c.]. 46 leaves (ca. 79 pp. of manuscript text). Period brown full sleep binding. Healey's name and address written in pencil on the first leaf. Ink manuscript date on the front cover. The notes mention Aurelio Sepulveda, Juan Sepulveda, Bixby, Narbonne & Weston, McDonald, Downey, Lane, Bank, and others. Notes include: July 31, 1882. From 3x3 post east of Machado. The Machado house bears N871/2 W. Aug. 3rd 1882. Survey with Knox for line of R.R. 200 ft. steep. Aug. 21, 82. Do levelling at Cerritos. Sunday, Sept. Seller Inventory # MB63
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