Label
12/16/2020 MvL: information sheet on the back reads:
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1852 FOUNDING THE CITY OF ALAMEDA
(CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH) Chipman, William W. Autograph Document Signed. San Francisco, Oct. 13,1852. A legal deposition by Chipman, prominent San Francisco land lawyer, for conveyance of a 320-acre tract of land to his brother Edward, "for the purpose of making a permanent settlement thereon". Notarized by another pioneer lawyer, and later Judge,T.W. Freelon. A significant document in the history of the city of Alameda, originally part of the massive Rancho of the Peralta family. In 1850, Peralta leased this shady peninsula fronting on the Bay, with a coastal oak forest that hunters and trappers found occupied by coyotes, quail, rabbits, deer, and a few stray herds of Peralta cattle, to two Frenchmen seeking firewood for the growing city across the water. But after a few months, they sub-leased much of it to lawyer Chipman and his partner, who pitched a tent and laid plans for a town. Chipman soon bought the Alameda peninsula from Peralta for $14,000 (becoming, incidentally, Peralta's lawyer) and began building the first house of what was to become the Township of Alameda. In September 1852, weeks before he wrote this document, Chipman partitioned off 4-acre lots which he put up for sale for $80 each. At the same time, after Congress passed a law authorizing the State of California to sell 500,000 acres of unoccupied federally-owned lands, the proceeds from these “School Land Warrants” to fund the state's first public school system. Chipman bought several 160 and 320-acre warrants – probably related to his other Alameda land holdings - which for some shadowy legal reason, he conveyed to his younger brother - who actually lived in Ohio, knew nothing about Chipman's land deals, and did not move to California until 1855. This "conveyance" later prompted years of litigation, but, nevertheless, played its part in the development of Alameda by Chipman, who may rightly be called Alameda's Founding Father.
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12/16/2020 MvL: label addressing Chipman artifacts:
WILLIAM WORTHINGTON
CHIPMAN
Co-founder of the City of Alameda
- memorabilia -
[ ...Charcoal portrait by Elizabeth Worthington Chipman...]
Framed letter from Wm. Chipman to his brother Edw. S. Chipman, c. 1832 concerning a real estate acquisition.
[...Wedding vest worn by Wm. Chipman at his marriage to Caroline McLean,...]
William W. Chipman died in 1873.
