Nellie Venetia Barry (née Barnum), originally of Utica, New York, lived chiefly in San Francisco. She married James H. Barry of San Francisco in 1883.

William G. Barnum, originally of Utica, New York, lived in San Francisco and was an entrepeneur in rural silver and gold mining districts of California.

James H. Barry (1856-1927) was born in New York City and moved to California as a child. He was a master printer and owned the James H. Barry Company, which printed the Star (a weekly journal printed in San Francisco, California) from 1884 until 1921. He was a lifelong advocate for progressive politics, including labor reform and public ownership of utilities.

The papers consist of family correspondence and photographs created and accumulated by Nellie Barry (née Barnum), James H. Barry and William G. Barnum. Correspondents are Barnum and Barry friends and family members. Many of the letters are to William and Nellie in Alpine County, California, where they ran a lodging house and restaurant that capitalized on the silver mining boom. William Barnum's letters to his friend James Barry, describing his life and work in Alpine and Nevada Counties, and James Barry's courtship letters to Nellie, are also included. The letters not only document daily life among family members at home in San Francisco and Napa County, but also the mining activity that William and Nellie witnessed, including the effect on the mining business of the devastating 1875 fire in Virginia City, Nevada. Some letters also touch on James Barry's printing business and political activism. Three folders of photographs depict Barry and Barnum family members.

In box 1: Nellie (Barnum) Barry correspondence, 1874-1909, undated (16 folders). In box 2: William Barnum correspondence, 1869-1877, undated (9 folders). Edith Barry correspondence, 1885 (1 folder). Frank Barry correspondence, 1878, undated (1 folder). Grace Barry correspondence, 1898 (1 folder). In box 3: James Barry correspondence, 1869-1907, undated (15 folders). In box 4: Unidentified correspondence, undated (1 folder). Printed ephemera, 1906, undated (1 folder). Photographs, circa 1870-1900 (3 folders).

Gold miners > California.

Gold mines and mining > California.

Publishers and publishing > California > San Francisco.

Silver miners > California.

Silver mines and mining > California.

Women > West (U.S.)

California > 1850-1950.

California > Social life and customs.

San Francisco (Calif.) > Social life and customs.

Gold miners California 1850-1950.

Silver miners California 1850-1950.