Knight Family Collection | Santa Cruz MAH

Back to ArchivesKnight Family Collection

Collection Number: 90.52

This collection consists of the Knight family papers, including photographs, correspondence, and journals. The Knights first came to Santa Cruz in 1869 and quickly became a prominent family in the area, involved in both state and local politics. Four generations of the family produced a doctor, a state senator, two district attorneys, and a judge. The majority of this collection consists of personal and family records, dating from 1854 to 1984, with the bulk of the material falling between the 1880s and 1940s.

The Knight Family Collection consists of a variety of materials relating to personal family fonds spanning five generations. The items in this collection range from before the Civil War (1854) to 1984, but the majority of the materials cover the period between the 1870s and the 1940s. The bulk of this collection relates to Dr. Benjamin Knight, Jr. (1836-1905), his son Judge Benjamin K. Knight (1874-1947), and their immediate families. This collection includes photographs, correspondence, journals, legal documents, land deeds, 19th century medical school records, newspaper clippings, personal records and memorabilia relating to all aspects of family life in Santa Cruz.

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A family participating in a printmaking workshop