Mary Brazil papers, 1900-1963, bulk 1922-1945

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Scope and content:: This collection contains material from Mary Brazil, longtime dairy farmer in Marin. The material consists of checkbooks, bills, financial papers, ephemera, photographs, and correspondence relating to Mary Brazil’s business and personal life, as well as papers, correspondence, and other ephemera related to Antone and Tony Brazil. Collection includes bills and receipts belonging to the Reed Estate, and the final account of the estate of Antone Silva Brazil.
Biographical / historical:: Mary Brazil was born in the Azores in 1890 and died in Santa Rosa in April of 1962, at the age of 72. She was married to Antone (or Antonio) Silveria Brazil, who was born in 1854 and died in 1936 at the age of 81. She had two siblings, Tony Brazil and Mariane Enos. Mary Brazil owned and operated a dairy farm known as Brazil Ranch, located on Little Reed Ranch on the Tiburon Peninsula at the present location of the Del Mar School playing fields and tennis courts. She acquired the ranch in 1926 as an inheritance from her close friend Clothilde (or Clotilda) Josefa Reed, owner of the Corte Madera del Presidio Rancho which encompassed Little Reed Ranch. In 1944, Mary Brazil sold the dairy and after fifty years in the dairy industry, she retired to Santa Rosa in 1958.

Subjects:: Dairy farms
Portuguese
Ranches
Names:: Brazil Ranch
Little Reed Ranch
Brazil Family
Reed Family
Brazil, Antone S.
Brazil, Mary
Brazil, Tony
Costa, Serefine
Homen, Joe R.
Pacheco, Antonia
Pacheco, Laura D.
Pacheco, Lorraine A.
Reed, Clothilde J.
Silva, Manuel, Jr.
Places:: Marin County (Calif.)
Mill Valley (Calif.)

Collection Guide Author:: Finding aid created by Mill Valley Public Library staff.
Date Prepared:: 1900-1963, bulk 1922-1945
Date Encoded:: This finding aid was produced using Record Express for OAC5 on April 17, 2025, 11:29 a.m.

Access and use

Restrictions:: Collection is open for research. Original materials may be viewed with permission from staff. Digital copies of materials may be available. Materials in this collection do not circulate.

Location of this collection:: Mill Valley Public Library

375 Throckmorton Avenue

Mill Valley, CA 94941, US