Abstract

One binder containing letters of Sam Brannan's, articles, illustrations, advertisements and post cards relating to San Francisco, 1819-1890.

Scope and Contents Handwritten diaries with typescripts in four volumes. Volume 1 concerns Hart's overland journey by ox team from Quincy, Illinois to the Humboldt Valley, Nevada, in 1852. Hart is an insightful and descriptive diarist. He writes about cooking and commerce on the plains, encounters with Indians, and dissatisfaction in his company. Hart mentions a handful of deaths from cholera and includes a moving description of one funeral. He also gives a festive account of his company's celebration of the...

Scope and Contents

Color copy of a handwritten letter from John H. Purdy, living in San Francisco, to his brother James L. in Mansfield, Ohio. Purdy mentions his role in surveying a city, which became Humboldt City, located on Humboldt Bay, California, as well as his mining ventures in the region. Dated April 30, 1850.

Scope and Contents Handwritten diary. Shoemaker describes his overland journey from Porter, Cass County, Michigan to Hangtown (later Placerville), California, in 1850. Upon arrival, he "bought a shovel & a pick the gold dust for to dig." Daily entries are moderately descriptive and mention camping locations, travelling conditions, encounters with Indians, and daily mileage. The diary's author is believed to have been a man named Shoemaker, but more information is unavailable. Apparently, he later became a...

Scope and Contents Collection contains correspondence of the Tolles family and James Tolles' overland diary from Rushville, Illinois, to California in 1849. Also included is a handwritten copy of the diary made by Tolles' granddaughter, Doris Beard, in 1933. Tolles traveled to California by ox team with his father and brother, Abraham and William Tolles. Daily entries are detailed and describe the nature of the journey and distances traveled. Tolles' company of 40-odd men traded with a group of 2,000 Dakota...