Opening Hours
Daily: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.
Closed on Tuesdays
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
Manuscripts
Madison Berryman Moorman journal of an overland trip from Tennessee to California
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Manuscripts
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Daily: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.
Closed on Tuesdays
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
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Manuscripts
A. H. Cutting describes an overland journey from Fidelity, Illinois, to Sacramento, California, by way of the Oregon Trail. There is much description of the landscape and campsites, hunting, and searching for goods in towns. The wagon train stayed a few days in Nebraska, which Cutting describes as "much better than Iowa." They meet many other trains, both coming back and traveling to various places in the West, and hear of much trouble caused by the Indians. They stay at various ranches, and at one point, find an Indian campsite. While passing through Colorado in May, they met with members of another wagon train who warned them of harsh times in New Mexico. They pass many "stage stations" along the route, as well as mail stations guarded by soldiers. While staying at Fort Bridges in Utah, Cutting and his group heard of a recent skirmish during which three hundred Indians were killed. As the party progresses, they hear of much conflict with the Indians. Upon reaching Salt Lake City, the party meets Brigham Young, and visits a site where a Mormon temple is being constructed. Outside Salt Lake City, on June 19, the party is approached by a woman with a young child who asks to stow away with them to escape her drunken husband. She told them she would do whatever work was needed, and even dress in men's clothes as a disguise. The party agreed to take her, but she did not meet them at their appointed time, and they left without her. The journal is dated April 13 through July 27, 1863.
mssHM 652
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Manuscripts
The journal chronicles a couple's six-month trip from Waukegan, Illinois through Colorado, Utah, and Mexico, to California, August 1920 to February 1921. The entries discuss: train travel, automobile travel, the couple's activities between Salt Lake City, Utah, and Los Angeles, California, visits to Tijuana and Mexicali, Mexico, San Diego, Long Beach, Venice, Hollywood, and Pasadena, California (with a visit to Busch Gardens). The journal contains 40 gelatin silver photographs taken during the trip. Following the trip narrative, the journal includes a listing of houses they bought from 1921 to 1926.
mssHM 84009
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Manuscripts
This journal describes Stimson's travels from Wisconsin to California during 1850, and his ensuing search for gold. He eventually sells his interest in a mining company and returns home by ship. Additional notes written by Stimson in 1900. Typescript from original.
mssHM 50451
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Manuscripts
This volume is Gorgas' diary of his journey from St. Joseph, Missouri to Placerville, CA, and his return trip to New York via the Panama Canal as part of the California Gold Rush of the mid-19th century. Much of the early entries are concerned with weather conditions and landscape and route details. Gorgas and his party finally reach Placerville on July 26, the ninetieth day of their journey, and begin digging for gold outside Sacramento in August. On February 1, 1851, Gorgas boarded a ship, the Olive Branch, bound for New York by way of the Panama Canal, intending to return home to his much-missed family. He lands at Jamaica on April 1, and arrives at New York on April 8. Dated 1850, April 28 through 1851, April 8. Notes include price charts and signatures of people Gorgas may have met during his travels. Includes newspaper clipping with picture of Placerville, CA, circa 1850, and a four-page handwritten timeline of Gorgas' journey (not in his hand).
mssHM 651
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Manuscripts
This manuscript is Nevins' account of his journey from Illinois to California via the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads, and then by steamboat through the Panama Canal to New York. Much of it is description of the countryside, towns, and inhabitants he visits en route. He arrived in San Diego, CA, on February 21, 1874, and prospected for three weeks without success, then boarded the boat. Upon reaching Panama, there was a delay, as the ship Nevins was to take was being repaired; he writes "The waiting here is very irksome. I fear the folks at home will be anxious about us." Dated January 10 through April 1. Also included is 15-page typescript of the original.
mssHM 26339
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Manuscripts
Journal of a car trip from Washington State to California with brief visits to Mexican border cities, dated September 8, 1933 to February 8, 1934, and illustrated with 163 original snapshots, commercial photographs, and postcards. Travels occur in a 1927 Chevrolet and are primarily in California; many journal entries and photographs depict visits with the travelers' friends or family. The journey begins in the Everett, Washington area and continues to Eastern Washington with stops in Soap Lake, Spokane, and Walla Walla; the travelers then continue into Oregon, visiting Pilot Rock, Ukiah, Mount Vernon, Blue Mountains Hot Springs, and Austin. Entries for Northern California include a history and description of mining in Calaveras County and images of a large maritime hangar at Sunnyvale. In the Los Angeles area, the travelers take daytrips to the San Gabriel Valley and to the South Bay, San Pedro, and Santa Ana; the bulk of L.A.-area entries describe the aftereffects of the March 1933 Long Beach earthquake, depicted with numerous commercial photographs. Other sites visited in Southern California include Riverside, Colton, San Bernardino, Redlands, Palm Springs, and the Coachella Valley, where the diarist provides brief descriptions of a Native American trading post and of date tree cultivation; also, the Salton Sea, Plaster City, Descanso, Lake Cuyamaca and dam, Julian, Santa Ysabel, Ramona, and Lakeside. In the San Diego area, places traveled to include Escondido, Encinitas, La Jolla, Point Loma, Sunset Cliffs, Coronado Island and aviation base, Balboa Park's Indian Village and zoo, Old Town San Diego, El Cajon, Warner Hot Springs, and a few Native American reservations in the Rincon and Pala area; longer entries describe fruit orchards, the history of missions and Junipero Serra, and Helen Hunt Jackson's Ramona, with several photographs of the Casa de Estudillo, the tourist attraction known as "Ramona's Marriage Place." The journal also includes several side trips to Mexican border cities, with brief entries for Mexicali and Tecate and lengthier descriptions of two visits to Tijuana. Journal is a bound scrapbook; entries and captions are handwritten in ink, and photographs and postcards are glued to pages.
mssHM 84035