Manuscripts

Life history of John Nielsen

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Description: Typescript of John Nielsen's life history, probably recorded in or around 1885. The volume traces Nielsen's childhood experiences in Denmark, including prejudices faced by Mormon converts, and his family's plan to travel to the United States in 1866. It continues with notes on their voyage to New York, their travel by rail and boat to Florence, Nebraska, and their journey on foot to Salt Lake City. It concludes with reminiscences on Nielsen's life in Utah, including a grasshopper invasion in 1869.
Type: Manuscripts(Opens in new tab)
Production date: approximately 1885.
Call number: mssHM 27973
Creator: Nielsen, John (1858-1948)(Opens in new tab)
Provenance

Life history of John Nielsen [microform]: 1948

Manuscripts

Microfilm of the life history of John Nielsen, compiled by May Nielsen Anderson, J. Jesse Nielsen, and Willard H. Anderson from writings by Nielsen probably begun around 1885. The account traces Nielsen's childhood experiences in Denmark, including prejudices faced by Mormon converts, and his family's plan to travel to the United States in 1866. It continues with notes on their voyage to New York, their travel by rail and boat to Florence, Nebraska, and their journey on foot to Salt Lake City. It then focuses on reminiscences of Nielsen's life in Utah, including a grasshopper invasion in 1869, as well as his work digging ditches, laying building foundations, cultivating land, and raising crops in the 1890s and 1910s.

MSS MFilm 00223 item 01

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Kay Nielsen

Rare Books

"Inspired first by Art Nouveau and later by the great Chinese colorists, Kay Nielsen retained a startling originality of outlook and delicacy of fancy. This unique collection of his illustrations shows how his artistic imagination and unbounded vision gave his work an outstanding place in the Golden Age of pictorial books to which he belonged."--Page 4 of cover.

607950

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Peter Lassen of California

Manuscripts

Typewritten manuscript copy of T. Vogel-Jorgensen's essay Peter Lassen of California, translated from the Danish by Helge Norrung and Connie Stroing as a term paper project in 1966, and copied and typed into manuscript form by Linda Bennett and Ettamae Echols as a term paper project in 1967 (both competed for Red Bluff Union High School). The biographical essay takes a favorable view of Lassen and his accomplishments as "the Dane who has left the deepest track in America." The essay traces Lassen's childhood and youth in Denmark, his early years in the United States and move to California, and various incidents relating his experiences and influence in California. It refers to Lassen as a "friend and peacemaker among Indians" and describes "warlike" conditions among California Indians. It concludes by recounting Lassen's death through transcriptions of contemporary newspaper accounts.

mssHM 78046

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The history and journal of Jesse W. Crosby, along with a complete copy of Masonry and Mormonism by James C. Bilderback

Manuscripts

Bound typescript containing a portion of Jesse W. Crosby's autobiography. The autobiography begins with Crosby's childhood and introduction to Mormonism, and focuses on his mission work in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Quebec, and Maine. It concludes with Crosby's call to join a British mission in 1850 (HM 27975). The rest of the volume contains a complete copy of James C. Bilderback's Masonry and Mormonism: Nauvoo, Illinois, 1841-1847, published in 1937 (HM 72976).

mssHM 27975-27976

John T. Hudson logbook, 1807-1808

Manuscripts

This logbook, kept by John T. Hudson, includes accounts of journeys from the Sandwich [Hawaiian] Islands to Canton and Canton to Boston. The log is in two main sections. The first section comprises 9 pages and is headed: "Remarks on board ship Mercury. Wm. H. Davis, from Sandwich Islands towards Canton." The first entry is dated 15th October, 1806 [actually 1807]. It concludes November 29, 1807. Davis was the father of William Heath Davis, Jr. an early Californian and important San Diego pioneer. Entries mention the Hawaiian royal family, cargo including bananas and taro, and ports along the way. He mentions taking leave of his ship Tamana. The second section comprises 42 pages and is headed, "Ship O'Cain from Canton to Boston." The first entry is February 14, 1808 and concludes on June 15, 1808. His notes include lists and prices of skins purchased, lists of items such as sewing silks, India cotton, china and glassware, lace, liquors, tobacco, paper & ink, powder & shot, knives, axes, etc. Several shorter sections occur towards the end of the volume, including one headed: "The purchase of sea otter skins at San Blas." Much of the volume is blank. The very last pages of entries include only a few lines: "Don Luis Munoz de Gusman. Captain General of Chile." "Don Manuel Rodriguez, Comd. of the Port of St. Diego." and a list of several names including: Capt. James Rowen, William H. Davis, Samuel C. Blodget, Clifford, and Boyd. Several loose pages of writing containing notes and navigational calculations are laid in volume.

mssHM 83408

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Sketch of the early history of Bakersfield and how it came into existence

Manuscripts

An early history of Bakersfield, California beginning with the reclamation or swamp lands, moving his family from Visalia to what would be known as Bakersfield. The account speaks of moving into the best "shack" in the area and availability of wild game in abundance such as antelope, dear, elk, quail, doves, geese and ducks. Colonel Baker had brought along a steel mill to grind grain for livestock, but proved to be a life-saver to grind corn for human use as wheat because scarce and expensive. Also documented are the Indians who helped with heavy labor and farming. Travelers passing through on their way to Los Angeles, Sacramento or San Francisco stopped at Colonel Baker's alfalfa field, the first in Kern County and the only place for miles around that they could get feed for their stock and food for themselves. In 1866, Colonel Baker surveyed the town and it was subsequently named for him as it was already known as Colonel Baker's field. At this time, Kern County was created out of portions of Tulare and Los Angeles counties. In 1872 the county seat was moved from Havilah to Bakersfield and a post office was establish and other improvements including a school house, courthouse, and the Southern Pacific rail. The account concludes with stories of camping at Fort Tejon and tales of a few of the early settlers.

mssHM 16699

Life history of John Nielsen

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Life history of John Nielsen [microform]: 1948

Kay Nielsen

Peter Lassen of California

The history and journal of Jesse W. Crosby, along with a complete copy of Masonry and Mormonism by James C. Bilderback

John T. Hudson logbook, 1807-1808

Sketch of the early history of Bakersfield and how it came into existence