Emile Grisar letters to John Townsend | Collections | The Huntington

Emile Grisar letters to John Townsend | Collections | The Huntington

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Cornelius De Boom letters to John Townsend
Manuscripts
These three manuscripts deal with affairs of real estate between Cornelius De Boom and John Townsend during the year 1850. HM 35192, dated February 26, is an agreement between the two concerning the construction of buildings upon lots of land located within San Francisco. HM 35193, written August 11, carries further details of the agreement. De Boom requests that the ship bearing his brother may anchor within Townsend's water lots, and more details of this arrangement follow. At the writing of the third letter (HM 35194, dated August 23), De Boom is preparing to depart. His brother has not yet arrived, but he hopes to meet with Townsend to finalize business matters before leaving.
mssHM 35192-35194
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Frederick Billings letter to John Townsend
Manuscripts
In this brief letter, Billings notifies Townsend that Townsend has been elected to the town council of San Francisco. Also signed by Samuel Fletcher.
mssHM 35191
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Mary Jane Brooks letters to Thomas and Priscilla Marsh
Manuscripts
These manuscripts are a series of letters from Mary Jane Brooks to her sister Priscilla Marsh and brother Thomas Marsh. HM 19790 is dated 1853, December 14 and 15, and lists the current price of goods in San Francisco. Mary Jane Brooks also writes of her family and friends. In the next letter (HM 19791, dated 1854, February 28), Mary Jane Brooks writes further of family and friends. HM 19792, dated 1854, July 14, tells of a fire in San Francisco, but the Brooks home was undamaged. Mary Jane Brooks writes in the next letter (HM 19793, dated 1855, July 28) that her father is not doing well. He has quit working, and "thinks he is not long for this world." HM 19794, the final letter in this sequence, is dated 1856, March 4. Father is still alive, but is ailing, and Mary Jane Brooks urges Priscilla to prepare their mother for his passing. The letters are written from San Francisco, and all are signed "Aaron and Mary Jane Brooks" but letters are in the handwriting of Mary Jane Brooks. With one-page typescript of an additional letter, dated 1856, July 5.
mssHM 19790-19794
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Eben Chapman letters to Eben Hunt
Manuscripts
Chapman discusses the prices of goods and market conditions in San Francisco. He also writes of his own mining and farming prospects, and of other various business dealings. He also discusses the idea of slavery in California in HM 4199. HM 4198, dated July 1, 1852, is incomplete, consisting of only the first three pages. HM 4199 is dated July, 1852.
mssHM 4198-4199
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Aaron H. Hyde letters to John Hyde
Manuscripts
In these letters to his father, Aaron Hyde writes of the difficult time he has been having in California. In HM 16597, dated 1851, January 26, he writes that the miners are "disappointed" and that business in San Francisco is "dull." He laments that "California is a very bad place to make and carry out plans." In HM 16598. Aaron reports that he has come into business with a Mr. Cilley, who will be delivering the letter by hand when he returns to New Hampshire to gather his family for relocation to California. Aaron says he will come home himself in a year or two if the business does not work out.
mssHM 16597-16598
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Edward Gould letters to Sarah Ann Gould
Manuscripts
Edward Gould wrote these four letters to Sarah Ann Gould, who was perhaps his sister, while he was in California searching for gold. In the first letter (HM 31530, dated 1850, August 30), Gould has sent home "12 1/2/ ounces" and is "keeping grocery at the same place." He writes that he has almost come home several times, but "the thought of coming with so little Dust has kept me back." HM 31531 is dated 1850, October 14, and in it, Edward writes that with the decline of successful digging, things have become very uncertain. However, the city of San Francisco is growing and improving at an incredible rate. In Edward's next letter (HM 31532, dated 1851, April 30) he is back at the mines, after having a dull visit to San Francisco. He hopes his prospecting will improve as the water levels drop, and plans to "engage a little in the boot trade." The fourth and final letter in this series (HM 31533, written 1852, January 13) finds Edward still in the mines, planning to stay through spring.
mssHM 31530-31533