Opening Hours
Daily: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.
Closed on Tuesdays
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
Manuscripts
Day before yesterday : the search for gold beginning 1849
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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
The diary that Dr. Whitely kept while onboard the Cameo, from February 10 to October 7 when he arrived to San Francisco. The daily entries describe the crew, the passengers, (including ten "young gentlemen" of the Frankling Mining Company), sightings of passing ships, marine wildlife, weather, etc. He also describes Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Talcahuano (Chile), and Concepcion (Chile), commenting on the dress, worship, military, slave systems, buildings, customs, and landscapes of these cities. Also of particular note are Whitely's descriptions of the botanical gardens of the Brazilian emperor near Rio de Janeiro, of a bullfight in nearby Pria Grande, and of a party thrown for him and his companions in Concepcion by a local captain (although not all of these entries are fully readable). He frequently contrasted Brazilian and Chilean people and customs to their American counterparts.
mssHM 68599-68601
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Manuscripts
The collection contains 62 letters by 26 different authors including Milton B. Stevens, C. K. Dixon and Byron Whitcomb. The letters mention various mining camps throughout Northern California, such as Fosters Bar, Galena Hill, Murderers Bar, Pilot Hill, Salmon Falls, Weber Creek, and the Klamath River Valley Mines, as well as several California cities including Benicia, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose, and Stockton. The letters illustrate several aspects of the Gold Rush experience: the journey to California through Panama and Rio de Janeiro; life in California and the gold camps; women in California; gold discoveries or the lack thereof; the techniques and equipment used in mining; loneliness and longing for home. The letters from Milton B. Stevens' mother, from Shushan, tell of the experience of the miners' families back at home in the East. Eighteen of the letters have handwritten or typed transcripts.
mssHM 59471-59532
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Manuscripts
The journal covers Hayden's voyage from Maine to California onboard the Brig Siroc, as well as his time living in California. Hayden recorded the voyage to California in detail. Because he had some previous knowledge of nautical science, he was asked by the captain to assist in keeping the ship's official log and records; his own table of longitude and latitude are recorded at the end of the journal. Hayden recorded in detail the everyday activities of everyone on board including his duties to care for the pigs and chickens on board, and the passengers' attempts to catch various sea animals such as porpoises, dolphins, and sharks. After he arrived in San Francisco, Hayden briefly tried his hand at mining, but his main pursuit is to sell the lumber he had brought along with him on the ship. Hayden also talked about the activities of the Vigilance Committee of San Francisco, and provided details about mining methods, tools and equipment. Hayden also gave descriptions of the places he visits including Rio de Janeiro, and Coloma, Sacramento, San Francisco, and Stockton, California.
mssHM 65753
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Manuscripts
Cheney's reminiscence covers his voyage to California on the ship Pacific, his arrival in San Francisco August 6, 1849, and his time living in California until he left for Australia in February 1853. Cheney discusses the weather conditions during his voyage and some of the events that took place on board, including the removal of the ship's captain while in Rio de Janeiro; he also discusses his visit to Callao, Peru. Of his time in California, Cheney remembers his attempts at mining and at some other ventures such as selling lumber. He gives detailed descriptions of his time in San Francisco, Coloma, and Sacramento, California, and in the mining towns Bidwell Bar and Antoine Canyon
mssHM 63644
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Manuscripts
In this letter, Franklin is asking Hamilton to invest money in several mines (gold, silver, and lead) in the Los Angeles, California area. He discusses the mining process, possible purchases of mining corporations as well as prices and expected profit. Included with the letter is a hand-drawn sketch of a mine cross-section.
mssHM 68334
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Manuscripts
This text discusses a wide range of topics regarding life in Nevada before 1900, including coming west, mining, corruption, and home life on the frontier. Also included is a photocopy of a map showing the Northern Mother Lode during the 1850s.
mssHM 80836