Manuscripts

N.S. Bowen letter to H. Mills

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Description: In this letter, Bowen discusses the following subjects in detail: several mines in Jamestown, California; gold, iron, copper and quartz mining in California; gold discoveries; and his plan to build a stamp mill to make the mining process easier.
Type: Manuscripts(Opens in new tab)
Production date: 1866, July 29.
Call number: mssHM 68278
Creator: Bowen, N. S(Opens in new tab)
Provenance: Purchased from Alfred Goodman, March 8, 1973.
Dimensions: 26 cm

Quimby H. Lovejoy letter

Manuscripts

The letter, which is written to Lovejoy's wife, Emeline, discusses Lovejoy's experience in Columbia, California mining for gold. He gives detailed descriptions of mining techniques and equipment

mssHM 63692

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George T. Cline, Ethan H. Cowles, and John Scott letters to Charles Scott

Manuscripts

The five letters by George T. Cline deal with mines and mining in Washington State, including claims, and prices, gold discoveries, and more specifically the "Eureka Mining Camp." Cline often mentions "Friend Cowles."

mssHM 82360-82383

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George Lawson letters

Manuscripts

The letters, most of which were written by George Lawson to his parents back home in Illinois, are about Lawson's experience mining for gold and living in the mining town of Ophir, California; there are several letters written from Sacramento, as Lawson spent some time in that city as well. His letters include details regarding gold discoveries, prices for supplies, the gold specimens he was sending home, and the machinery he was using for gold mining. There are two letters, probably written in 1864 and 1865, by L. L. Thaxter, that describe his experience with the Sanitary Commission, his visits to Civil War hospitals, and his encounters with wounded soldiers. Thaxter also discusses Ulysses S. Grant and the approaching end of the war. There are also two photographs included with the letters

mssHM 63927-63938

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A. M. Bell letter and T. E. Bell

Manuscripts

Martin's letter, written from Elk Hill, California, discusses various gold mining claims and the current mining efforts in his area

mssHM 56918

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Alexander H. Sibley correspondence

Manuscripts

Ten of the twenty-five letters were written by Alexander H. Sibley, and are chiefly about his voyage to California by sea. The letters written before Sibley left New York discuss the prevailing feeling of "gold fever" among his fellow passengers. He also wrote letters from Chagres and Havana, describing his stopovers in Panama and Cuba during his sea voyage. A letter by Sibley to his brother-in-law, Charles Christopher Trowbridge, describes the San Francisco fire of June 1850. A letter by Benjamin S. Lippincott discusses gold discoveries and vigilante activity in Sonora, CA. The other letters, written by various family members and friends in Detroit, MI, and Fort Crawford in Prairie du Chien, WI, are mainly about family affairs, and include a letter by Sibley's brother, Henry Hastings Sibley, regarding their mother's death.

mssHM 60827-60851

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Elias S. Ketcham diary

Manuscripts

Elias S. Ketcham of Rondout (Kingston), New York, kept this diary while living and working in the gold fields of California in 1853-54. He prospects for gold in Murphy's Camp, CA, but is not particularly successful in the mines. Ketcham often discusses his desire to return home to NY, his experiences as a miner, and his religious beliefs. The diary provides a colorful description of life in the mining camps: he describes his impressions of Indians, Mexicans, and Chinese and also discusses violent incidents in the mining communities

mssHM 58269

N.S. Bowen letter to H. Mills

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You might also be interested in

Quimby H. Lovejoy letter

George T. Cline, Ethan H. Cowles, and John Scott letters to Charles Scott

George Lawson letters

A. M. Bell letter and T. E. Bell

Alexander H. Sibley correspondence

Elias S. Ketcham diary