William Hammond Hale diary

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  William S. McBride diary

  Manuscripts

  Diary kept by William S. McBride as he traveled overland from Indiana to Utah in 1850. He departed from Goshen, Indiana, on March 31 in company with Eli W. Summey, Fred Summey, Enoch Willett, and Louis Mitchel, who were already calling themselves "Californians." On April 7 they took the steamer Falcon to St. Louis (which McBride called a "second Babel"), and immediately departed on the steamer Globe. Their steamer was delayed several times and it took ten days to reach Jefferson City, and another five to arrive in St. Joseph. While they camped nearby for several days, McBride took the opportunity to observe his fellow emigrants, and although he was impressed by their appearance ("All seemed jovial and full of life...the horses too...pranced along like gay studs on a celebration day," he noted), he was not entirely caught up in the moment. "This is the going out upon the plains," he wrote. "We will see by & bye how it contrasts with the 'coming in from the plains.'"His group departed in a company of 14 wagons on May 2. He writes often of hunting buffalo and antelope (which "made excellent soups"), and that while he himself had cut out a buffalo tongue (which "would be considered a delicate morsel...at St. Louis"), he "felt a deep sympathy" for buffalo approaching the pioneer guns, as they seemed to be "running the gauntlet." He writes extensively of his surroundings, including a mirage, a "very singular but...common occurrence" which made "men...[look] like giants 14 or 15 feet high...horses double their natural size, and...rivers of water when there was no water." McBride also records the initial high morale in camp, as "we often had music and singing." But about a week after their arrival at Fort Kearney on May 16, McBride began to worry about his party's progress, noting that they had fallen behind and were being passed by emigrants who left St. Joseph several days after they did. Blaming the large size of the wagon train for delays, McBride and his companions went on ahead of the rest of the company. They quickly traversed a Sioux village (McBride formed a favorable opinion of the Sioux people), climbed a rock in the area of Chimney Rock (at "no little danger to life & limb"), passed Scott's Bluffs, caught their first glimpse of the Rocky Mountains, crossed the Laramie River, and arrived at Fort Laramie on May 31. He noted the diminished morale of emigrants at Fort Laramie, and noted that many of them were forced to leave their wagons and horses behind, "in some instances sold for little or nothing, or abandoned." By June 1 he reached the Black Hills, and soon crossed the Platte River, observed Independence Rock (which he recognized from a picture he had seen in his "school boy days"), passed Devil's Gate, and reached the Big Sandy on June 16 ("I believe we are in Mexican Territory," McBride guessed on June 17). On June 18 he crossed the Green River with the aid of a "half breed" mountaineer who was "gifted with no ordinary degree of intelligence & energy." He subsequently passed Fort Hall and the Oregon Trail and crossed the Red Fork (on a "very inferior ferry, constructed out of logs pinned together" and attached to "a heavy cable"). On the other side of the river he observed a "very white human skull set up on a stick" which had been "very much used of late as a kind of tablet on which memoranda were written." On June 25 he had his first view of the Utah Valley, and arrived in Salt Lake City on June 26. McBride gives an extensive description of the Salt Lake Valley, and praises the Mormons for having done "a great deal in a short time." But his overall opinion of the Mormons was "very poor," and he described them as "poor silly fanatics, reckless renegades, and blood seekers [with]...no moral honesty." Guided by "artful...dishonest leaders," McBride thought they were prone to excess drinking, "concubinage," lying, cheating, and extortion. The diary ends in Salt Lake City on June 26. The entire diary appears to have been copied over by McBride from his original notes. Also includes a photograph of McBride.

  mssHM 16956

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  Sonora, Mexico, mining contracts

  Manuscripts

  Group of contracts for mining interests mainly in the state of Sonora, Mexico, including those in Cumpas, Moctezuma, Huepac, Hermosillo, Nogales, and Cananea. Mines discussed include El Archipielago Mine, Saitilla Mine, El Sapo Mine, Vinaigron Mine, and Tarantulita Mine. Mining companies involved in the contracts include the Transvaal Copper Mining Co., the Minneapolis Copper Co., the Minneapolis Copper Development Co., and the Archipielago Mines Co. The contracts are in Spanish.

  mssHM 74976-75001

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  Kimball Hale Dimmick diary

  Manuscripts

  This diary details Dimmick's activities in California as an officer of the United States military. He receives and carries out orders, repairs military installations, and writes letters home to his wife. Dated 1848, April 16 - October 26.

  mssHM 4014

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  George Ellary Hale letter to Seth Barnes Nicholson

  Manuscripts

  This autograph letter, written by George Ellery Hale to Seth Barnes Nicholson, concerns Nicholson's employment at the Mount Wilson Observatory and an eclipse. He expresses, "...I sincerely hope you may see your way clear to stay with us. We can certainly give you better facilities for research than you could get elsewhere, and you may also count on an adequate increase in salary." This letter was written in Florence, Italy.

  mssHM 83603

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  William Hale Long Civil War maps

  Manuscripts

  A collection of 15 manuscript maps and sketches drawn by William Hale Long which detail various areas and battles during the American Civil War; the maps and sketches focus on Northern Virginia and cover the years from 1862 to 1865. The material is a historical resource for the history of the campaigns and illustrate the progress of the war in this area as well as its conclusion. Long led various reconnaissances and these maps were used by him for this work. The material also serves as documentation for the reconstruction of the action for these battles and campaigns. The maps were originally folded and stored in a morocco case but are now flattened and placed in 15 individual folders.

  mssHM 44668-44682

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  Experiences and reminiscences of Raymond William Milnor

  Manuscripts

  In this manuscript, Milnor reminiscences about his life. He talks about his childhood in Iowa where he played around railroad tracks and attended a school with a graduating class of 14 students. He talks about his work with the railroads and trips he took. He talks briefly about his time in the war and time spent at Yellowstone Park on his journey to California. Milnor ends his reminiscences with several pages covering his life in southern California - his varying jobs, the many times his family moved around, his daughters' education, family vacations, his retirement, etc.

  mssHM 73895