Manuscripts
Lyman H. Howland letters to his son
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H. C. D. Baker letter to his family
Manuscripts
In this letter addressed to "Dear brother and sister," H.C.D. Baker writes of his current situation in Sacramento. With lithograph on final page depicting the plights of fictitious miner "John Smith."
mssHM 16548
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F. Lyle Lyman correspondence
Manuscripts
The letters relate the story of Lyman's trip from Illinois to Dawson, Yukon Territory. His first stops were in Seattle and Vancouver; he finally arrived in Skagway, Alaska on March 3rd, after which he and his friend made their way through the Chilkoot Pass to Dawson. Although Lyman did not do much mining, he does talk about the miners whom he met. He briefly mentions a scheme to make money, but never gives further details. His letters describe the difficulties of hiking through the snow and bad weather (although he found the Chilkoot Pass less dangerous than he had expected); an avalanche which killed several people; the other travelers he encountered; the dangers of rafting down the Whitehorse rapids; and the conditions of the mining towns of Dyea and Dawson. There is one letter to Lyman from his mother. The group also includes a cabinet photograph of F. Lyle Lyman and four newspaper clippings regarding gold mining in the Klondike.
mssHM 65941-65958
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Charles H. Bilke letter
Manuscripts
The letter, which Bilke wrote to the Evans Brothers in Virginia City, Nevada, talks about employment opportunities, or the lack of employment opportunities in Butte, Montana, as well as the availability of work in Salt Lake City, Utah and Nevada. Bilke advises his friends to stay in Nevada and not to come to Montana.
mssHM 68219
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Lyman Belding autobiography
Manuscripts
The autobiography begins with Belding's childhood in West Farms, Massachusetts (near Amherst College). He recalls his early days of school, camping at a nearby lake, and his first crush on a girl. Of his life in Wyoming Valley, Pennyslvania, Belding talks about his bout with typhoid fever in 1846 which led his doctor to advise him to go on a sea voyage. He talks about his first voyage on the ship Zion and his first long voyage on the whaling ship Uncas (going to the Arctic for whales). Of his voyages, Belden talks about the conditions of life on the ship, their food and drink, stops along the way, sea animals they saw, and the whales they killed. Belding also talks about hunting in the Sierra Nevadas, a meeting with Mark Hopkins, and a bird collecting trip he took to Baja, California.
mssHM 75097
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W. H. Wheeler letters to his father
Manuscripts
Three autograph letters written from Cheyenne and Laramie, Wyoming Territory; the letters were written over a three month period in 1871. W. H. Wheeler wrote to his father with great enthusiasm about the many opportunities for prosperity he sees surrounding him in Wyoming and Utah territories. Although especially enthusiastic about the possibilities of outfitting miners hoping to exploit the region's mineral wealth, he also describes in detail the fabulous returns being made through the sales of mining claims in Utah as well as the steadily rising values of building lots in Evanston, Wyoming. Wheeler worked in the city's Union Pacific office, but was anxious to quit his desk job and to become a Western businessman in mining and outfitting ventures; in the letters, Wheeler requests money from his father for these ventures while extolling the many opportunities of realizing great profits. Two of the letters are written on Union Pacific stationary or forms and all three are in fragile condition with tearing along the folds.
mssHM 84048
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H. B. Lansing diaries
Manuscripts
Lansing's diaries give a detailed account of his life in California as a gold miner. He talks about his life in the mining camp, his friends and business partners, his home sickness, his desire to "sell out" and go home, as well as the specifics of mining for gold (buying and selling of claims, equipment problems, bad weather, boils on his hands, etc.). Lansing also describes in detail how he and his friends spend their leisure time: gambling, bowling, drinking and going to dances. Lansing mentions the Chinese he works with in the mines, Joaquin Murieta and the hanging of several Mexicans for murder. Lansing works in and travels to several different places in California including San Andreas, Sonora, Chinese Camp, Murphy's Camp and Yackee (Yaqui) Camp. Lansing also gives a daily tally of the gold he finds in his diggings by dollar amount. The first volume covers all of 1853 and second volume only covers January to May 1855.
mssHM 70409-70410