ENCollections tagged Gold Rush
Letters of the Office of Indian Affairs, 1849-1880, California Superintendency
The first 30 years of California's statehood were a time of upheaval for American Indians throughout California. New state officials worked to assume control of California's affairs and boundaries, U.S. government officials unfamiliar with California and its Indians arrived to document tribal...
Alfred Doten Diaries, 1849-1903
Alfred Doten began his daily diary at the age of 19 on the day he left his home in Plymouth Massachusetts for the gold fields of California aboard the ship Yeoman. His last entry was written 53 years later on the day before he died, cold, penniless and alone, in Carson City, Nevada. During the...
Thomas Gilman Collection
Thomas Gilman (1830-1911) purchased his freedom for $1,000 in 1852. Born into slavery in Tennessee, Gilman was brought to California in 1850 to work in the gold mines near Shaw’s Flat. Within two years he earned enough money to free himself.
Dr. Caleb Edward Iddings Diaries
Caleb Edward Iddings, (1829-1904) was a physician in Sandy Spring, Maryland. In 1849, prior to medical school, he joined the wave of young hopefuls traveling to California, seeking fortune during in the Gold Rush. Upon his return from the West, he obtained his medical training at Maryland...
Gold Rush Era Letters
Letters written by various people during the Gold Rush era 1848-1855. Please note that historical materials in the Gold Rush Collections may include viewpoints and values that are not consistent with the values of the California State Library or the State of California and may be considered...