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Works
Cyrus Richmond
In this collection of letters Cyrus Richmond writes to his family in Maine, about his business dealings in California during the Gold Rush. He details his first impressions of life in San Francisco and the impact of gold mining. **Please note that historical materials in the Gold Rush...
Hosea Dudley
This collection consists of 34 pages of an unbound diary documenting Hosea Dudley’s trip aboard the ship Pharsalia which departed Boston for San Francisco and carried 160 passengers and crew. Dudley begins his diary on February 2, 1849, and much of the diary describes the voyage and daily life...
What Cheer House Lease
This two-page document dated May 14, 1854 documents the land Joseph L. Folsom leased to Robert B. Woodward. This was the site of the famous What Cheer House, a hotel operated by Woodward. The What Cheer House was unique in several ways. It catered to men only and was priced to appeal to miners...
William P. Warren
In this collection William writes to his family of his 1850 overland journey to California. He describes the hardships on the trail and his arrival in California. His family’s return letters keep him up to date with news from home. **Please note that historical materials in the Gold Rush...
William R. Olden
Twenty-two letters from William Rodman Olden in California to his family in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The first letter is addressed to his wife and dated from Panama on May 13, 1849. The rest of the letters were sent to his sister, Mrs. A. Murray McIlvaine, and date from 1849 to 1877. This...