Wiltsee Collection panels 121-130
Panel 121
Letters from Bangor, Big Oak Flat, Bear Valley, Big Bar, Bloomfield, and Bondville.
No. 716
Sent to David Brown in Downieville, California. Taken by U.S. mail from Bangor, California, and dated August 30, 1866.
No. 717
Sent to Miss Sarah E. Chamberlain in Townsend, Wisconsin. Taken by U.S. mail from Big Oak Flat, California. On the back is a note to Sarah “To others give thy brightest smiles But keep thy tears for me.”
No. 718
Sent to George Pennock in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from Samuel Sellers in Bear Valley, California. Taken by U.S. mail from Bear Valley and received November 1, 1860.
No. 719
Sent to J. Kimball Darling in Bear Valley, California. Taken by U.S. mail from East Corinth, New York.
No. 720
Sent to Dr. J. W. Compton in Knottsville, Kentucky. Taken by U.S. mail from Big Bar, California. Inside is a letter from John G. Pate to his brother in Uniontown, California, dated July 22, 1852. Not knowing what to do or where to go he writes “The thought of settling in that unhealthy country is more than I can bare and the thought of settling in this country away from my relations and friends is almost too much.”
No. 721
Sent to Liberty C. Bartlett in Big Bar, California, which existed in 1851-1853, but is a ghost town today. Sent by U.S. mail from Three Creeks “Overland via Los Angeles.”
No. 722
Sent from A. B. Glover to Ballard and Hall in San Francisco, California. Taken by U.S. mail from Bloomfield, California.
No. 723
Sent to Rebecca Cosuth in South Ryegate, Vermont.
Photograph of Oso Hotel, Fremont’s headquarters, in Bear Valley, California, 1930s.
Panel 122
Letters from Brooklyn, Brown’s Valley, Bottle Hill, Buckners, and Bucksport.
No. 724
Sent to Noah Cochran in Peru, New York. Taken by U.S. mail from Brooklyn, California, which is today part of Oakland.
No. 725
Sent to Mrs. S. W. Lovejoy in Peru, Maine. Taken by U.S. mail from Brooklyn, California.
No. 726
Sent from Brown’s Valley, California, to Aquiller M. Newland in Colusa. Dated August 23, 1864.
No. 727
Sent from Brown’s Valley, California, to A. M. Newland in Colusa. Dated September 10, 1864.
No. 728
Sent from Brown’s Valley, California, to Mr. Meredith in “Fir Cap” Eureka, California. Dated August 5, 1879.
No. 729
Sent to George C. Jewell in Petaluma, California. Sent from Bottle Hill, California which was situated two miles from Georgetown on the bank of Canyon Creek.
No. 730
Sent from Buckners, California, to C. H. Howe in Stockton. Inside is a letter from J. L. Beuers dated October 28, 1854 making arrangements to see Howe before he leaves California to go back “to the states.”
No. 731
Sent from Bucksport, California, to Thomas E. Bell in Sonora. Inside is a letter dated January 26, 1853 from J. Martin in Elk Hill near Humboldt Bay.
Photograph of the Balsar House in Georgetown, California, 1930s.
Panel 123
Letters from Bucks Ranch, Butte Mills, Burnt Ranch, Callahans Ranch, Campo Seco, and Camptonville.
No. 732
Sent from Bucks Ranch, California, to Mrs. Margaret Anegel in Rocheport, Missouri. Dated September 14, 1862.
No. 733
Sent from Butte Mills, now Magalia, California, to Mrs. Minerva Scholfield in Montville, Connecticut.
No. 734
Sent from Callahans Ranch, California, to Giocan Giacomo Righetti in Locarno in the Ticino Canton in Switzerland. Dated October 10, 1862.
No. 735
Sent from Burnt Ranch, California, to Lizzie Tursill in San Francisco.
No. 736
Sent from Camp Seco, California, to Mr. Wangenheim in San Francisco.
No. 737
Sent from Camptonville, California, to Lucy Jane Whitcomb in Swanzey, New Hampshire.
No. 738
Sent from Washington, Illinois, to William H. Timble. Addressed to Camptonville, California, but forwarded to Russian River. Dated August 4, 1857.
No. 739
Sent from Camptonville, California, through the Panama Isthmus to Silas Richardson in Belmont, New York. Dated November 17, 1862.
Photograph of Post Office in Camptonville, California, 1930s.
Panel 124
Letters from Centerville, Cherokee, Chinese Camp, Chico, and Clarksville.
No. 740
Sent to W. Van Voorhies in Vallejo, California. Sent from Centerville, now Grass Valley. The postmaster never used a canceller. This post office existed before authorization from Washington on July 10, 1851. C. W. Ormsby sent a certificate to be filed for the incorporation of the Wolf Creek Gold Mining Company.
No. 741
Sent from Centerville, California, to Mrs. Henry Douglass in Griswold, Connecticut. Dated May 26, 1852.
No. 742
Sent from J. M. Moore in Centerville, California, to Rev. G. L. Phillips in Santa Clara. The Centerville written here is now part of Oakland.
No. 743
Sent from Cherokee, California, to Mrs. Minerva Scholfield in Montville, Connecticut.
No. 744
Sent from Chinese Camp, California, to Sam H. Stephens in Amesbury Mills, Massachusetts.
No. 745
Sent from Chinese Camp, California, overland through Los Angeles to Julia Milford in Long Island, New York. Dated June 15, 1859.
No. 746
Sent from Chico, California, to M. H. Donald in Oroville, California.
No. 747
Sent from Clarksville, California, to Mrs. James Reed in Santa Cruz, California.
Photograph of Lavezzo’ Saloon at Volcano, California, 1930s.
Photograph of Rich Bar, California, 1930s.
Panel 125
Letters from Clifton, Cold Spring, and Coloma (earlier spelled as Culloma.)
No. 748
Sent from Clifton, California, to Miss Josephine Williams in San Francisco, California. The existence of a post office in Clifton was new to Ernest Wiltsee when he added this cover to the collection.
No. 749
Sent from Cold Springs, California, to J. Weston Breman in San Francisco, California. Cold Spring was five miles from Placerville.
No. 750
Sent to George S. Nichols in Athens, New York. Sent from Culloma, now known as Coloma, California. Before California became a U.S. state it was part of Mexico called “Alta California.”
No. 751
Sent to Mrs. Susan Lammond in Lancaster, South Carolina. Inside is a letter dated September 8, 1850, from her husband W. J. Lammond detailing his experiences as a gold miner in California. He closes his letter with instructions “Should you need any money, Let me know it immediately and I will send you a draft on New York which you can sell.”
No. 752
Sent to Edward M. Davis in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Sent from Culloma, now Colma, California. Inside is a letter dated August 11, 1851, from John Roskin.
No. 753
Sent to William M. Barrett in Garnersville, Georgia. Inside is a letter dated August 8, 1852, from his brother F. A. Barrett in Culloma, now Coloma, California. F. A. Barrett warns his brother that “The mines aint near as good as that was represented to be in Georgia. The Cream of California you may advise you and all the Rest of my friends, is to stay at home. If I was thar and new as much as I do I would stay there.”
No. 754
Sent from Rev. Gibbons in Coloma, California, to Rev. G. S. Phillips in Sacramento, California. Dated November 22, 1856.
No. 755
Sent from Rising Sun, Indiana to Robert O. Clark in Coloma, California.
Photograph of Bekeart’s Gun Store in Coloma, California.
Panel 126
Letters from Columbia, Colusa, and Coon Creek.
No. 756
Sent from Columbia, California, to James Lawrence in Gardiner, Maine.
No. 757
Sent from Columbia, California, to John Heaver in Batavia, Ohio.
No. 758
Sent from Columbia, California, to J. W. Mandeville in Benicia.
No. 759
Sent from Columbia, California, to J. W. Mandeville in Benicia. Dated January 31, 1854.
No. 760
Sent from Columbia, California, to Benjamin Harrison in Wilmington, Delaware. Dated March 27, 1855.
No. 761
Sent to Richard Cranby in Lockport, New York. Enclosed is a letter dated November 3, 1859, from his brother in Columbia, California, stating that “I would conclude from what you say that Lockport must be a pretty dull place. However, I would like to take a peep at the liitle Burg and its inhabitants. Yet I have no desire to return, I am in a financial way, doing well here. Not doing well very fast, but well, slow.”
No. 762
Sent from Columbia, California, to H. M. Newland in Colusa. Dated November 25, 1869.
No. 763
Sent from Coon Creek, California, to Miss Adelaide A. Mantor in West Mills, Maine. Dated June 2, 1860.
Photograph of buildings in Columbia, California, 1930s.
Photograph of Saint Anne’s Church in Columbia, California, 1930s.
Panel 127
Letters from Copperopolis, Cottonwood, Cosumnes, Danville, and Diamond Springs.
No. 764
Sent from Copperopolis, California, to James A. Owens in Silver Mountain.
No. 765
Sent from Cottonwood, California, to Col. J. P. Madden in San Francisco, California. Dated March 16, 1863.
No. 766
Sent from Cosumnes, California, by stage through Los Angeles to Miss Hattie E. Stevens in De Soto, Wisconsin. Dated October 12, 1860.
No. 767
Sent from Danville, California, to Mr. Freeman in Benicia.
No. 768
Sent from Diamond Springs, California, to John N. Moody in South Boston, Massachusetts. Dated August 19, 1858.
No. 769
Sent from Diamond Springs, California to L. J. Kirkman in Winchester, Illinois.
No. 770
Sent from Diamond Springs, California to L. P. Walker at the Department of the Interior in Washington City, D.C.
Photograph of Cosumnes, California, 1930s.
Panel 128
Letters from Davisville, Double Springs, and Downieville.
No. 771
Sent from Davisville, California, to A. M. Newland in Colusa. Dated April 2, 1862.
No. 772
Sent from Double Springs, California, to Secretary of State Van Voorhies in Vallejo. Dated June 11, 1851.
No. 773
Sent from Downieville, California, to Mrs. Adeliza Read in Clyde, Ohio.
No. 774
Sent from Downieville, California, to William Keene at the Van Buren Post Office in DeKalb County, Illinois.
No. 775
Sent from Downieville, California, to W. H. Keene at the Van Buren Post Office in DeKalb County, Illinois. Dated December 30, 1857.
No. 776
Sent from Downieville, California, to W. H. Keene at the Van Buren Post Office in DeKalb County, Illinois. Dated March 7, 1859.
No. 777
Sent from Downieville, California, to W. H. Keene at the Van Buren Post Office in DeKalb County, Illinois. Dated March 9, 1859.
No. 778
Sent from Downieville, California, to William H. Keene at the Van Buren Post Office in DeKalb County, Illinois. Dated June 16, 1859.
Photograph of Double Springs, California, 1930s.
Photograph of the old court house at Double Springs, California, 1930s.
Panel 129
Letters from Dobbins Ranch, Don Pedros Bar, Dry Town, Douglas Flat, Dutch Flat, El Dorado, Empire Ranch, Esmeralda, and Eureka.
No. 779
Sent to Robert R. Carrington in San Francisco, California. Taken from Dobbins Ranch, which was a small town with a Post Office from 1851-1854. Inside is a letter from Robert’s cousin Ben Ely.
No. 780
Sent to Mrs. G. L. Waters in Sacramento, California. Taken from Don Pedros Bar, which existed only before 1860, and is now under the waters of Don Pedro Reservoir.
No. 781
Sent to Miss. Emeline F. Williams in the “City of New York.” Taken from Dry Town, California.
No. 782
Sent from Douglas Flat, California, to Rosborough A. Berry in Yreka City. Dated September 18, 1860.
No. 783
Sent from Dutch Flat, California, to W. P. Stone in Dunbarton, New Hampshire.
No. 784
Sent from El Dorado, formerly Mud Springs, to Mr. Irwin in Placerville, California.
No. 785
Sent from Empire Ranch, California, to James Burns in Washington, Maine. Dated June 17, 1856.
No. 786
Sent from Esmeralda, California, to Mrs. J. A. Armstrong in Muknonago, Wisconsin.
No. 787
Sent to Dr. Clark in Eureka, California.
Photograph of the old Odd Fellows Hall in Dutch Flat, California, 1930s.
Panel 130
Letters from Farmington, Fiddletown, Folsom City, Forbestown, Forest City, Fort Bidwell, Forest Home, and Fort Jones.
No. 788
Sent From Farmington, California, to James and Owens in Copperopolis. Dated July 6, 1868.
No. 789
Sent from Fiddletown, California, to William Rehhan in Gordonville, New York.
No. 790
Sent from Folsom City, California, to R. S. Baldwin in New Haven, Connecticut. Inside is a letter dated December 4, 1853, from C. J. Palmer at the Granite Banking House about a “note to New Haven Savings Bank secured by an El Dorado Co.’s mortgage.”
No. 791
Sent from Forbestown, California, to Payton Parker in Avon, Illinois. Inside is a letter dated March 23, 1856, from Mary J. and John A. Paine to their family back in Illinois. Mary wrote to her mother “We will be back there [Illinois] again as soon as we get as much money as will settle us down comfortable and nice. We are both trying to make and save something.” Meanwhile, John added that “We now find ourselves surrounded by more cares than we once was.” John also commented on their Illinois family’s plans to move to Kansas by adding “Suppose you are not sufficiently fond of war to go to Kansas yet a while, for I see by the papers that they are having much trouble there.” The trouble John referred to started with Kansas’ vote of entering the Union as a free or slave state which resulted in the border war called “Bleeding Kansas,” one of the events leading to the Civil War.
No. 792
Sent from Forest City, California, to Stephen A. Morgan in Ledyard, Connecticut.
No. 793
Sent from Forest City, California, to Miss Abigal Johnson in Springfield, Ohio.
No. 794
Sent from Fort Bidwell, California, to Samuel Hill in San Francisco, California.
No. 795
Sent from Forest Home, California, to Mrs. Martha J. Trimble in Healdsburg, California. Inside is a letter dated February 27, 1868, from “Cousin Cal” regarding his new job teaching. He wrote that “I have a pleasant school here numbering 26 scholars, a pleasant room to teach in about half a mile from my boarding place. I get $50 per month and pay $12 per month for board. Though I like my situation in school, I do not like the country for the Ague is as thick as Hasty Pudding. Two of my students have each had a stroke.”
No. 796
Sent from Fort Jones, California, to A. M. Rosborough in Eureka, California.
Photograph of an old Masonic building in Forbestown, California.
