RootsChat.Com
Research in Other Countries => United States of America => Topic started by: Ohanlon on Monday 17 February 14 06:41 GMT (UK)
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Hello
Can anyone point me in the right direction regarding names/lists of people who travelled from the east coast of America to the gold fields of California, please?
Thank you
James
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hi there.....
interesting question.....
heres a pdf worth reading and some of the government departments contained within , if contacted may be able to assist you>>>
http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/wo/MINERALS__REALTY__AND_RESOURCE_PROTECTION_/energy.Par.28664.File.dat/MiningClaims.pdf
miners and immigrants to the California Goldfields also came from Australia........ and most were an unruly lot probably not really interested in the form filling process but most would have had to get a miners permit of some sort........ whether the master books still exist or not is questionable.
Old post office directories and advertising materials such as newspapers would have some info about the miners...........
others will know more but this should be an interesting post.........as others contribute
:)
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Not what you are looking for,
The 1852 California State Census as to who was in California then.
Mick
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There is a partial list that was published from newspaper extracts (I think), entitled: "California Wagon Train Lists: Vol. 1, April 5, 1849, to Oct. 20, 1852" compiled by Louis J. Rasmussen in 1994, which covers the time period of the Gold Rush. It has 327 pages but I very much doubt that it is complete. No other volume was published and the gentleman is long dead. Most of the wagon trains would have departed from Independence, Missouri which is not on the East Coast; but people from the east who had river transport via the Ohio River may very well have chosen to go to California by land, by going to Missouri first and leaving from there. You might want to look at the website of the Oregon-California Trails Association also; there appears to be a database of overland diaries.
Beyond that, many "Forty-Niners" came by ship from the East Coast, as well as from many other ports all over the world. Some came around the southern tip of South America; others got off on the east coast of Nicaragua or Panama and trekked across the isthmus by foot, by mule or donkey train, or perhaps by rail if that existed; then they boarded ships on the west coast that were sailing north to San Francisco. Mr. Rasmussen also undertook a four-volume set called "San Francisco Ship Passenger Lists" publication of which began in 1970, but if memory serves me, it was for a later time period and did not cover the Gold Rush. I am quite sure there is no other Gold Rush ship passenger compilation; the arrivals at San Francisco were truly chaotic and I am sure nobody was keeping track; California had only recently become a state and there was no immigration station.
If you are looking for a specific name, the 1852 state census of California is worth having a look at, as many miners who hadn't yet given up were still there. That census is available on Ancestry, but be aware that schedules for a few counties no longer exist.
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Thanks, Carlisle43 for your time and help - it looks like a brick wall.
Cheers
James
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it seems we all are having some brickwalls with some aspects of early "settlement", and I have found it difficult getting more info regarding the Carson Expedition for which one of my Shergolds was involved ... and documented as breaking is leg thus being left behind on the trail.......
I found regarding the goldfields however that I was seeing information pop out in books such as Frank Clunes "Ben Hall" where the author discussed the action of one of the bushrangers, but again offered no real proof of documentation.
Without stating the obvious , have you contacted any of the Caifornia libraries , to see what historical collections may be lurking , or even the Library of Congress. I am not certain but would the US taxation system have historical documents (which may be more overall assessment ,but have individual materials???) ?
I had a scout around some early american law books I had but only found references to the Fires and earthquakes in regards to insurance claims. There were some notable murder cases also mentioned but not much detail was forth coming.
I was having a conversation about the post to one of my friends recently ,and of all the darnest things said in reply ....... have you contacted the Libraries and archives in Mexico....... which may be an wildcard of remoteness for material but they may have some information regarding the gold rush period overlooked by US researchers......?
some food for thoughts..... good luck :)
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Thank you for your suggestions re the difficulty I am experiencing concerning my ancestor's participation in the California gold rush (he went over from Massachusetts - Glispin, by name) - indeed, food for thought, and I will follow up - cheers.
Regards
James
Queensland.
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I'm of no help regarding how he arrived in California, but if you haven't well-documented his time in California, I can have a look around for you. I may not find anything at all, but I do enjoy looking at the California documents for that time frame. Have you been able to narrow down his arrival in California?
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Dear Lisa in California,
Thank you for your interest and kind offer to help ................
My main query has to do with Patrick Parker Glispin and a secondary one is Michael Crowley, his uncle.
Patrick Parker Glispin b. 1833 Dublin d. 1897 (Groveland, MA)
Patrick is found in the 1850 Federal and 1855 Leicester, Massachusetts State Censuses. In the latter he is with his widowed mother, aged 22 years.
Research shows Patrick missing from the 1860 US Federal Census in Massachusetts and no registration can be found for him, anywhere, in that US census year. His absence might well support the assumption that he left for the California Goldfields sometime after 1855.
We have no information as to when, exactly, Patrick arrived in California and, in time, he enlisted in the Union army there. Patrick's enlistment papers for the California Volunteer 9th Infantry has him joining 14 March 1864 - which is about 14 months before the end of the Civil War (1861-1865).
At the conclusion of the War, Patrick continued to serve as a soldier, with the rank of Corporal, until 1867. The regiment remained on duty at posts near San Francisco, and performed provost guard duty in the city until late in 1865, when parts of the regiment were distributed to California, Oregon and Nevada during the so called Snake War (1864-68).
Michael Crowley b. 1815 d. 1882 (Lowell MA). Research shows that Michael Crowley was not present in the Crowley household at the time of the 1850 US Federal New Hampshire Census - his wife Mary and the children were, but not Michael - and no registration can be found for him, anywhere, in that US census year. Although there is no mention of him in the 1850 San Francisco Census, his absence might well support the family assumption that he left for the California Goldfields in 1849.
Thanks again, very much - here's hoping ............
James
Queensland.
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Hi James:
Thank you for the explanation. I'll have a look around. I can't promise anything, but we'll see if anything can be found.
Lisa
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Thank you ....................
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Hi James:
I've not yet found anything but I wanted to let you know I have been looking. You may already know about the following sites, but...
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0z6h/
This site has some newspapers from 1836 to 1922.
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0l15/
This site has newspapers and city directories for San Francisco and other California counties (as well as other databases).
Note: I've only checked San Francisco so far; I will check other counties tonight or during the weekend.
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0z6i/
Oakland Museum of California
This site has interesting information about the gold rush, but you may already know most or all of the facts.
I also searched one of the pay sites, but have not yet found anything.
While looking, I tried Glispin, Glespin, Glis*, Gli*, Hisp, Hesp* and Patrick, Pat, Corporal, Corp, Mr. I've not yet tried Gils*. I looked in a few of the directories around 1864 for Glispin and Crowley and directories around 1850 for Crowley, but didn't see anything for Glispin and couldn't confirm that the Crowley's mentioned were "your" Crowley.
Out of curiosity, do you know where Patrick Glispin was stationed while in California? There are some interesting sites that I have visited: the San Francisco Presidio, Fort Point, and Angel Island. It is amazing to see structures from the civil war era.
Sorry nothing has surfaced so far.
Lisa
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Dear Lisa,
You have been very busy and I am very grateful - thank you!
I don't know where Patrick was stationed whilst in San Francisco, unfortunately, I was rather hoping that info might present itself but what I do know is that he was in Nevada (Fort Churchill - nothing but ruins these days) at the time of his discharge.
I will have a look at the references you forwarded .......................
Thanks again ...................
Regards
Jim
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lisa
well done mate :)
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Just wonder if you have seen this website?
http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/big_oak_flat_road/chinese_camp.html
Tom
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Hi,
I am tracing the Duff family who came from Washington DC to Mariposa, California. I found them in DC in 1850 and shortly afterwards in Mariposa. One family member who was a miner, went back and forth between DC and Mariposa several times. First I think about 1847. There is some information on the internet in regard to this family, but I wanted to find out more about their lives. Any suggestions?
Kam