Title:
William Robert Prince papers, 1849-1851
Creator/Contributor:
Prince, William Robert, 1795-1869, creator
Abstract:
117 letters written primarily to his wife, Charlotte, mainly from Sacramento, where he ran a miners' variety store and collected
plant material for his New York horticultural gardens. Comments on voyage from New York to California via the Isthmus of Panama
in l849, with descriptions of Havana, Panama, and Acapulco; comments on black population; arrival in San Francisco and description
of the town and its activities; brief experiences as a miner in Tuolumne County; description of life in Sacramento and its
politics, business and commerce, with notes on prices and availability of a wide array of commodities and services. Letters
contain many references to John Augustus Sutter and his operations; the cholera epidemic of late l850; the plight of the gold-seekers
and merchants; unscrupulous business practices; living conditions of miners; illnesses among 49ers; alcohol and gambling;
floods and fires; bond sales; squatters riot of August 1850; crime; food; native flora and methods of shipping plant and seed
specimens. Also included are one letter from his wife, two letters from a business partner, itemized account sheets and other
miscellaneous items.
Date:
1849 (issued)
Subject:
nwcu--- -- ncpn--- -- n us-ca
Sutter, John Augustus -- 1803-1880
Voyages to the Pacific coast
Mines and mineral resources -- California
Squatters -- California
Horticulture -- California
Havana (Cuba) -- Description and travel
Panama -- Description and travel
Acapulco (Mexico) -- Description and travel
San Francisco (Calif.) -- Description and travel
Sacramento (Calif.) -- Description and travel
Sacramento (Calif.) -- Commerce
Physical Description:
1 box (.4 linear ft.).
Language:
English
Identifier:
BANC MSS 83/76 cLOCAL
Origin:
California