Label Type
Cultural/Historical ContextLabel
“ We embarked on board the steamer Tennessee arriving off the coast of California March 8th where a dense and heavy fog was encountered. The officers of the steamer lost their bearings and we drifted towards the Marin County shore. During the night the steamer struck the rocks and became a total wreck. The noise of the wreck could be plainly heard on the shore. ... My mother was the first to be lowered to the life boat. We spent two days and one night on the beach. The men made a shelter for the women and children by pileing [sic] the mail sacks about them. Some of the men passengers walked over the hills to Saucelito [sic] and informed the people there of the disaster. They sent word to S.F. and a small craft was dispatched to rescue the wrecked passengers from their cold and bleak position. ... All our wearing apparel, a few thousand dollars, many cherished articles brought from our Eastern home in trunks and boxes went down with the steamer.
The first step my mother made in S.F was upon a bright shining silver quarter dollar which she deemed an omen of good fortune. But not so. That very night the Hotel we were in was burned to the ground. There were no casualties. Accomadations [sic] were found at another hotel at $40.00 per month for one small room. There was no carpet on the floor and very little furniture. ”
Rosa Reynolds Boyd
arrived in 1853 from Illinois