Name/Title
LetterEntry/Object ID
2008.015.0246Scope and Content
This is a facsimile of a historic letter having to do with the discovery of gold in California. It was a series put out by the Book Club of California in December of 1948. We have seven of at least a series of 12.
The entire list of letters is:
1. Captain John A. Sutter [to G. McKinstry].-
2. The Sutter-Marshall lease.-
3. Sutter to Leidesdorff.-
4. Edward C. Kemble to John S. Hittell.-
5. 1848: a letter from Thomas O. Larkin to Governor R.B. Mason.-
6. W.D.M. Howard to B.T. Reed, 1848.-
7. Consul Thomas O. Larkin to Secretary of State James Buchanan.-
8. Letter of Captain J.L. Folsom to the Secretary of the National Institute at Washington, D.C.-
9. Letter of Ebenezer Larkin Childs to Thomas O. Larkin.-
10. Rodman M. Price to Thomas O. Larkin.-
11. A letter from Stephen Reynolds to Thomas O. Larkin, November, 1848.-
12. Robert Semple to Thomas O. Larkin.
We have letters 1 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 12
This one is letter 6 from W.D.M. Howard to B.T. Reed. It is a letter from Howard in San Francisco about six weeks after the discovery of gold at Sutter's fort. He is describing the quantity of gold being taken per day as about $25 even using the very crude methods being employed. He also discusses the skyrocketing cost of supplies.Collection
Benicia Historical Museum Collection