Kit

Thomas Walke letter 1850.

Summary:

This letter from Thomas Walke to his father Anthony Walke in Chillicothe, Ohio, was privately printed by David K. Webb, who was in charge of The Ohio Place Name Project at the Ross County Historical Society, Chillicothe, Ohio. The letter was printed in the "Daily Scioto Gazette" on June 17, 1850. The printed letter is two pages. Thomas wrote about the California Gold Rush. He lived in the small town of Coloma on the South Fork of the American River, 50 miles from Sacramento. He wrote: "Gold is (I might say) the only circulating medium here; you will readily perceive that a considerable amount is required for the business wants of the country." Because miners did not want to spend their time farming, they imported fruits and vegetables from the Sandwich Islands, Chili, and the U.S. Thomas told his father that this applied only to northern California, and that Spaniards who had farms and ranches in the south "seemed to have an abundance of everything." He wrote that the best way to California is the Isthmus of Panama. Those people who took the South Pass road last year endured great suffering.

Record details

Physical Description: 0.01 Cubic feet

Content descriptions

General Note:	Processing Information: Collection processing completed 2018/5/17 by Nikki Stoddard Schofield.
Restrictions on Access Note:	This collection is open for research.
Preferred Citation of Described Materials Note:	Thomas Walke letter, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library
Terms Governing Use and Reproduction Note:	Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts.
Biographical or Historical Data:	From California, Thomas Walke wrote this letter, dated April 17, 1850, to his father, Anthony Walke in Chillicothe, Ohio. Thomas told his father about the mining in Coloma, a village on the South Fork of the American River about 50 miles from Sacramento. He told his father about men being attacked by a grizzly bear, which weighed 1400 pounds, killing it, and selling it for one dollar a pound in Sacramento. Thomas wrote: "Since I have been in the mining district, I have felt convinced, for a long time, there wll be no danger of the mines failing." He said a miner could dig out eight to ten dollars of gold a day. He told his father that miners are going high in the mountains, "near the sources of the streams where the mines are richer."
Ownership and Custodial History:	This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a donation from David K. Webb on 1950/12/19.
Accumulation and Frequency of Use Note:	No further additions are expected.