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Collection of 21 ALSs from P. J. (Putnam John) Norton, totaling 76 pages, written from various Gold Rush-era locations in California—including the North Fork of the American River, Beals Bar, Grass Valley, Sweetland, and North San Juan—dating from August 19, 1851, to February 26, 1863. The letters are addressed primarily to his daughter, Cordelia Norton, in Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio, and trace Norton’s movements as a miner and laborer through mining camps and emerging towns across the Sierra Nevada during the height of the California Gold Rush.
Norton’s correspondence offers a vivid and continuous account of life in the mines, describing his labor blasting tunnels, the rough conditions of camp life, and the gradual development of society in the mountain settlements. He comments on lawlessness and vigilance committees, reflects on the high cost of provisions, and records the rhythms of daily life, from cooking and boarding arrangements to moments of isolation and hardship. Accompanied by two letters from Norton’s wife, Delia Ann, conveying family news, and 20 original mailing envelopes. In overall fine condition.
Highlighted letters are as follows (spelling and grammar retained):
January 24, 1855, sent from Grass Valley, California: “You may be some what surprised to heare from me from this place But…A chang sometimes is for the best and this is one of the Largest towns in the mountains and tha have vary good Society heare and Last Sunday I almost though[t] that I was at home to heare the church Bell Ring and see the children going to Sunday School. tha have two Large Sunday Schools and tha Are well Atended…tha had Six Ministers and some of them was vary smarte and the Moste Deliteful Sin[g]ing that I ever hird in my Life it was Butiful. I am vary tired for I have to worke vary hard every Day.”
June 30, 1856, sent from Sweetland in Nevada County: “I was on A prospectin town-up in the mountains…I am vary Much pleased with the Mountains and the Seanry thare is Somthin vary Grand and Sublime in Such A Broking and Rough Country. I Was at forest City and Stide one Day which is A vary good Mining Country under the Mountains that will take one nearly A half of A Day to walk to the top of them. Thare is A Large Number of famalys Living in the Mountain and Seame to injoy them Selves vary well, But tha Donte have enny Schools for the few children that is [in] the Country…I often think of all of you nights when I am at worke I often think that your are Sleeping and taking your Rest and I am in Calefornia Alone Working under grounde nights] But I am well paide for All My trouble…Thare is Some excitement in Calefornia at this time and I supose that the Nus of it in the State will make qite a Stirre thare at home. But the Moste of the folk's heare and the Lackys in peticule think that it is Aboute Righ[t] if tha keepe it up Long Anough to gid Reade of the Bade Men that infested the Country. Society is improving qite faste in this parte of Calefornia. Tha Begin to forme Temperance Societys and [Saving) Schools and Now and then tha have Social partys and the young folks Seame to Injoy them vary much.”
July 13, 1856, sent from Sweetland: “You will find that your study in Book keeping will Be of use to you in enny kind of Bisness that you may engage in. You Say that you have not give up the notion of going to Anopilus which I was glad to heare that is if it is your Minde to go thare for it is A place that A young Man has A chance to improve and Make himself A Big Name and Be useful to his Country But Charles it cante Be done withoute A Grate Menny hardships and trobles…We have Ben having Some Sony warm weather for the Laste Month But it has not Afected Me Much for I have Ben Working in A Tunnel Nigh[t]s and Sleeping Day times and it is vary harde worke for it is all vary hard Rock and I have to Blaste it all and to give you Some eideas of how hard it is take two of us Aboute three Hours steidy Drilliing to Sink A hole one foot Deape and working Day and nigh[t] we are Able to Make from 2 to 4 ft. A weake in Lenght of tunel…Thare has Ben some vary exciting times heare in the Laste two Months on the Acounte of the vigilance commity Being orgenised A gaine But tha have Done up things Righ[t] and the Whole pople of the State Go harte and hand with them and sustaine them in Reding the country of the Murders Robers and Gambles and thifes.”
August 13, 1856, from Sweetland: “…You seame to Speak vary highly of the improvement of your town and you Seame to think that I wood not know it if I should come home But I think that I should for I have Ben Living in A parte of the Worlde for the Laste fue years whare the people are in the habit of Bilding up Nue towns as Big as two of fremont in Six months...There is not Much Nuse heare to write About except Robberys and Murders and tha are of everry Days ocurance and so common that people hardly think it worth Mentioning. I have taken A contract to Run A tunnel thrue A hill Som Six hundred ft Long Which will take Me som three Months to compleate it if I have good Luck...I am vary tired for I have worke vary harde all Day and it is geting rather Late."
May 30, 1857, sent from Beals Bar (Granite Bay): “I Must tell you Somthing how we Live for we are Bording our-Selves. Well I Got up this Morning it Being Sunday And the first thing that I Did was to Bild A fire in the Stove And put the teakitle over then I Washed My face And hands And Combed my hare…Then I cut A peace of ham And put it in som watter in A frying pan And put that on the Stove And then I renced out the Coffe Pot And Maid that Ready to Make Coffe And then I though[t] that some Eggs wood taste vary Good with the hame so I Goes And Gits two Dozen of Eggs And fryed one Dozen with the ham Maid Coffe for Grove And Tea for your uncle And my Self Sett the Table And caled the Boys up to Git thare Breckfast…After Breckfast I washed up the Dishes swep out the camp Shaved My Self took A Good was[h] put on A clean Shirt And Sett my Self Down to Write to My Big Baby.”
December 9, 1860, sent from North San Juan: “I am Located North Sanjuan Which By the Way is A town of About 15 Hundred or two thousand inhabitants Which is in A vary Large Mining Destrick And for A California it has A G[re]ate Menny famelys in it. And thare is vary Good Society and on the Sabath tha thare is peaching two and three times A day And evening Meatings in the Weak And on the hole it is A vary plesant Mountain town…As for My Self I have Got Middle plesant Situation And steddy imployment As Watter-Agent on Sanjuan Hill For the Mi Plba Dick Company. My Work is not Harde. I have to Git up in the Morning at 6 oclock co Let the Watter on to the Ligins And then till Noone I have Nothing to Doe But Walk Around at Noon I have the Gates to Shut Down Which Stops the The[n] I Rais the w Again And have nothing to Doe But Shut the Gates at Nigh[t]…I have A vary comfertib[I]e Rome in the Watter office With A Good Bead to Slep on A Good Stove With plenty of Wood to keep warm with… I Doe I Borde at A Publick house for Which I have to pay 7 Dollars A Weake Which I think I hear you say is Rather Dear Living…I feale thankful to the giver of All Good things that I Am suffered to have such comforts at this time for it Gives me Some hopes of Being in A condition to come home After A While."
The Western Americana auction of Jochen Zeitz.
