Title:

Autobiography and Reminiscence of John Pierce Beals, Nestor-San Diego Co, 1901.

[Institutional Records Digitization Project: Reminiscences of Early Pioneers: 1900-1904]

Creator/Contributor:

Beals, John Pierce, 1829-1906, creator

Autobiographies and Reminiscences of California Pioneers, p.26-31, Vol. 1. This is a typed transcript, bound into a volume, of the member's autobiographical reminiscence created as an institutional record for the Society of California Pioneers. The original handwritten version exists in the member's Biographical File. This reminiscence includes a reference to a photograph of the member in a set of bound volumes, but there is no longer a photograph of this member in our collection. This reminiscence includes a reference to a photograph of the member in a set of bound volumes, but there is no longer a photograph of this member in our collection. This reminiscence covers the period from 1849, when John Pierce Beals set sail for California, to 1885, when he retired to a ranch in San Diego County. It contains brief background information regarding Beals' parents. Beals gives details of his winter journey to California from Boston and the steps taken to settle and find work in mining. Beals later recounts his return trip to Boston on a whaling vessel. Information regarding specific provisions and costs is also provided.

Date:

1901 (issued)

Subject:

Beals, John Pierce -- 1829-1906

Pioneers -- California -- Biography

Music printing -- California.

Gold mines and mining

Voyages to the Pacific Coast

Frontier and pioneer life

California -- History -- 19th century.

California, Northern.

Available also in the original handwritten form in the member's Biographical File, and online

Copyright has not been assigned to The Society of California Pioneers. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Librarian. Permission for publication is given on behalf of The Society of California Pioneers as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must be obtained by the reader

Autobiography & Reminiscence of John Pierce Beals, Nestor-San Diego, Co., 1901. The Society of California Pioneers

John Pierce Beals, with the company "The Naponsett and San Francisco Mining and Trading Co.", left Boston on the ship "Lenark" with 125 persons on board. After a 7 month journey, he arrived in San Francisco early in August of 1849 and promptly left for Sacramento. Beals and company camped in Sacramento for a week and then headed down river ten miles , building a log cabin. Soon Beals moved down the San Joaquin Valley to the Livermore Pass. Not finding employment, he decided to sail back to Boston on the ship "The Far West" heading East via Hong Kong. After arriving in Hong Kong the ship's destination was changed to London. Beals switched vessels and went on the ship "Aernaut", of Mystic, a whaling boat to the Arctic Sea before returning to New England. In Boston, Beals worked as a machinist for a year and got married. He learned the music engraving and printing with the intention of returning to S.F.. In 1863, Beals returned to California with his wife and three children (two sons and one daughter), sailing the Nicaragua route. In S.F., Beals got work at the Navy Yard as a machinist. Around 1866 Beals rented a shop in San Mateo and started to engrave and print music, working mainly for Mathias Gray until 1885. Beals was diagnosed with consumption and moved to San Diego Co. where he owned a ranch

Type:

Autobiographies.

[6] p. ; 35 x 21 cm.

English

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Origin:

California

Copyright has not been assigned to The Society of California Pioneers. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Librarian. Permission for publication is given on behalf of The Society of California Pioneers as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must be obtained by the reader.

Collection:

The Society of California Pioneers collection of autobiographies and reminiscences of early pioneers