Finding Aid to the William Moore Journals and Other Papers
Lara Michels
The Bancroft Library
2023
The Bancroft Library
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720-6000
bancref@library.berkeley.edu
Contributing Institution:
The Bancroft Library
Title: William Moore journals and other papers
Creator:
Moore, William, 1827-1900
Identifier/Call Number: BANC MSS 2011/224
Physical Description:
0.6 linear feet
(2 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1850-1860
Abstract: Collection consists of 13 journals written by William Moore and assorted other papers. Among the journals are five that document
in detail Moore's sea and overland voyages (from Ireland to New York, from New York to Illinois, from Illinois/Iowa to California,
from California back to New York, and from New York back to Illinois) as well as his experience in California during the Gold
Rush. Assorted other William Moore papers also included.
Physical Location: Many of the Bancroft Library collections are stored offsite and advance notice may be required for use. For current information
on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Language of Material:
English
.
Collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Carol Mortland in 2011.
William Moore was born in Newtownards, County Down, Ireland in 1827. He immigrated to the United States in 1850, arriving
in New York from Belfast on the ship Annie on May 17. Soon after his arrival in New York, he travelled via steamer and train
to Chicago. By late 1850, Moore had settled in Rock Island, Illinois and was living in the home of Daniel and Mary Egerton.
In May 1852, Moore travelled on the overland route to California with Dr. E.H. Bowman and Evan Davis. The group arrived in
Placerville (Hangtown) on September 10, 1852. In California, Moore tried to find work as a miner in Placerville but in his
first few years there mainly worked as a hand for the contractors building the South Fork Canal. He remained in Placerville,
working as a miner, until 1854, when he decided to return to Illinois. He undertook a journey down the Pacific coast to Nicaragua,
crossed the isthmus and then continued to New York aboard a ship. He made his way back to Illinois by train. He remained in
Rock Island County, Illinois working as a farmer for the remainder of his life. He married Margaret McKeag in the 1860s and
had a family. William Moore died in 1900.
William Moore journals and other papers, BANC MSS 2011/224, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.
Processed at the item level by Lara Michels in 2023.
Collection consists of 13 journals written by William Moore and assorted other papers. Among the journals are five that document
in detail Moore's sea and overland voyages as well as his experience in California during the Gold Rush. Among these are:
an 1850 journal documenting Moore's sea voyage from Belfast to New York; an 1850 journal documenting Moore's journey from
New York to Chicago; two 1852 journals documenting Moore's overland journey from West Buffalo, Iowa to Placerville, California
and (in the case of the second of these journals) also documenting his work and life in Placerville; and an 1854 journal documenting
the end of Moore's residence in Placerville, his decision to return to Illinois, and his sea voyage back to New York (down
the Pacific coast and through Nicaragua) and his train trip from New York to Rock Island, Illinois. The remainder of the journals
document Moore's life and farm work in Coal Valley, Rock Island, County, Illinois.
Also included in the collection are the following: two notebooks Moore brought with him to the United States containing notes
from lectures by Thomas Skilling and James William McGauley; two mathemetics cipher books (most likely created by Moore in
Ireland); some of Moore's writings and poems from Ireland; a few financial records from Placerville, a small amount of genealogical
information; photocopies of family photographs (made by descendants of Moore and mostly of Moore's wife, Margaret and her
family); a handwritten copy of Moore's 1850 journals; and an embroidered bookmark belonging to William Moore.
Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction
of some materials may be restricted by terms of University of California gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions,
privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond
that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be
commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
For additional information about the University of California, Berkeley Library's permissions policy please see: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/about/permissions-policies.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Moore, William, 1827-1900
South Fork Canal Company
Star of the West (Ship)
Sierra Nevada (Ship)
Irish -- United States
Gold mines and mining -- California -- 19th century
Gold mines and mining -- California -- El Dorado County
Canals -- California -- El Dorado County
Farmers -- Rock Island County (Ill.)
California -- Gold discoveries
California -- American River, South Fork
Ireland -- Emigration and immigration
Rock Island County (Ill.)
Sailing ships
Clipper ships
Ocean travel
California -- History -- 1850-1950
Overland journals -- 1850-1854
box 1, folder 1
Wm Moore's Journal on board the Annie of Belfast bound for bound for N.Y., March 27, 1850-May 14, 1850
Physical Description: Bound. No cover. 45 pages.
Journal of William Moore's sea voyage from Belfast to New York on the clipper ship Annie. Moore left Belfast on March 27,
1850 and arrived at the Port of New York on May 14, 1850. Moore's journal includes preliminary pages listing "directions for
various individals" in the United States, a recipe for a remedy for fever and ague, a list of "utensils required by passengers
sailing from Ireland to America," and a list of "provisions required to be taken independent of the ship's allowance." The
journal itself details Moore's experience on the voyage from he moment of being "hauled" out to Annie from the dock in Belfast.
He describes his departing view of Belfast and the difficulty the Annie had in getting to sea (because of wind). He notes
weather conditions, stormy conditions, and latitude and longitude positions throughout. He is particularly observant of the
ship's course and the activities of the sailors. At one point, he observes that though the ship has been at sea a month, it
has only had 5-6 good sailing days. He makes observations about the other passengers and their feelings and activities (including
laundry, dancing and fiddle playing). He mentions wildlife encountered on the journey and discusses passing another ship going
the same direction (the Prince of Wales sailing from Liverpool to Quebec). He closes the journal with observations on the
ship's arrive at Staten Island.
box 1, folder 1
Diary or Journal continued from Book No. 1 by Wm. Moore, May 15, 1850-March 31, 1851
Physical Description: Bound. Loose pages, detached front cover, and missing back cover. Journal is written in a dark teal Irish National School
Copy Book. 46 pages.
Journal documenting his arrival in New York, his activities during his short stay in New York City, and his travels (by train
and ship) to Chicago, Illinois. He travelled up the Hudson River on a steamboat to Albany, on a train from Albany to Buffalo,
and a Lake Erie steamer to Detroit, and on a train to a town near Chicago. He then travelled by horse-drawn canal boat to
La Salle, Illinois, by Illinois River steamboat to St. Louis and then to Galena on the S.B. Danube. Moore's final destination
was Rock Island, Illinois, where he met up with a Mr. Bailie (who was on the list of U.S. contacts in his journal documenting
his voyage from Belfast to New York). Mr. Bailie referred Moore to a local farmer by the name of Daniel Egerton. After working
for Mr. Egerton and another local named Dr. Bowman, on November 9. 1850, Moore traveled to an uncle in Ogdensburg, New York
via Chicago, Milwaukee, and Detroit (remarking once upon the many travelers on the roads heading west and reflecting extensibly
on Niagara Falls and briefly on his first encounter with snow in America). At the end of the journal (March 1851), Moore is
planning to return west.
box 1, folder 2
William Moore's Memorandum Book. Rock Island, Ills. or West Buffalo, Scott Co., Iowa, May 2, 1852-August 19, 1852
Physical Description: Bound leather (in poor condition); written in pencil with some fading on assorted pages. 104 pages.
First volume of William Moore's journal documenting his overland journey from Buffalo, Iowa to Placerville, California in
1852. This volume covers the journey from Iowa through to the Humboldt Mountains in northwestern Nevada.
Topics mentioned: geography, vegetation (especially different grasses and trees), river and stream crossings (fords), Indians
(sightings of and visits from Indians on the route); violence between settlers and Indians; guarding against Indians; episodes
in which Indians were shot; sightings of dead cattle and horses; the presence and quality of water; the presence of "alkaline
spots" in what would become the Nebraska Territory; views of Chimney Rock 40 miles in the distance (through a telescope; sightings
of and interactions with other immigrants; buildings; illnesses (like smallpox, cholera, and diarrhea); the condition of roads;
daily weather; wagon repairs; health of horses; weapons; frequent sightings of graves of "emigrants"; sightings of buffalo
and buffalo chips; unting; soil conditions (sandy).
box 1, folder 2
William Moore's Memorandum, continued, August 19, 1852-December 30, 1852
Physical Description: Journal bound in leather (poor condition). Many pages loose with some crumbling on edges. Written in pen. 126 pages.
Second volume of William Moore's journal documenting his overland journey from Buffalo, Iowa to Placerville, California in
1852. The first 25 pages of this volume cover Moore's journey from northwestern Nevada to Placerville.
The remainder of the journal covers Moore's experience as a aspiring miner and as a canal laborer in Placerville.
Topics mentioned in the journal include: Chinese miners (near Placerville), gambling houses (500-600 people in each gambling
house); the local Methodist Chapel, the "whorehouses", a detailed explanation of his first mining job and the processes of
mining; his experience prospecting for diggings; getting work on the South Fork Canal (with many details on the actual work
and Moore's co-workers on the canal including some Irishmen with whom he talks and reminisces; Moore's observations of the
funereal rights of a local indigenous tribe after a member died of smallpox; and his advice to his brother Hugh not to come
to California.
box 1, folder 3
Journal, January 1, 1854-August 28, 1854
Physical Description: Bound. No covers. Loose pages. Some brittle and torn pages at end. 116 pages.
Journal begins when Moore is living in Placerville working as a miner. The journal describes Moore's decision, in early January,
to sell his claim and move back to what he refers to as "the States." He takes a stagecoach to Sacramento, and a boat (the
"Confidence") from Sacramento to San Francisco. He spends a few days in San Francisco, which he describes in detail. He books
passage to New York via Nicaragua on the Sierra Nevada clipper ship. He documents his journey on this ship and his crossing
of Nicaragua via a boat across Lake Nicaragua and a voyage down the San Juan River to San Juan Del Norte. He then briefly
details his voyage to New York on the Star of the West clipper ship. After some days in New York, visiting friends, Moore
sets off back to Illinois. First, according to his journal, he takes the railroad from Jersey City to Dunkirk, NY and then
from Buffalo to Erie, from Erie to Cleveland, from Cleveland to Toledo, from Toledo to Chicago, and finally from Chicago to
Rock Island on the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad. Moore describes this trip in detail and wonders at the fact that it took
only three days to travel from New York to Rock Island. The remainder of the journal documents Moore's life in Rock Island
(his work and his personal life).
box 1, folder 4
Book No. 2. 1854 William Moore's Memorandum, September 1, 1854-October 5, 1854 October 31, 1851-May 4, 1852
Physical Description: Bound volume. Some damage at bottom of pages. 18 pages.
The first three and a half pages of this journal (when opened from the back) are dated 1851-1852 and entries consist mainly
of boarding information and some financials.
The rest of the journal documents Moore's life and farm work in Rock Island, Illinois.
box 1, folder 5
box 1, folder 6
box 1, folder 7
box 1, folder 8
box 1, folder 9
box 1, folder 10
box 1, folder 10
box 1, folder 10
Journal, March 25,1860-December 31, 1860
box 2, folder 1
box 2, folder 2
box 2, folder 3
box 2, folder 4
Writings, approximately 1845-1850
Poems and acrostics; essays (on religion, on progress); addresses (to be delivered at the Ballyblack Schoolhouse by William
Moore or for the Ballyblack Reading Society); Moore's farewell to Ireland poem; an article Moore wrote for the Dollar Newspaper
in Philadelphia called "Education for Farmers"; some fragments.
box 2, folder 5
Receipts from Placerville (2 from J. Wisner and Co. and 1 unidentified), 1853
box 2, folder 6
Miscellaneous documents, 1856-1874
box 2, folder 7
Family materials (geneaological information), 1963
box 2, folder 8
box 2, folder 9
Handwritten copies of Moore's journals of his voyage from Belfast to New York and his overland trip from New York to Chicago in 1850
box 2, folder 10
William Moore's embroidered bookmark, approximately 1880