Finding aid of the Eli Cook Letters C057958
Finding aid prepared by Michael Lange
Society of California Pioneers
10/11/2011
300 Fourth Street
San Francisco, CA, 94107-1272
(415) 959-1849
pkeats@californiapioneers.org
Title: Cook, Eli Letters
Identifier/Call Number: C057958
Contributing Institution:
Society of California Pioneers
Language of Material:
English
Container: 3-18C
Container: C057958
Physical Description:
1.0 folder
(21 letters)
Date (bulk): Bulk, 1849-1852
Date (inclusive): 1849-1856
Abstract: This folder contains two booklets with 21 letters stored in them. The letters are mostly from Eli Cook and addressed to his
wife Sarah and their children. These letters have no specific subject matter and simply detail his daily life. They date from
1849-1852.
creator:
Cook, Eli
Conditions Governing Access note
Collection open for research.
There are no restrictions on access.
Eli Cook Letters. The Society of California Pioneers.
Mrs. Marjorie A. Howard 04/04/1961
Eli Cook was married to Sarah Cook (maiden name unknown), and had multiple children, daughters Adeline, Angeline and Emeline
and a son, Franklin. His family lived in Springfield, Illinois and he travelled west from St. Joseph, Missouri in 1849 without
them. He travelled to Sacramento, California before settling in Nevada City and operating a dry goods business. He lived in
Nevada City until at least December of1852. While living in Illinois he was a member of the Odd Fellows Lodge.
His birth and death dates are unknown.
This collection consists of 21 letters written by Eli Cook, all adressed to his wife, Sarah Cook. The first two are from St.
Louis, Missouri and dated 04/1849. He travels westward and reaches California by October of 1849, where he stayed in Sacramento
for a time before moving on to Nevada City in January of 1851. The majority of his letters are from Nevada City and deal with
his day to day life, including his dry goods business which he operated with success in Nevada City for a number of years.
The letters authored by Eli Cook run from 04/1849 to 12/1852.
There are two additional letters included, one addressed to Sarah Cook from Hiram C. Hodge concerning money sent to her from
Nevada, dated 04/24/1853. The other is also addressed to Sarah Cook and is from her friend Julia Leslie (?) in Sacramento,
California, and is dated 07/26/1856 and mentions the passing of Eli Cook but gives no date.
Existence and Location of Originals note
The Society of California Pioneers, 300 Fourth Street, San Francisco, CA, 94107
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Hodge, Hiram C., fl. 1850
Business enterprises.
California--Gold discoveries
Correspondence
Gold Discovery - California
Grand United Order of Odd Fellows
Nevada City (Calif.)