Description
The memoir of Pillsbury Hodgkins is a typed transcript. It describes his life in California working in the mines and his duties
and activities as an expressman for Wells Fargo in San Francisco. Also included from pages 59 to 71, are typed transcripts
of four newspapers: The San Francisco Chronicle, The Daily Republican, The Stockton Independent, and The Seaport News, with
articles on Hodgkins from 1892.
Background
Pillsbury Hodgkins was born on February 17, 1825 in Nobleboro, Maine. In 1848, he left for California, working his passage
as a carpenter on the ship York of the Pacific Company. He arrived in California in 1849 and worked at a variety of sites
including Jamestown, Soldiers Gulch, and others. In addition to mining for gold, in 1851, he went to work as an expressman
for Reynold's Express. In 1853, he sold his mining business and solely concentrated on the express business. From 1857 to
1870, he worked for Wells Fargo on steamer between Stockton and San Francisco. From 1870 to 1877, he worked between San Francisco
and San Diego. From 1877 to 1886, he was in charge of the Wells Fargo steamer department and from 1886 to 1891, he was in
charge of the Collection Department. His home was in Stockton, CA. He was an early member of the Society of California Pioneers.
He passed away on September of 1892.