Guide to the Daingerfield Family Letters M0004

Processed by Special Collections staff; machine-readable finding aid created by Patricia White
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
1997 ; revised 2020
Green Library
557 Escondido Mall
Stanford 94305-6064
specialcollections@stanford.edu


Language of Material: English
Contributing Institution: Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Title: Daingerfield Family Letters
Creator: Daingerfield, William
Creator: Daingerfield, Leroy
Identifier/Call Number: M0004
Identifier/Call Number: 141
Physical Description: 62 item(s)
Physical Description: .5 Linear Feet (1 box)
Date (inclusive): 1850-1854

Conditions Governing Access

Open for research. Note that material must be requested at least 36 hours in advance of intended use.

Biographical / Historical

Leroy Daingerfield and his brother William Daingerfield were early residents of northern California. Leroy was a miner and rancher and William was a lawyer and businessman.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Mrs. Janet Squires, 1958

Paging

Page from catalog record: https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/4082740

Preferred Citation:

[Identification of item] Daingerfield Family Letters, M004, Dept. of Special Collections, Stanford Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of letters from Leroy and William Daingerfield to their family in Harper's Ferry, Virginia. Letters are revealing of legal, mining, and business conditions of the time.

Conditions Governing Use

These materials are believed to be in the public domain. There are no restrictions on use of public domain materials.

box 1, folder 1

Letters from Leroy Daingerfield 111013 1850-1853

 

Baltimore, to John 111041 1850 March 7

 

San Franicisco, to John 111039 1850 July 23

 

Manihous River, to John 111037 1851 May 12

 

Calavera River, to mother 111035 1851 Sep 10

 

Calavera River, to Juliet 111033 1853 June 15

 

Bear Creek, to Mag 111031 1853 Aug 7

 

Bear Creek, to mother 111029 1853 Dec 25

 

Bear Creek, to mother 111027 1853 Sep 15

 

Bear Creek, to mother 111025 1853 Nov 20

Scope and Contents note

Includes some election news from Sacramento.
 

Coyote Flat, to mother 111023 ny, May 22

 

Davis Retreat, to Mary 111021 ny, May 18

 

Trinity River, to Fay (?) 111019 ny, Apr 4

 

Shasta, to Mag 111017 ny Oct 10

Scope and Contents note

Complaints about lack of good female society.
 

Sacamento Valley, to mother 111015 ny, Jan 12

box 1, folder 2

Letters from William Daingerfield 110981 1850-1851

 

Sacramento City, to his sister 111011 1850 Dec 28

 

Sacramento City, to Leroy 111009 1850 Feb 25

 

Baltimore, to his mother Mrs. Juliet Daingerfield 111007 1850 March 3

 

Ship State of Maine, to a sister, Mary 111005 1850 March 9

 

San Francisco, to mother 111003 1850 Aug 10

Scope and Contents note

"Gold is measured here by the bushels."
 

Angels Creek, to a brother, John 111001 1850 Aug 18

Scope and Contents note

First impression of California not good -but if can survive through exposure to filth, lice, fleas, bugs and reptiles, men bound to make money digging for gold.
 

Sacramento City, to a sister 110999 1850 Nov 14

Scope and Contents note

Mentions the scourge of cholera.
 

Scaramento City, to mother 110997 1850 Oct 21

Scope and Contents note

All of misfortune caused by trust in fellow man.
 

Sacramento City, to a sister 110995 1851 Feb 12

Scope and Contents note

Circumstances do not permit return from "this God forsaken country."
 

Sacramento City, to mother 110993 1851 Feb 27

Scope and Contents note

Tells of lynching.
 

Sacramento City, to mother 110991 1851 April 14

Scope and Contents note

Decides not to run for city attorney. Call was made on him by a majority of Whigs. Details on social life.
 

Sacramento City, to John 110989 1851 May 29

Scope and Contents note

In this country money is made and lost almost without knowing where it comes from or where it goes. Money worth ten times as much as in Virginia but people place little value on it. Whigs seem to be dominant party here. Frank Washington defeated for office of recorder. Negro problem.
 

Sacramento City, to Dick 110987 1851 June 29

Scope and Contents note

San Francisco again burned to the ground. English convicts from Sidney continually landing.
 

Shasta City, to Sara 110985 1851 Oct 30

Scope and Contents note

Main risk for investment is fire.
 

Shasta City, to mother 110983 1851 Dec 25

box 1, folder 3

Letters from William Daingerfield 110959 1852

 

Shasta City, to a brother 110979 1851 Feb 14

Scope and Contents note

Letters often get lost. Rapid rate population expansion. Lack of women makes manner of life different.
 

Shasta City, to Mary 110977 1852 Feb 22

Scope and Contents note

Dick's indisposition (bad health). Quartz mining may make Shasta permanent place of business.
 

Shasta City, to a sister 110975 1852 May 10

Scope and Contents note

Greatest curse: raise man as a gentleman, then deprive of means to support that character.
 

Shasta City, to mother 110973 1852 June 8

Scope and Contents note

Expects 100%/annum on mining stocks. Leroy gets ranch.
 

Shasta City, to father 110971 1852 July 8

Scope and Contents note

Lack of confidence in the law. A lynching on July 4. Only way to civilize Indians is to make them slaves. (Death of his brother Dick.)
 

Shasta City, to a sister 110969 1852 July 22

Scope and Contents note

Mourns Dick's death.
 

Shasta City, to mother 110967 1852 Aug 11

Scope and Contents note

Nominated for district judge.
 

Shasta City, to Juliet 110965 1852 Aug 23

Scope and Contents note

Term for district judge is six years, salary of $6,000 per year. Campaign will cost thousands. Implies that in Virginia one is a slave to conditions unlike Cal.
 

Shasta City, to mother 110963 1852 Sep 1

Scope and Contents note

Everyone drinks whiskey. Cows and good water are scarce. But no drunks. (note: mother objects to Leroy's liquor business).
 

Shasta City, to mother 110961 1852 Sep 24

Scope and Contents note

Reassures mother that Leroy takes no direct part in liquor business.
box 1, folder 4

Letters from William Daingerfield 110927 1853-1854

 

Shasta, to a sister 110957 1853 Jan 5

Scope and Contents note

Leroy recovers from small pox. Preachers forget that we have to live on earth. Defeated in election for district judge.
 

Shasta, to mother 110955 1853 Jan 12

Scope and Contents note

Looking for a port around the Oregon line -opportunities for speculation.
 

Shasta, to Billa (?) 110953 1853 Jan 16

 

Shasta, to a sister 110951 1853 Feb 14

Scope and Contents note

Leroy involved in bear hunt. Expresses considerable sentimentality.
 

Shasta, to mother 110949 1853 March 4

Scope and Contents note

Important case coming up (will earn $1000).
 

Shasta, to mother 110947 1853 May 9

 

San Francisco, to mother 110945 1853 June 4

Scope and Contents note

Appointed Secretary of the Board of California Land Commissioners -will have information he can sell to speculators. (Salary -$3500/yr.) S. F. new residence.
 

San Francisco, to mother 110943 1853 July 15

Scope and Contents note

Shasta totally burned. Living it up, "acting in the [fool] in S. F."
 

San Francisco, to mother 110941 1853 Aug 15

Scope and Contents note

Investing funds in S. F. city lots. Has lost a great deal of money but will still keep sending money back home. Note: the family has been in debt.
 

San Francisco, to a sister 110939 1853 Sep 1

Scope and Contents note

He had lost election for District Judge (Nov. 2, 1852) to Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith dies -perhaps he (William) will receive appointment.
 

San Francisco, to mother 110937 1853 Oct 30

Scope and Contents note

Cause of 9/10 of crime in U.S. is absence of home influences. District Judgeship for Shasta District promised by Governor. No longer attends church because disagrees with Pastor on the negro question.
 

San Francisco, to a sister 110935 1853 Nov 15

 

San Francisco, to mother 110933 1853 Dec 1

 

San Francisco, to mother 110931 1853 Dec 6

 

San Francisco, to mother 110929 1854 Apr 1

box 1, folder 5

Letters from William Daingerfield 110909 undated

 

Shasta (?), to brother or sister 110925 undated

Scope and Contents note

Mentions possible District Judgeship.
 

Letter, no place, no addressee 110923 undated

Scope and Contents note

Generally, leaning on government patonage has no security.
 

Shasta, no addressee 110921 undated

 

Shasta, no addressee 110919 undated

 

Shasta, to Richard 110917 ny, Apr 10

Scope and Contents note

Will send $500 soon.
 

Shasta, to mother 110915 ny, Mar 8

 

Shasta, to sister 110913 ny, Mar 16

 

At sea, Latitude 20.35 North, Longitude 120 (or 170?) 110911 undated

Scope and Contents note

Destination San Francisco. Sees big fish devour little ones. (Lesson: devour or be devoured). Looks upon captain as abominable tyrant.