James R. Evans Diary, 1923-1924 and undated

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Summary

Creators:
Evans, James R.
Abstract:
The collection contains one diary written by James R. Evans beginning in March 1923 and records events related to prospecting in the Imperial Valley and the surrounding desert.
Extent:
0.25 Linear feet (1 box)
Language:
Preferred citation:

James R. Evans Diary, MS 201, San Diego History Center Document Collection, San Diego, CA.

Background

Scope and content:

James R. Evans’ diary begins in March 1923. The diary is typed, but includes several handwritten notes by Evans. The first twenty pages of the journal include entries on his travels from San Diego to his intended destination of 29 Palms, noting day of the week and time recorded, though dates (month, day and/or year) are not included. The second portion of the diary commences on page 22 and takes on a different tone. Evans documents places traveled and the people he meets along the way, with many entries recorded in a storytelling manner. He frequently stays at Shaver’s Well, notes the various other wells where he camps, and documents prospecting trips that take him toward 29 Palms, Mecca, the Salton Sea, Cottonwood, and El Centro. Only one date is recorded in the latter part of the diary: and it is February 5, 1924, when a meteor passes through where Evans is camped. Throughout the diary, he notes the hold that both the desert and that mining have over man, noting that he is no exception.

Biographical / historical:

James R. Evans was a geologist, mining engineer, and prospector who traveled through California’s Imperial Valley in the 1920s. Little biographical information is revealed about Evans within the journal. During a significant part of the diary, he travels and lives with Anne L. Evans, though he does not explicitly state that she is his wife. At one point in the diary, he includes excerpts from her diary revealing that his nickname is “Jim” or “Jimmy.”

Acquisition information:
Accession number 860919.
Processing information:

Collection processed by Jody Valente on January 24, 2012.

Collection processed as part of grant project supported by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) with generous funding from The Andrew Mellon Foundation.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged chronologically.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

The San Diego History Center (SDHC) holds the copyright to any unpublished materials. SDHC Library regulations do apply.

Preferred citation:

James R. Evans Diary, MS 201, San Diego History Center Document Collection, San Diego, CA.

Location of this collection:
1649 El Prado, Suite 3
San Diego, CA 92101, US
Contact:
(619) 232-6203
Website