Dr. John W. Winkley Collection
Finding aid created by Contra Costa County Historical Society staff using RecordEXPRESS
Contra Costa County Historical Society
2019
724 Escobar Street
Martinez, California 94553
(925) 229-1042
http://www.cocohistory.com/
Title: Dr. John W. Winkley Collection
Dates: 1940-1970s
Collection Number: 1987.16
Creator/Collector:
Extent: 1 box
Repository:
Contra Costa County Historical Society
Martinez, California 94553
Abstract: The collection includes newspaper columns, letters and typewritten history manuscripts written by Dr. John W. Winkley, as
well as historical information about the Contra Costa County Historical Society. The collection was donated in 1987 by former
CCCHS board member Roy Bloss, a longtime resident of Alamo who passed away in 2012.
Language of Material: English
Collection is open for research.
Contact the Contra Costa County Historical Society for publication permission.
Dr. John W. Winkley Collection. Contra Costa County Historical Society
Biography/Administrative History
Winkley, a Methodist minister, had a popular column in the Oakland Tribune newspaper in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. The column
was titled “The Knave” and included stories of Winkley’s travels throughout the west and Midwest. The letters and manuscripts
in the collection are from Winkley’s time as a board member and newsletter editor for the Contra Costa County Historical Society.
Born in Indiana in the 1880s, Winkley graduated from Boston University in 1908, became a Methodist minister and settled in
Auburn, California before moving to Contra Costa County. He lived into his 80s.
Scope and Content of Collection
The materials are filed in 17 folders in one box. The folders are as follows:
Folder 1—Chapter 1: The Romantic Sierras; Chapter II: Ministerial Gold Diggers; chapter III: The El Dorado Trail
Folder 2—Chapter IV: The Auburn Trail
Folder 3—Chapter V: The Yuba Trail; Chapter VI: The Feather River Trails
Folder 4—Chapter VII: The Trinity Trails; Chapter VIII: The Amador Trails
Folder 5—Chapter IX: The Calaveras Trails
Folder 6—Chapter X: The Tuolomne Trails
Folder 7—Chapter XI: The Mariposa Trails; Chapter XII: Indians, Orientals, and Others
Folder 8—Sierra Profiles
Folder 9—Autobiographical Articles
Folder 10—Monographs
Folder 11—Miscellaneous Papers
Folders 12, 13 and 14—Oakland Tribune: “The Knave” columns
Folder 15—Oakland Tribune: “The Knave” (Alameda County) columns
Folder 16—Oakland Tribune: “The Knave” (Contra Costa County) columns
Folder 17—Oakland Tribune: “The Knave” (western desert trip) columns
correspondence
personal papers
Winkley, Dr. John W.
letters
newspaper clippings