Description
This file contains a negative photocopy of the original hand written journal written by Winslow Crocker. Crocker's journal
is an account of his trip to San Francisco, upon leaving Concord, N.H., Jan. 1st, 1849, his boarding the Barque Oxford in
Boston on Jan. 11, 1849, until his arrival in San Francisco Aug. 4, 1849. It starts before he decided to board a ship to California,
in Concord, N.H., and thus talks about his decision to go to California. The journal is detailed in parts, especially his
descriptions of Rio de Janeiro, and then cities in Chile. There is also a partial list of passengers on his Barque Oxford,
and a half page note written by his wife, unnamed, in 1865.
Background
According to the journal, Crocker arrived in San Francisco on Aug. 21, 1849, on the Barque Oxford, which left Boston on the
11th of January 1849. Crocker was living in Concord, N.H., perhaps the owner of a boarding house, when he heard of the discoveries
in California, and decides over a short time, to join a company to sail to California from Boston. No birth or death information
was found on Crocker, but he first appears in the San Francisco City directory of 1863, "bds, 214 Powell". In 1865, 214 Powell
is listed as his dwelling, then in 1867, his occupation is listed as real estate. He disappears from San Francisco then, and
appears in the Oakland City directory in 1874, as "dwl. 1169 West". His dwelling remains the same through 1877, but his occupation
goes from an architect to a carpenter, through 1880, and his dwelling changes to 813 14th Street. In 1892 the Union Whist
Club of Oakland meets at his house, and in 1894, there are unclaimed deposits of $159.51 at the Hibernia Savings and loan.
From the journal, we know he married late December of 1864. No further information could be found.