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Sampson (William) Letters
mssSampson
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: William Sampson letters
Creator:
Sampson, William, 1878-
Identifier/Call Number: mssSampson
Physical Description:
2.59 Linear Feet
(4 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1901-1904
Abstract: A collection of letters from 1901 to
1904 written by William Sampson, California assayer.
Language of Material: Materials are in
English.
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at
the Huntington Library for more information.
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from
or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The
responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining
necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
[Identification of item]. William Sampson letters, The Huntington Library, San Marino,
California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased from James Smalldon, October 1978, and purchased from William J. B. Berger, March
1980.
William Sampson (1878-) grew up in the California Mother Lode Country and became an assayer
for the North Star Mine in Grass Valley, California. By the time Sampson was employed in
1901, the North Star Mine had recovered from its decline and was reestablishing its
reputation as one of the leading gold producing mines in California. Sampson married Edna
Dahl in July 1904.
A collection of 233 items from 1901 to 1904, it consists of letters written by William
Sampson to his fiancée, Edna Dahl, who was then working in San Francisco. The letters were
written during the period of their courtship, 1901 to 1904, and cease after their marriage
in 1904. Sampson describes events in Grass Valley, California, and the social life typical
of mining towns of that period. Sampson's letters also describe his work at the North Star
Mine and frequently mention the mine superintendent, Arthur DeWint Foote, as well as various
members of the Foote family, including his wife, Mary Hallock Foote, a writer and artist,
and James D. Hague, president of the company that owned the North Star Mine.
Processed by Huntington Library Staff, circa 1984. In 2020, Gayle Richardson created the
finding aid derived from a legacy summary report.
Arranged chronologically.
Former call number: mssSampson letters.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Courtship -- California
Gold mines and mining -- California -- Grass Valley
Mines and mineral resources -- California -- Grass Valley
Grass Valley (Calif.) -- History -- 20th century
Grass Valley (Calif.) -- Social life and customs -- 20th
century
North Star Mine (Grass Valley, Calif.)
Letters (correspondence) -- California -- 20th century
Dahl, Edna
Foote, A. D. (Arthur
DeWint), 1849-1933
Foote, Mary Hallock, 1847-1938