This file contains one hand written letter from Romain C. De Boom and is dated April 19th, 1911. The letter is addressed to one Z.(Zoeth) S. Eldredge, who appears to have been inquiring about "the 1849 Pioneer C. DeBoom". Eldredge had originally written to Romain's son William. The letter gives many details about Jean Camille's (or John Cornelius's) life before arriving in San Francisco, and then his life while here, and his return to Europe.

The letter pertains to Mr R. De Boom's father , Jean Corneille (or John Cornelius) De Boom, who was the original pioneer in the family to make the voyage to California. According to the letter J.C. De Boom came to California from Chili, where he was engaged in the trade business and was a consulate to that region for Belgium. After gold was discovered in California in 1848 he set out for the "Golden Gate". He arrived in San Francisco on the 18th of February 1849. He quickly purchased a 50 Vara lot on California Street and he went in to the business of selling guano which "became a regular farmers help". In 1850 his brother Peter De Broom came from Antwerp and invested money in his brothers business and purchased some properties of his own and eventually died in San Francisco on March 4th, 1857. Most of his brothers' properties were destroyed in the fires of 1850-51-and 52. In June 1864 C. De Boom left San Francisco for Europe, where his "mother could not live another day without seeing him." When the Franco-Prussian War broke out he was killed in the Siege of Paris

1 folder 1 Folder (1 handwritten letter)