John H. Eagle Letters mssEGL
Gayle Richardson
The Huntington Library
April 2020
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
reference@huntington.org
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: John H. Eagle letters
Creator:
Eagle, John H., active 1850s
Identifier/Call Number: mssEGL
Physical Description:
1.2 Linear Feet
(1 box)
Date (inclusive): 1852-1856
Abstract: A collection of letters and ephemera of
the California gold miner John H. Eagle.
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], John H. Eagle letters, The Huntington Library, San Marino,
California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased from Helen L. Dobson, September 1934.
John H. Eagle came to California to mine gold and worked near Auburn, California, from
1852-1855.
The collection contains 49 letters from John H. Eagle to his wife, Margaret H. Drum Eagle
(addressed as "Kate"), and other members of his family. The letters describe his life as a
miner in Placer County, California, in the town of Auburn and a few miles south in Gold
Hill. The letters include details of the prices of food and other commodities, living
conditions, and a description of the community. A few letters describe Eagle's voyage to
California via the Isthmus of Panama. There are also two folders containing 8 pieces of
ephemera (1852-1856) in the collection, including Adams and Company and Wells Fargo and
Company sight drafts.
Processed by Huntington Library Staff, circa 1940. In 2020, Gayle Richardson created the
finding aid from legacy in-house summary report.
Arranged chronologically.
Former call number: mssEGL 1-49.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Gold mines and mining -- California -- Placer County
Voyages to the Pacific coast -- Personal narratives
Auburn (Calif.) -- Social life and customs -- 19th century
California -- Gold discoveries -- Personal narratives
California, Northern -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
Panama -- Description and
travel
Letters (correspondence) -- California, Northern -- 19th
century
Ephemera -- California, Northern -- 19th century
Box 1, Folder 1-49
John H. Eagle letters and ephemera 1852-1856