McDairmid (Finley) Reminiscence, 1851-1851

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Summary

Title:
Finley McDairmid Reminiscence
Dates:
1851-1851
Creators:
McDiarmid, Finely, 1807-1851
Abstract:
Finley McDiarmid's "Letters to My Wife" was transcribed from the original letters written by the author to his wife Constantia as he travelled to California from Wyota, Wisconsin. The journey took 5 months from May to October, 1850. The original letters are at the Bancroft Library and the Society of California Pioneers has a typed transcript of 138 pages. The Letters have been published as "Letters to my Wife" by Ye Galleon Press in 1997. The "Letters" provide vivid descriptions of the trials and hardships of the overland journey to California in 1850. Throughout he provides a count of the graves and dead livestock seen along the trail during the day. At Salt Lake City they decide to take the Hastings Cutoff around the south side of Salt Lake and across what they were told was 40 miles of desert. It turned out to be closer to 100 miles. They crossed the Sierras through Carson Valley and finally arrived in Placerville on October 9, 1850. McDiarmid spent from then until October 1851 trying to make a go of mining, barely "making groceries in all the country that has been mined. Finally in October he moves to Eel River in Trinity County, makes a claim on a homestead 12 miles from the ocean. He starts raising stock, building farm buildings and planting crops, planning to bring his family to join him. In December McDiarmid and his brother in law, Horatio A. Merrill, were building a boat at their cabin on McDiarmid Prairie when they were attacked and killed by local Indians.
Extent:
1 folder Typed manuscript, copied from handwritten original, 138 pages
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

Finley McDiarmid Reminiscence, The Society of California Pioneers

Background

Scope and content:

Finley McDiarmid's "Letters to My Wife" was transcribed from the original letters written by the author to his wife Constantia as he travelled to California from Wyota, Wisconsin. The journey took 5 months from May to October, 1850. The original letters are at the Bancroft Library and the Society of California Pioneers has a typed transcript of 138 pages. The Letters have been published as "Letters to my Wife" by Ye Galleon Press in 1997.

The "Letters" provide vivid descriptions of the trials and hardships of the overland journey to California in 1850. Throughout he provides a count of the graves and dead livestock seen along the trail during the day. McDiarmid sums it up as follows: "When I left home I anticipated all the unpleasant, painful sights that I have seen, but then I little expected to come in for so large a share of suffering as been our lot to bear." At Salt Lake City they decide to take the Hastings Cutoff around the south side of Salt Lake and across what they were told was 40 miles of desert. It turned out to be closer to 100 miles. They crossed the Sierras through Carson Valley and finally arrived in Placerville on October 9, 1850. McDiarmid spent from then until October 1851 trying to make a go of mining, barely "making groceries in all the country that has been mined. Finally in October he moves to Eel River in Trinity County, makes a claim on a homestead 12 miles from the ocean. He starts raising stock, building farm buildings and planting crops, planning to bring his family to join him. In December McDiarmid and his brother in law, Horatio A. Merrill, were building a boat at their cabin on McDiarmid Prairie when they were attacked and killed by local Indians.

Acquisition information:
Donor and Date of Acquisition unknown, however the transcript has the following name and address on the title page; Sarah Reynolds, 1316 Jirseno Lane, Woodland, California"
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Bibliography:

The Letters provide the most extensive biographical information on McDiarmid. June 15, 1977 The Times Standard from Eureka, California reports that he was born in Gates, New York in 1807 and provides the story of his death on McDiarmid Prairie in December of 1851.

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
John Davis
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2021-07-15 00:27:17 +0000 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection open for research

Terms of access:

There are no restrictions on access

Preferred citation:

Finley McDiarmid Reminiscence, The Society of California Pioneers

Location of this collection:
300 Fourth Street
San Francisco, CA 94107, US
Contact:
(415) 957-1849 ext. 160
mmdevine@californiapioneers.org
Website