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Contributing Institution:
Society of California Pioneers
Title: Finley McDairmid Reminiscence
Creator:
McDiarmid, Finely, 1807-1851
Identifier/Call Number: C058758
Physical Description:
1 folder
Typed manuscript, copied from handwritten original, 138 pages
Date (inclusive): 1851-1851
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.
Language of Material:
English
.
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.
Collection open for research
There are no restrictions on access
Finley McDiarmid Reminiscence, The Society of California Pioneers
Immediate Source of Acquisition
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"
The original "Letters to my Wife" are held by the Bancroft Library. The Letters were published by Ye Galleon Press, Fairfield,
Washington in 1997.
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.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Overland journeys to the Pacific
California Gold Rush, 1848-1852
Frontier and pioneer life – California
Pioneers -- California
Indians of North America
Gold mines and mining -- California -- Shasta County
Merrill, Horatio A.
McDairmid, Constantia
Helms, Henry
Helms, Adam
Underhill, Fred
Underhill, William
Bigalow, George
Lathrop, I T
Turner, Nick
Turner, Tilley Alex
Bailey, Josh
Bailey, Joe
Crellen, Charles
Hammond, Alexander
Hamilton, William S.
Chilton, Matt