Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- George H.Baker Diary, Vol. 3
- Dates:
- 1849-1850
- Creators:
- Baker, Geo. H. (George Holbrook), 1827-1906
- Abstract:
- This file contains the hard bound and hand written, in ink, personal journal of G. H. Baker. This diary, vol.3, is in good condition with the spine still intact with the paper pages suffering some yellowing but are also in good condition. In this journal G.H. Baker discusses his business creating lithographs,located in San Francisco, California.
- Extent:
- 1 folder 1 Diary
- Language:
- English .
- Preferred citation:
-
George H.Baker Diary, Vol. 3. The Society of California Pioneers
Background
- Scope and content:
-
George Holbrook Baker's 1849-1850 diary covers a period of slightly more than a year after his arrival in California. After a week working in the gold diggings on the North Fork of the American River, he leaves the diggins "to find a more comfortable business." While his original intention was "to illustrate California in the manner it deserves", the next 14 months are spent in extensive travel through the Central Valley, the gold fields and a trip to the Columbia River in Oregon. His diary is a descriptive narrative of the country, people and places. After leaving the mines, he makes Sacramento his headquarters and gives merchandising a try. Looking for opportunities he travels to San Jose, Livermore and Stockton. In January he boards the "Aurora" to the Columbia River. The journal contains two handdrawn charts, one of the Columbia River mouth at the Pacific Ocean, and the second a map of the Columbia River from Astoria to Oregon City. He finds Oregon "Not prosperous, Rainy, wet and desolate". In May he returns to San Francisco to experience several of the series fires that ravaged the City. His merchandising venture had failed by this time. He started "The Baker Express" to deliver mail and newspapers to the mining camps. In one trip he covered over 160 miles travelling through the gold fields. The Express was a failure because of the number of miners who either refused or couldn't afford to pay. At the end of the diary, he talks of the final sale of all of John Sutter's remaining holdings to a group of four investors including Arnold Gillespie.
- Biographical / historical:
-
George H. Baker joined the Gold Rush to California, arriving at San Francisco in May, 1849. His sketch of th"The Port of San Francisco, 1849" was lithographed and published in the NY Tribune in August, 1849. From 1852 to 1862 Baker worked in Sacramento running several merchandising businesses; he also edited and published two periodicals, continued to sketch (mostly mining scenes), and made a series of woodcuts of California views. He drew and published a large and detailed lithograph of Sacramento as it looked in 1857 (his account book listing subscribers and advertising costs is housed at the Soc. of Cal. Pioneers). He moved back permanently to SF in 1862, establishing a lithography and publishing firm. Specialized in posters, advertising cards, views of buildings, stock certificates,maps, letter sheets and birds-eye views.
- Acquisition information:
- Gift of Mrs George Lilly (daughter) and Charles H. Baker (son), 1931
- Physical facet:
- I bound diary
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
About this collection guide
- Date Encoded:
- This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2021-07-14 23:09:37 +0000 .
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Collection open for research
- Terms of access:
-
No restrictions on access
- Preferred citation:
-
George H.Baker Diary, Vol. 3. The Society of California Pioneers
- Location of this collection:
-
300 Fourth StreetSan Francisco, CA 94107, US
- Contact:
- (415) 957-1849 ext. 160