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Finding Aid of the Pillsbury Hodgkins Memoir. C058022
C058022  
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Table of contents What's This?
  • Existence and Location of Originals note
  • Related Archival Materials note
  • Scope and Contents note
  • Biography
  • Donor
  • Preferred Citation note
  • Conditions Governing Use note
  • Conditions Governing Access note

  • Title: Hodgkins, Pillsbury, Memoir
    Identifier/Call Number: C058022
    Contributing Institution: Society of California Pioneers
    Language of Material: English
    Physical Description: 1.0 folder 1 typescript, 71 pages
    Date (inclusive): 1890-1900
    Abstract: The memoir of Pillsbury Hodgkins is a typed transcript. It describes his life in California working in the mines and his duties and activities as an expressman for Wells Fargo in San Francisco. Also included from pages 59 to 71, are typed transcripts of four newspapers: The San Francisco Chronicle, The Daily Republican, The Stockton Independent, and The Seaport News, with articles on Hodgkins from 1892.

    Existence and Location of Originals note

    300 Fourth Street, San Francisco, CA, 94107.

    Related Archival Materials note

    SCP Institutional Records: Obituary, Vol. 2, pg. 131 (Vault); Autobiography Records, Vol. 7, pg. 63 (Digitized online at OAC); Archives Records, Vol. 2, pg. 201 (Vault). Mortuary Record 1892 - 1906, pg. 10 (Vault).

    Scope and Contents note

    This is the typed manuscript on the life of Pillsbury Hodgkins a.k.a. Chips. He writes about the time he was born in Maine on February 17, 1825 and about his time on the family farm, his move to Boston, and his eventual move to San Francisco in search of gold in 1849. His search for gold was in the town of Jamestown in Tuolumne County. After he finished with mining for gold, he got a job as an expressman for Wells Fargo from 1857 to 1891. This typed memoirs one of the the Society's Autobiography & Reminiscense of Members (vol. 7, pg. 63). Also included are a poem called "CHIPS," a manuscript of a song called "Chips, the Messenger," a typed manuscript from the San Francisco Chronicle entitled "Chips is Dead," from September 6, 1892, an account of Hodgkins death in The Daily Republican, from September 7, 1892, an account of his funeral from The Stockton Independent on September 8, 1892, and a short obituary from The Seaport News on September 10, 1892.

    Biography

    Pillsbury Hodgkins was born on February 17, 1825 in Nobleboro, Maine. In 1848, he left for California, working his passage as a carpenter on the ship York of the Pacific Company. He arrived in California in 1849 and worked at a variety of sites including Jamestown, Soldiers Gulch, and others. In addition to mining for gold, in 1851, he went to work as an expressman for Reynold's Express. In 1853, he sold his mining business and solely concentrated on the express business. From 1857 to 1870, he worked for Wells Fargo on steamer between Stockton and San Francisco. From 1870 to 1877, he worked between San Francisco and San Diego. From 1877 to 1886, he was in charge of the Wells Fargo steamer department and from 1886 to 1891, he was in charge of the Collection Department. His home was in Stockton, CA. He was an early member of the Society of California Pioneers. He passed away on September of 1892.

    Donor

    Donor and Date of acquisition unknown

    Preferred Citation note

    Pillsbury Hodgkins Memoir. The Society of California Pioneers

    Conditions Governing Use note

    There are no restrictions on access

    Conditions Governing Access note

    Collection Open for Research

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    Hodgkins, Pillsbury, Mr. , 1825-1892
    Gold mines and mining -- California -- History.