Finding Aid of the Pillsbury Hodgkins Memoir. C058022
Finding aid prepared by Julian Amado
Society of California Pioneers
April 18, 2012
300 Fourth Street
San Francisco, CA, 94107-1272
(415) 959-1849
pkeats@californiapioneers.org
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).
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.
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 and Date of acquisition unknown
Pillsbury Hodgkins Memoir. The Society of California Pioneers
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.