Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- James Clyman papers
- Dates:
- 1827-1881, bulk 1827-1846
- Creators:
- Clyman, James, 1792-1881
- Abstract:
- Correspondence, records, notes, and diaries related to the American frontiersman and pioneer James Clyman.
- Extent:
- 1.2 Linear Feet (1 box)
- Language:
- Materials are in English.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item]. James Clyman papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The collection contains 52 items and includes letters and receipts about Clyman's service in the Black Hawk War (1832-1835), receipts and promissory notes from the business operations of Clyman and Arnett in Danville, Illinois (1832-1840). The collection also includes nine volumes of diaries describing Clyman's travels to, life in, and return from Oregon and California (1844-1846) and an 1871 diary kept in Napa, California. Also included is one letter from Henry Dodge (1832) and another letter from Stephen Watts Kearny (1834).
- Biographical / historical:
-
James Clyman (1792-1881) was a typical frontiersman and pioneer settler. Born in Virginia, he moved first with his parents to Pennsylvania and then to Ohio. He early manifested a roving disposition, and an eagerness to take part in exploring expeditions. The ascension of the Missouri River, the Discovery of South Pass in 1824, and the circumnavigation of the Great Salt Lake in 1826 were among the early pioneering exploits in which he participated. In partnership with Goulding Arnett, he started one of the first stores in Danville, Illinois. He served as a mounted ranger in the Black Hawk War, enlisting and remaining for a time in Jacob Early's company, in which Abraham Lincoln also was a private. In 1844 he again set out for the West, this time with a party of emigrants from Independence, Missouri, which was bound for Oregon. He returned to Missouri in 1846, and in 1848 accompanied another emigrant party across the country. He then settled in Napa, California, where he married and spent the remaining thirty-three years of his life.
- Acquisition information:
- Purchased from Charles L. Camp, 1925.
- Custodial history:
-
The papers were previously in the possession of Wilber Lamar Tallman, grandson of James Clyman.
- Processing information:
-
Processed by Huntington Library Staff, circa 1930. In 2020, Gayle Richardson created the finding aid derived from legacy in-house summary report.
- Arrangement:
-
Arranged chronologically.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
- Subjects:
- Black Hawk War, 1832 -- History
Frontier and pioneer life -- California
Overland journeys to the Pacific
Pioneers -- West (U.S.)
Trappers -- West (U.S.)
Business records -- Illinois -- Danville -- 19th century
Diaries -- West (U.S.) -- 19th century
Letters (correspondence) -- West (U.S.) -- 19th century
Receipts -- United States -- 19th century - Names:
- Dodge, Henry,
1782-1867
Kearny, Stephen Watts, 1794-1848 - Places:
- California -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
Oregon -- History -- 19th century
About this collection guide
- Date Encoded:
- This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2020-10-13 10:32:10 -0700 .
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.
- Terms of access:
-
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item]. James Clyman papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
- Location of this collection:
-
1151 Oxford RoadSan Marino, CA 91108, US
- Contact:
- (626) 405-2191