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Morgan (William Rollin) Addenda
mssHM 60143-60312
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: William Rollin Morgan addenda
Creator:
Cox, George W.
Creator:
Morgan, William R.
Identifier/Call Number: mssHM 60143-60312
Physical Description:
6 Linear Feet
(4 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1833-1934
Date (bulk): 1880-1907
Abstract: Papers of California pioneer and gold miner William Rollin Morgan.
Language of Material: Materials are in English.
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more
information.
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.
[Identification of item]. William Rollin Morgan addenda, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased from Pacific Book Auction Galleries, Sale 116, lot #218, October 1996. Purchased from Bancroft Library, January
1997. Purchased from Pacific Book Auction Galleries, Sale 129, lot #348, March 1997.
William R. Morgan, born in Bennington, Vermont in 1832 or 1833, came to San Francisco in 1852 and settled in St. Louis, Sierra
County, California. In the 1870s, he started a successful hydraulic enterprise with his friend Timothy Donohue. By 1880, George
W. Cox had joined them, and their company became known as the Sierra Union Water and Mining Company. The company, in addition
to working its own mines, contracted to provide water to other mines in the region. Forced to build debris dams to control
wastes from the hydraulic process, Sierra Union was involved in litigation regarding the debris. Morgan moved back to Vermont
in the 1890s, but made several trips back to California to attend to business matters.
The collection contains 260 pieces, including ephemera. The bulk of the material is correspondence; however, there are a few
business records and legal documents throughout the collection. Most of the letters in this collection were written to Morgan
after he had moved back to Vermont. His partners are writing to keep him apprised of business matters. The majority of the
correspondence deals with the legal problems the Sierra Union Water and Mining Company was facing due to the hydraulic mining
process. Some specific subjects discussed in these letters are: hydraulic mining, lawsuits, mining law, mining claims, claim
jumpers, water rights, mining equipment, abandoned mines, and land disputes. Many of the letters are written from or related
to San Francisco, St. Louis, Sierra County, and Marysville, California.
Processed by Brooke M. Black in December 1999. In 2022, she created a finding aid.
Organized in the following series: 1. Correspondence and documents; 2. Ephemera.
William Rollin Morgan papers (mssHM 48066-48248).
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Gold mines and mining -- Law and legislation
Hydraulic mining -- California
Mines and mineral resources -- California
Mining claims -- California
Mining corporations -- California
California -- Description and travel
California -- Gold discoveries -- Personal narratives
California -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
Marysville (Calif.) -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
San Francisco (Calif.) -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
Sierra County (Calif.) -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
Business records -- California
Legal documents -- California
Letters (correspondence) -- California
Donohue, Timothy
Sierra Union Water and Mining Company