William Rollin Morgan addenda mssHM 60143-60312
Brooke M. Black
The Huntington Library
January 2022
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Business Number: (626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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.
Conditions Governing Access
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more
information.
Conditions Governing Use
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]. 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.
Biographical / Historical
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.
Scope and Contents
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.
Processing Information
Processed by Brooke M. Black in December 1999. In 2022, she created a finding aid.
Arrangement
Organized in the following series: 1. Correspondence and documents; 2. Ephemera.
Related Materials
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
Correspondence and documents
1854-1913
Box 1, Folder 1
J. E. Berry to William R. Morgan HM 60143
1880 April 23
Box 1, Folder 2
L. L. Brown to William R. Morgan HM 60144
1896 August 2
Box 1, Folder 3
----- Brown to William R. Morgan HM 60145
1892 August
Box 1, Folder 4
Beth V. Butterfield to William R. Morgan HM 60146
1906 October 30
Box 1, Folder 5
Paul Morgan Butterfield to William R. Morgan HM 60147-60149
1905-1906
Scope and Contents
Three letters.
Box 1, Folder 6
John Calder to William R. Morgan HM 60150
1872 May 24
Box 1, Folder 7
Samuel Cole to William R. Morgan HM 60151
1869 May 23
Box 1, Folder 8
William S. Chapman to William R. Morgan HM 60152-60157
1886-1888
Box 1, Folder 9
George W. Cox to William S. Chapman HM 60158
1888 February 24
Box 1, Folder 10
George W. Cox to William R. Morgan HM 60159-60169
1888-1896
Scope and Contents
Eleven letters.
Box 1, Folder 11
George W. Cox to T. C. Van Ness HM 60170
1899 August
Scope and Contents
Formerly enclosed in HM 60281.
Box 1, Folder 12
E. Danforth to William R. Morgan HM 60171
1872 May 14
Box 1, Folder 13
----- Danforth to William R. Morgan HM 60172
1857 May 22
Box 1, Folder 14
George S. Dodge to William R. Morgan HM 60173-60175
1874
Scope and Contents
Three letters.
Box 1, Folder 15
Timothy Donohue to William R. Morgan HM 60176-60205
1884-1901
Scope and Contents
Thirty letters.
Box 2, Folder 1
Ralph Ellis to William R. Morgan HM 60206
1873 March 6
Box 2, Folder 2
G. A. Foulk to William R. Morgan HM 60207
1875 January 7
Box 2, Folder 3
William F. Hill to William R. Morgan HM 60208
1854 May 28
Box 2, Folder 4
Allie Hutchings to William R. Morgan HM 60209
1901 June 22
Box 2, Folder 5
William S. Hutchings to William R. Morgan HM 60210-60213
1902
Scope and Contents
Four letters.
Box 2, Folder 6
Fanny Jerman to William R. Morgan HM 60214
1873 November 19
Box 2, Folder 7
Henry Kingdom to George W. Cox HM 60215
1896 April 12
Scope and Contents
Includes: copy of Location Notice regarding Slate Creek, 1896 April 2.
Box 2, Folder 8
A. S. Latham to William R. Morgan HM 60216
1888 December 28
Scope and Contents
Enclosed: receipt of money paid, 1888 December 26.
Box 2, Folder 9
W. F. Lewis to William R. Morgan HM 60217
1886 August 10
Box 2, Folder 10
John P. Lloyd to William R. Morgan HM 60218
1870 June 1
Box 2, Folder 11
Samuel Locke to William R. Morgan HM 60219-60220
1872-1874
Scope and Contents
Two letters.
Box 2, Folder 12
C. L. MacMillan to Merritt S. Morgan HM 60221
1908 July 14
Box 2, Folder 13
William E. Marsh to William R. Morgan HM 60222
1913 July 7
Box 2, Folder 14
Dave Moore to William R. Morgan HM 60223
1890 August 30
Box 2, Folder 15
D. W. C. Morgan to William R. Morgan HM 60224
1891 December 9
Box 2, Folder 16
J. F. Morgan to William R. Morgan HM 60225
1883 May 14
Box 2, Folder 17
Joseph Hermon Morgan to William R. Morgan HM 60226-60237
1854-1901
Scope and Contents
Twelve letters.
Box 2, Folder 18
Mina H. Morgan to William R. Morgan HM 60238-60244
1860-1886
Scope and Contents
Seven letters.
Box 2, Folder 19
William R. Morgan to Joseph Hermon Morgan HM 60245
1870 August 26
Box 2, Folder 20
William M. Morgan to William R. Morgan HM 60246
1855 August 31
Box 2, Folder 21
Phebe Ovaitt to William R. Morgan HM 60247-60249
1906-1907
Scope and Contents
Three letters.
Box 2, Folder 22
William H. Prosens to William R. Morgan HM 60250
1893 August 5
Box 2, Folder 23
L. L. Robinson, W. C. Belcher and James K. Byrne to William R. Morgan HM 60251
1883 July 5
Box 2, Folder 24
William Robinson to Auditor of Sierra County HM 60252
1869 December 9
Box 2, Folder 25
Sears Union Water Company contract HM 60253
1868 September 18
Box 2, Folder 26
William W. Sherman to William R. Morgan HM 60254
1892 January 18
Box 2, Folder 27
Julia Silver to William R. Morgan HM 60255
1893 February 1
Box 2, Folder 28
R. L. Steen to William R. Morgan HM 60256
1886 September 15
Box 2, Folder 29
A. Stockwell to William R. Morgan HM 60257
1884 September 27
Box 2, Folder 30
H. Strange to W. Correll HM 60258
1869 November 29
Box 2, Folder 31
H. Strange to William R. Morgan and Timothy Donohue HM 60259
1874, July 8-21
Box 2, Folder 32
H. Strange Order of the Board of Supervisors of Sierra County HM 60260
1871 May 20-June 3
Box 2, Folder 33
C. Swartz to William R. Morgan HM 60261-60262
1885-1886
Box 3, Folder 1
Ike Thatcher to William R. Morgan HM 60263
1874 March 18
Box 3, Folder 2
H. J. Thomas to Timothy Donohue HM 60264-60266
1899
Scope and Contents
Three letters.
Box 3, Folder 3
H. J. Thomas to William R. Morgan HM 60267-70275
1887-1895
Scope and Contents
Nine letters.
Box 3, Folder 4
----- Thomas to William R. Morgan HM 60276
1883 January 21
Box 3, Folder 5
Henry Trump to William R. Morgan HM 60277
1874 May 21
Box 3, Folder 6
Lester B. Vail to William R. Morgan HM 60278
1906 March 3
Box 3, Folder 7
Jennie A. Valentine to William R. Morgan HM 60279
1900 July 8
Box 3, Folder 8
T. C. Van Ness to George W. Cox HM 60280
1899 August 7
Scope and Contents
Formerly in HM 60281.
Box 3, Folder 9
T. C. Van Ness to Timothy Donohue HM 60281
1899 August 7
Box 3, Folder 10
T. C. Van Ness to William R. Morgan HM 60282-60284
1886-1900
Scope and Contents
Three letters.
Box 3, Folder 11
L. R. Walker to William R. Morgan HM 60285-60294
1887-1888
Scope and Contents
Ten letters. Enclosed in HM 60293 is a document regarding steamers of the rivers Sinu and Atrato.
Box 3, Folder 12
Webster H. Walker to William R. Morgan HM 60295
1866 October 7
Box 3, Folder 13
Jennie L. Watson to Mina H. Morgan HM 60296
1874 August 3
Box 3, Folder 14
S. Wheeler to William R. Morgan HM 60297
1871 January 26
Box 3, Folder 15
D. Williams to William R. Morgan HM 60298-60299
1885
Scope and Contents
Two letters.
Box 3, Folder 16
Philip Wrisley Indenture of Samuel Wrisley to Madison E. Winslow HM 60300
1850 May 6
Box 3, Folder 17
Margaret Morgan ----- to Mina H. Morgan HM 60301
1875 June 13
Box 3, Folder 18
Marion ----- HM 60302
undated
Box 3, Folder 19
Sarah Morgan ----- to William R. Morgan HM 60303
undated
Box 4, Folder 1
Bank books HM 60304
1887-1934
Scope and Contents
Three items.
Box 4, Folder 2
Checks HM 60305
1879-1912
Scope and Contents
Twenty-eight items.
Box 4, Folder 3
Envelopes HM 60306
1886-1903
Scope and Contents
Six items.
Box 4, Folder 4
Miscellaneous business papers HM 60307
1885
Scope and Contents
Five items.
Box 4, Folder 5
Miscellaneous notes HM 60308
1873-1895
Scope and Contents
Eighteen items.
Box 4, Folder 6
Newspaper clippings HM 80309
1886-1888
Scope and Contents
Eight items.
Box 4, Folder 7
Notebooks HM 60310
1883-1888
Scope and Contents
Three items.
Box 4, Folder 8
Printed material HM 60311
1886
Scope and Contents
Six items.
Box 4, Folder 9
Receipts HM 60312
1868-1904
Scope and Contents
Twenty-two items.
