Guide to the Thomas Rylan Darnall Papers MS 19

Finding aid prepared by Samantha Mills
San Diego History Center Document Collection
1649 El Prado, Suite 3
San Diego, CA, 92101
619-232-6203
December 29, 2016


Title: Thomas Rylan Darnall Papers
Identifier/Call Number: MS 19
Contributing Institution: San Diego History Center Document Collection
Language of Material: English
Physical Description: 0.25 Linear feet (1 box)
Date (inclusive): 1854-1864
Abstract: This collection contains correspondence and business papers of Thomas Rylan Darnall, primarily concerning his mining partnership with E.W. Morse and the Jesus Maria mine near San Antonio, Baja California, in the mid-1800s.
creator: Darnall, Thomas Rylan

Biographical / Historical Notes

Thomas Rylan Darnall was born in Clark County, Kentucky in 1828. In 1850 Darnall Came to California to hunt for gold. Failing as a gold seeker he tried unsuccessfully to run a small farm near Sacramento. He moved to San Diego in 1853 and opened a store. He was appointed a deputy sheriff in 1855 and twice ran unsuccessfully for sheriff. Darnall served on the County Board of Supervisors from 1855-1857. In 1857, he entered a business partnership with E. W. Morse. The two purchased a copper mine in Baja California. After a troublesome incident with Mexican officials, Darnall sold his interest in the mine for $400. He returned east to his family in 1859 and settled finally in Platte, Missouri. Darnall died in Platte in 1906.

Scope and Content

This collection contains correspondence and business papers of Thomas Rylan Darnall, primarily concerning his mining partnership with E.W. Morse and the Jesus Maria mine near San Antonio, Baja California, in the mid-1800s. These papers include legal documents, receipts, and payroll. This collection also includes transcripts of letters written to Darnall’s brother, which provide first-hand descriptions of early San Diego.

Arrangement

Folders are arranged by material type.

Related Archival Materials

MS 144 E.W. Morse Collection.

Preferred Citation

Thomas Rylan Darnall Papers, MS 19, San Diego History Center Document Archives, San Diego, CA.

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

The San Diego History Center (SDHC) holds the copyright to any unpublished materials. SDHC Library regulations do apply.

Processing Information

Collection processed by Samantha Mills in December 2016.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Morse, Ephraim W.
San Diego County (Calif.). Board of Supervisors.
Baja California (Mexico : Peninsula)
Jesus Maria mine
Mines and mineral resources

Box-folder 1:1

Correspondence 1857-1864

Scope and Content

Many letters include a transcript.
Box-folder 1:2

Correspondence (excerpts from publications) 1855-1857

Box-folder 1:3

Legal Documents 1854-1855

Includes:

Primarily sheriff’s auctions of land, as well as a power of attorney and a document in Spanish regarding the Jesus Maria mine.
Box-folder 1:4

Financial Documents 1857-1858

Box-folder 1:5

Receipts for Supplies 1857-1858