Guide to the Daingerfield Family Letters M0004
Processed by Special Collections staff; machine-readable finding aid created by Patricia White
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
1997 ; revised 2020
Green Library
557 Escondido Mall
Stanford 94305-6064
specialcollections@stanford.edu
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Title: Daingerfield Family Letters
Creator:
Daingerfield, William
Creator:
Daingerfield, Leroy
Identifier/Call Number: M0004
Identifier/Call Number: 141
Physical Description:
62 item(s)
Physical Description:
.5 Linear Feet
(1 box)
Date (inclusive): 1850-1854
Conditions Governing Access
Open for research. Note that material must be requested at least 36 hours in advance of intended use.
Biographical / Historical
Leroy Daingerfield and his brother William Daingerfield were early residents of northern California. Leroy was a miner and
rancher and William was a lawyer and businessman.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Mrs. Janet Squires, 1958
Paging
Page from catalog record: https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/4082740
Preferred Citation:
[Identification of item] Daingerfield Family Letters, M004, Dept. of Special Collections, Stanford Libraries, Stanford, Calif.
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of letters from Leroy and William Daingerfield to their family in Harper's Ferry, Virginia. Letters
are revealing of legal, mining, and business conditions of the time.
Conditions Governing Use
These materials are believed to be in the public domain. There are no restrictions on use of public domain materials.
box 1, folder 1
Letters from Leroy Daingerfield 111013
1850-1853
Baltimore, to John 111041
1850 March 7
San Franicisco, to John 111039
1850 July 23
Manihous River, to John 111037
1851 May 12
Calavera River, to mother 111035
1851 Sep 10
Calavera River, to Juliet 111033
1853 June 15
Bear Creek, to Mag 111031
1853 Aug 7
Bear Creek, to mother 111029
1853 Dec 25
Bear Creek, to mother 111027
1853 Sep 15
Bear Creek, to mother 111025
1853 Nov 20
Scope and Contents note
Includes some election news from Sacramento.
Coyote Flat, to mother 111023
ny, May 22
Davis Retreat, to Mary 111021
ny, May 18
Trinity River, to Fay (?) 111019
ny, Apr 4
Shasta, to Mag 111017
ny Oct 10
Scope and Contents note
Complaints about lack of good female society.
Sacamento Valley, to mother 111015
ny, Jan 12
box 1, folder 2
Letters from William Daingerfield 110981
1850-1851
Sacramento City, to his sister 111011
1850 Dec 28
Sacramento City, to Leroy 111009
1850 Feb 25
Baltimore, to his mother Mrs. Juliet Daingerfield 111007
1850 March 3
Ship State of Maine, to a sister, Mary 111005
1850 March 9
San Francisco, to mother 111003
1850 Aug 10
Scope and Contents note
"Gold is measured here by the bushels."
Angels Creek, to a brother, John 111001
1850 Aug 18
Scope and Contents note
First impression of California not good -but if can survive through exposure to filth, lice, fleas, bugs and reptiles, men
bound to make money digging for gold.
Sacramento City, to a sister 110999
1850 Nov 14
Scope and Contents note
Mentions the scourge of cholera.
Scaramento City, to mother 110997
1850 Oct 21
Scope and Contents note
All of misfortune caused by trust in fellow man.
Sacramento City, to a sister 110995
1851 Feb 12
Scope and Contents note
Circumstances do not permit return from "this God forsaken country."
Sacramento City, to mother 110993
1851 Feb 27
Scope and Contents note
Tells of lynching.
Sacramento City, to mother 110991
1851 April 14
Scope and Contents note
Decides not to run for city attorney. Call was made on him by a majority of Whigs. Details on social life.
Sacramento City, to John 110989
1851 May 29
Scope and Contents note
In this country money is made and lost almost without knowing where it comes from or where it goes. Money worth ten times
as much as in Virginia but people place little value on it. Whigs seem to be dominant party here. Frank Washington defeated
for office of recorder. Negro problem.
Sacramento City, to Dick 110987
1851 June 29
Scope and Contents note
San Francisco again burned to the ground. English convicts from Sidney continually landing.
Shasta City, to Sara 110985
1851 Oct 30
Scope and Contents note
Main risk for investment is fire.
Shasta City, to mother 110983
1851 Dec 25
box 1, folder 3
Letters from William Daingerfield 110959
1852
Shasta City, to a brother 110979
1851 Feb 14
Scope and Contents note
Letters often get lost. Rapid rate population expansion. Lack of women makes manner of life different.
Shasta City, to Mary 110977
1852 Feb 22
Scope and Contents note
Dick's indisposition (bad health). Quartz mining may make Shasta permanent place of business.
Shasta City, to a sister 110975
1852 May 10
Scope and Contents note
Greatest curse: raise man as a gentleman, then deprive of means to support that character.
Shasta City, to mother 110973
1852 June 8
Scope and Contents note
Expects 100%/annum on mining stocks. Leroy gets ranch.
Shasta City, to father 110971
1852 July 8
Scope and Contents note
Lack of confidence in the law. A lynching on July 4. Only way to civilize Indians is to make them slaves. (Death of his brother
Dick.)
Shasta City, to a sister 110969
1852 July 22
Scope and Contents note
Mourns Dick's death.
Shasta City, to mother 110967
1852 Aug 11
Scope and Contents note
Nominated for district judge.
Shasta City, to Juliet 110965
1852 Aug 23
Scope and Contents note
Term for district judge is six years, salary of $6,000 per year. Campaign will cost thousands. Implies that in Virginia one
is a slave to conditions unlike Cal.
Shasta City, to mother 110963
1852 Sep 1
Scope and Contents note
Everyone drinks whiskey. Cows and good water are scarce. But no drunks. (note: mother objects to Leroy's liquor business).
Shasta City, to mother 110961
1852 Sep 24
Scope and Contents note
Reassures mother that Leroy takes no direct part in liquor business.
box 1, folder 4
Letters from William Daingerfield 110927
1853-1854
Shasta, to a sister 110957
1853 Jan 5
Scope and Contents note
Leroy recovers from small pox. Preachers forget that we have to live on earth. Defeated in election for district judge.
Shasta, to mother 110955
1853 Jan 12
Scope and Contents note
Looking for a port around the Oregon line -opportunities for speculation.
Shasta, to Billa (?) 110953
1853 Jan 16
Shasta, to a sister 110951
1853 Feb 14
Scope and Contents note
Leroy involved in bear hunt. Expresses considerable sentimentality.
Shasta, to mother 110949
1853 March 4
Scope and Contents note
Important case coming up (will earn $1000).
Shasta, to mother 110947
1853 May 9
San Francisco, to mother 110945
1853 June 4
Scope and Contents note
Appointed Secretary of the Board of California Land Commissioners -will have information he can sell to speculators. (Salary
-$3500/yr.) S. F. new residence.
San Francisco, to mother 110943
1853 July 15
Scope and Contents note
Shasta totally burned. Living it up, "acting in the [fool] in S. F."
San Francisco, to mother 110941
1853 Aug 15
Scope and Contents note
Investing funds in S. F. city lots. Has lost a great deal of money but will still keep sending money back home. Note: the
family has been in debt.
San Francisco, to a sister 110939
1853 Sep 1
Scope and Contents note
He had lost election for District Judge (Nov. 2, 1852) to Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith dies -perhaps he (William) will receive appointment.
San Francisco, to mother 110937
1853 Oct 30
Scope and Contents note
Cause of 9/10 of crime in U.S. is absence of home influences. District Judgeship for Shasta District promised by Governor.
No longer attends church because disagrees with Pastor on the negro question.
San Francisco, to a sister 110935
1853 Nov 15
San Francisco, to mother 110933
1853 Dec 1
San Francisco, to mother 110931
1853 Dec 6
San Francisco, to mother 110929
1854 Apr 1
box 1, folder 5
Letters from William Daingerfield 110909
undated
Shasta (?), to brother or sister 110925
undated
Scope and Contents note
Mentions possible District Judgeship.
Letter, no place, no addressee 110923
undated
Scope and Contents note
Generally, leaning on government patonage has no security.
Shasta, no addressee 110921
undated
Shasta, no addressee 110919
undated
Shasta, to Richard 110917
ny, Apr 10
Scope and Contents note
Will send $500 soon.
Shasta, to mother 110915
ny, Mar 8
Shasta, to sister 110913
ny, Mar 16
At sea, Latitude 20.35 North, Longitude 120 (or 170?) 110911
undated
Scope and Contents note
Destination San Francisco. Sees big fish devour little ones. (Lesson: devour or be devoured). Looks upon captain as abominable
tyrant.