%eadnotat; ]> PUBLIC "-//Stanford University::Libraries::Dept. of Special Collections//TEXT (US::CSt::M004::Daingerfield Family Letters)//EN" "m0004.sgm"Guide to the Daingerfield Family Letters, 1850-1854Processed by Special Collections staff; machine-readable finding aid created by Patricia WhiteDepartment of Special Collections
Green LibraryStanford University LibrariesStanford, CA 94305-6004 Phone: (650) 725-1022Email: speccoll@sulmail.stanford.eduURL: http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/spc/
© 1997

The Board of Trustees of Stanford University. All rights reserved.

Machine-readable finding aid derived from typescript by rekeying.. Date of source: April 1960.Finding aid is written in English.Guide to the Daingerfield Family Letters, 1850-1854Collection number: M004Department of Special Collections Stanford University Libraries Stanford, CaliforniaContact InformationDepartment of Special CollectionsGreen LibraryStanford University LibrariesStanford, CA 94305-6004 Phone: (650) 725-1022Email: speccoll@sulmail.stanford.eduURL: http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/spc/Special Collections staffApril 1960Patricia White

© 1997 The Board of Trustees of Stanford University. All rights reserved.

Descriptive SummaryDaingerfield Family Letters, 1850-1854Special Collections M004Daingerfield, William and Daingerfield, Leroy62 itemsStanford University. Libraries. Dept. of Special Collections.Administrative InformationAccess Restrictions:

None.

Publication Rights:

All rights reside with the Stanford University Libraries. To obtain permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the Public Services Librarian of the Dept. of Special Collections.

Provenance:

Gift of Mrs. Janet Squires, 1958

Preferred Citation:

[Identification of item] Daingerfield Family Letters, M004, Dept. of Special Collections, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

BIOGRAPHY

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.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

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.

CONTAINER LIST11Letters from Leroy Daingerfield, 1850-1853 Baltimore, to John, 1850 March 7San Franicisco, to John, 1850 July 23Manihous River, to John, 1851 May 12Calavera River, to mother, 1851 Sept. 10Calavera River, to Juliet, 1853 June 15Bear Creek, to Mag, 1853 Aug. 7Bear Creek, to mother, 1853 Dec. 25Bear Creek, to mother, 1853 Sept. 15Bear Creek, to mother, 1853 Nov. 20

Includes some election news from Sacramento.

Coyote Flat, to mother, n.y., May 22Davis Retreat, to Mary, n.y., May 18Trinity River, to Fay (?), n.y., April 4Shasta, to Mag, n.y. Oct. 10

Complaints about lack of good female society.

Sacamento Valley, to mother, n.y., Jan. 1212Letters from William Daingerfield, 1850-1851Sacramento City, to his sister, 1850 Dec. 28Sacramento City, to Leroy, 1850 Feb. 25Baltimore, to his mother Mrs. Juliet Daingerfield, 1850 March 3Ship State of Maine, to a sister, Mary, 1850 March 9San Francisco, to mother, 1850 Aug. 10

"Gold is measured here by the bushels."

Angels Creek, to a brother, John, 1850 Aug. 18

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, 1850 Nov. 14

Mentions the scourge of cholera.

Scaramento City, to mother, 1850 Oct. 21

All of misfortune caused by trust in fellow man.

Sacramento City, to a sister, 1851 Feb. 12

Circumstances do not permit return from "this God forsaken country."

Sacramento City, to mother, 1851 Feb. 27

Tells of lynching.

Sacramento City, to mother, 1851 April 14

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, 1851 May 29

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, 1851 June 29

San Francisco again burned to the ground. English convicts from Sidney continually landing.

Shasta City, to Sara, 1851 Oct. 30

Main risk for investment is fire.

Shasta City, to mother, 1851 Dec. 2513Letters from William Daingerfield, 1852Shasta City, to a brother, 1851 Feb. 14

Letters often get lost. Rapid rate population expansion. Lack of women makes manner of life different.

Shasta City, to Mary, 1852 Feb. 22

Dick's indisposition (bad health). Quartz mining may make Shasta permanent place of business.

Shasta City, to a sister, 1852 May 10

Greatest curse: raise man as a gentleman, then deprive of means to support that character.

Shasta City, to mother, 1852 June 8

Expects 100%/annum on mining stocks. Leroy gets ranch.

Shasta City, to father, 1852 July 8

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, 1852 July 22

Mourns Dick's death.

Shasta City, to mother, 1852 Aug. 11

Nominated for district judge.

Shasta City, to Juliet, 1852 Aug. 23

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, 1852 Sept. 1

Everyone drinks whiskey. Cows and good water are scarce. But no drunks. (note: mother objects to Leroy's liquor business).

Shasta City, to mother, 1852 Sept. 24

Reassures mother that Leroy takes no direct part in liquor business.

14Letters from William Daingerfield, 1853-1854Shasta, to a sister, 1853 Jan. 5

Leroy recovers from small pox. Preachers forget that we have to live on earth. Defeated in election for district judge.

Shasta, to mother, 1853 Jan. 12

Looking for a port around the Oregon line -opportunities for speculation.

Shasta, to Billa (?), 1853 Jan. 16Shasta, to a sister, 1853 Feb. 14

Leroy involved in bear hunt. Expresses considerable sentimentality.

Shasta, to mother, 1853 March 4

Important case coming up (will earn $1000).

Shasta, to mother, 1853 May 9San Francisco, to mother, 1853 June 4

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, 1853 July 15

Shasta totally burned. Living it up, "acting in the [fool] in S. F."

San Francisco, to mother, 1853 Aug. 15

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, 1853 Sept. 1

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, 1853 Oct. 30

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, 1853 Nov. 15San Francisco, to mother, 1853 Dec. 1San Francisco, to mother, 1853 Dec. 6

San Francisco, to mother, 1854 Apr. 1

15Letters from William Daingerfield, n.d.Shasta (?), to brother or sister, n.d.

Mentions possible District Judgeship.

Letter, no place, no addressee, n.d.

Generally, leaning on government patonage has no security.

Shasta, no addressee, n.d.Shasta, no addressee, n.d.Shasta, to Richard, n.y., April 10

Will send $500 soon.

Shasta, to mother, n.y., March 8Shasta, to sister, n.y., March 16At sea, Latitude 20.35 North, Longitude 120 (or 170?), n.d.

Destination San Francisco. Sees big fish devour little ones. (Lesson: devour or be devoured). Looks upon captain as abominable tyrant.