New England ‘49ers

Over the past 12 years I have blogged many stories about my 3^rd great grandfather, George Emerson (1817 – 1890) of South Boston and Dorchester, Massachusetts, who went to California during the 1849 Gold Rush.  You can read some of those stories HERE and HERE.

But, do you have a ‘49er in your family tree?  You might want to check this news story I found in an 1888 issue of the Boston Daily Globe newspaper. If you scroll down to the transcription, there is a list of all the men (and one woman!) who attended a 40^th reunion of the ‘49ers at a hotel in Boston.  Each name also lists their city of residence, and the route they took to California in 1849 – by ship or by an overland route.  This is a great list, and well worth it for me to spend an hour or more transcribing it to make these names available on my blog, and available to search engines.

Boston Daily Globe,  (Boston, Massachusetts) Tuesday, September 11, 1888

"FORTY-NINERS

Big Banquet at the Revere House

Reunion of California Pioneers

Talking Over Days of Pickaxe and Cradle

Many Reminiscent Speeches and Songs

Letter of Regret Read from General W. T. Sherman

The discovery of gold in California in 1848 marks the beginning of an important epoch in the history of our nation.  Before that time the United States had been supplied with the precious metal from England and the gold fields of Africa.  Native gold first appeared in the United States mint in 1824, and up to 1827 North Carolina had been the only State to produce the golden metal in notable quantities.  After that time “placer deposits” were discovered in various sections of the country, but the yield of gold was small, and when in 1848 the discoveries in California were announced these deposits and many of the veins in the South were abandoned.

The news of the discovery spread rapidly, and then began the unparalleled rush to the gold fields of California.  The tide of emigration poured in from the Atlantic States, Mexico, South America, and even from Europe and China, and continued through the year of 1849.

The story of the discovery of the first “find” is thus interestingly told.  One day in the latter part of February 1848 a party of Americans, two of whom were of the Mormon faith, were at Sutter’s mill, on the American fork of the Sacramento river, engaged in repairing the mill-race, which had been damaged by the spring freshets, when the little daughter of the overseer, whose name was Marshall, picked up a lump of gold, and running to her father with it asked him to look at the “pretty stone” she had found.

Those men who were attacked with “gold fever” and left behind happy homes and families to see their fortunes in the “gold diggings” of the Pacific coast have passed into American history as “Forty niners.”

Yesterday afternoon 200 of these old gold hunters gathered at the Revere house to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the discovery of gold in California and hold the first reunion of the Society of California Pioneers of New England.

This society is the outgrowth of an organization that held its annual dinner last February in Salem and then agreed to disband and form anew with headquarters in Boston.  Last July the new society was formed with the following board of officers: President, William H. Thomes of Boston; first vice president, Charles A. Dole of Somerville; second vice president, Richard Harrington of Salem; treasurer, Josiah Hayward of Boston; secretary, George G. Spurr of Boston; directors William J. Towne, Newtonville; Charles T. Stumcke, Boston; Nicholas Bovey, Salem; Charles H.  Fifield, Salem; Benjamin F. Whittemore, Boston; Hon. John Conness, Mattapan.

Only the men or the children of the men who went to California prior to 1800 [sic]may become members, but already nearly 200 ex-miners have paid the necessary initiation fee.  President Thomes expects a membership of 500 when the next annual dinner is partaken of.  The association is fashioned after the San Francisco Pioneer Association, and plans to celebrate annually, over well laden tables, the discovery of gold in California. 

All day yesterday there floated over the Revere House a flag especially designed for the association, and not until the gathering had scattered was it pulled down.  This was but one way to which they showed the enthusiasm which stirred within them as the memories of early hardships were renewed.

Soon after noon members of the society began to gather at the hotel, where they were received by the committee in charge of the affair and provided with a “Forty niners” badge.  Gray haired they were for the most part, but as they warmed up in recalling the adventures and the hardships of the days of ’49, all their youth seemed to return and they were again the hard New England sons who shouldered pick and shovel 40 years ago and started out to make their fortunes in the gold mines of the Pacific coast.

Below are the names of the members of the society with the name of either the vessl or route they took to reach the land of gold.  But a very few of the number were missing when the company marched into the banquet hall at 5 o’clock.

Captain Peter Peterson, Boston, ship California

W. H. Thomes, Boston, ship Admittance

Mrs. Mary Sinclair Davis, Roxbury, Overland

Edward Y. Graves, South Boston, ship Montreal

Josiah C. Spaulding, Nashua, NH, ship New Perseverance

William Chatfield, Newton, Mass.  Brig Sabine

J. F. B. Marshall, Kendall Green, ship Don Quixote

Gorham D. Gilman, Boston, Kemehameha III

Aut. L. Dole, Malden, Mass., Isthmus Panama

Grenville H. Child, Bsoton, bark Carib

Warren Fletcher, Boston, bark Elvira

Benjamin T. Martin, Chelsea, Mass., bark Elvira

Isaiah Graves, Lynn, Mass., brig Sterling

Moses L. Capen, South Boston, ship Leonore

Albert W. Gale, Concord, NH, ship Leonore

George Emerson, Dorchester, ship Leonore

Daniel W. Nason, Epping, NH, Isthmus Panama

John Conness, Mattapan, Mass., Isthmus Panama

Benjamin S. Grush, Salem, Mass., Isthmus Panama

George G. Spurr, Boston, ship Orpheus

Andrew J. Morton, Boston, brig John W. Coffin

George W. Forrestall, Boston, ship Almena

Robert C. Hall, Charlestown, Mass., ship Obid Mitchell

Benjamin F. Whittemore, Boston, ship Capitol

Alonzo H. Richardson, Hyde Park, ship Capitol

William J. Towne, Newtonville, Mass., ship Capitol

Andrew J. Chase, Lynn, Mass., ship Capitol

James Jackson, Lynnfield, ship Capitol

Noah P. Burgess, Portland, Me., ship Pharsalia

Albert Hamlet, Boston, ship Pharsalia

James D. MacAvoy, Readville, Mass., ship Edward Everett

M. D.Spaulding, Boston, ship Edward Everett

Hiram Weston, East Boston, ship Edward Everett

Joseph P. Blake, Haverhill, Mass., through Mexico

Jonathan Cobb, Dedham, Mass., through Mexico

George H. Stickney, Salem, Mass., ship Elizabeth

William V. Monroe, Boston, ship Duxbury

Amasa Taylor, Provincetown, Mass., overland

Samuel W. Gage, Salem, Mass., overland

Lewis C. Peck, Lewiston, Me., overland

Joseph Holmes, Milton, Mass., ship Sweden

Edwin Litchfield, Boston, ship Sweden

Thomas E. Hatch, Washington DC, ship Sweden

James M. Drew, East Boston, ship Sweden

Jefferson Young, Chelsea, Mass., ship Brooklyn

Richard Chenery, Belfast, Me., Isthmus Panama

Charles F. Ketteredge, Rockland, Me., bark Oxford

Cornel S. Cooledge, Washington, NH, bark Oxford

James H. Bennett, Boston, bark Oxford

Isaac R. Hadwen, Somerville, Mass., bark Winthrop

William J. Dunham, Island Creek, Mass., bark Yeoman

Alonzo Kinsley, Canton, Mass., bark Orb

William C. Hill, Howland, Me., bark Emma Issadora

Joseph E. Huse, Lynn, Mass, bark Mayflower

Samuel Carr, Cambridgeport, Mass., Isthmus Panama

William McMurphy, Lynn, Mass., Isthmus Panama

George C. Clark, Salem, Mass., Isthmus Panama

Henry G. Hubon, Salem, Mass., Isthmus Panama

Benjamin F. Griggs, Boston, brig Tarranto

Henry B. Hildreth, Lynn, Mass., ship York

Frederick K. Ballou, Boston, bark LaGrange

Charles A. Dole, Somerville, Mass., bark LaGrange

Richard Harrington, Salem, Mass., bark LaGrange

Nicholas Bovey, Salem, Mass., bark LaGrange

Augustus Harrington, Peabody, Mass., bark LaGrange

Joseph Hastings, Roxbury, Isthmus Panama

John Johnston, Amesbury, Mass., ship Regulas

Ephraim Brown, Amesbury, Mass., ship Regulas

Charles C. Greenough, Boston, Isthmus Panama

Edwin P Worster, Weymouth, Mass., bark Lanark

Henry L. Lawrence, Arlington, Mass., bark Lanark

Solomon S. Rowe, Boston, bark Lanark

Charles B. Hazeltine, Belfast, Me., Isthmus Panama

Charles J. Randall, Wrentham, Mass., bark Velasco

Shirley A. Elsbree, Providence, R.I., bark Velasco

Henry M. Arnold, Pawtucket, R.I., bark Velasco

Isaac B. Kirby, Providence, R.I., bark Velasco

Alvin R. Richardson, Lynn, Mass., ship New Jersey

David Mowery, Slaterville, R. I., ship New Jersey

Charles T. Stumcke, Boston, ship New Jersey

Horace Wheeler, Watertown, Mass., ship New Jersey

W. W. Reed, Peabody, Mass., ship New Jersey

Olney Dodge, Plainfield, Conn., ship New Jersey

John H. Thompson, New Bedford, Mass., Isthmus Panama

James S. Green, Chelsea, Mass., Isthmus Panama

Charles F. Gifford, Boston, Isthmus Panama

Newton Talbot, Boston, Isthmus Panama

Edward Pease, Lynn, Mass., ship Areates

Henry W. Bowen, Boston, ship Areates

William H. Rand, Chicago, Ill., ship Areates

Ephraim S. Colby, Manchester, N.H., ship Areates

Reuben E. Carpenter, Ashland, Mass., brig Sea Eagle

Amos Fillebrown, East Cambridge, Mass., brig Sea Eagle

John Adams, Charlestown, Mass., ship Constantine

Captain John Weston, Boston, ship Constantine

Henry B. Mellon, Durham, N.H., ship Pacific

Samuel Snow, Cambridge, Mass., ship Niantic

Samuel Parr, Roxbury, Mass., Isthmus Panama

Henry J. Wells, Cambridge, Mass., Isthmus Panama

Charles Pickett, Beverly, Mass., bark San Francisco

William A. Perkins, Salem, Mass., bark San Francisco

Stephen Osgood, Georgetown, Mass., schooner B. L. Allen

Davis S. Whitney, Dorchester, Mass., schooner Mary M. Wood

Allen C. Lawrence, Lowell, Mass., Isthmus Panama

William Hale, West Newbury, Mass., Isthmus Panama

John H. Eveleth, Greenville, Me., Isthmus Panama

David S. Boynton, Lynn, Mass., brig Ann Tarris

James Burdick, Provincetown, R.I., ship South America

Burnham Boyce, Boston, ship Mattakeseet

Captain David G. Patterson, East Boston, schooner Mary and Emma (25 tons)

Franklin Upton, Danvers, Mass., ship Harriet Rockwell

F. B. Mower, Lynn, Mass., ship Henry Ware

William Norton, Lynn, Mass., ship Argonaut

William H. Pierse, Lynne, Mass., ship Argonaut

Abner J. Moody, Boston, ship Argonaut

John Norton, Stoneham, Mass., ship Argonaut

Josiah Fitz, 3d, Lynn, Mass., Isthmus Panama

Peter Wearty, Salem, Mass., ship Reindeer

Rodolphus F. Hahn, East Boston, Mass., schooner Civilian

William G. Prescott, Quincy, Mass., schooner Civilian

Josiah Hayward, Boston, schooner Civilian

Ephram L. Noyes, Abington, Mass., schooner Civilian

Henry Souther, Gloucester, Mass., ship Richmond

Edwin D. Wadsworth, Milton, Mass., ship Richmond

John M. Humphrey, Norwood, Mass., ship Richmond

Isaac R. Wilkinson, Pawtucket, R.I., Isthmus Panama

Jonathan Davis, Salem, Mass., ship Crescent

Elias J. Hale, Foxcroft, Me., ship Alexander Coffin

W. W. West, East Boston, bark William O. Alden

Richard Dowst, Salem Mass., ship Cordova

Thomas C. Mellen, Weymouth, ship Cordova

Charles B. Goodrich, Boston, bark Mary Broughton

Theodore Brown, Salem, Mass., schooner Sea Serpent

Henry B. Shute, Gloucester, schooner Sea Serpent

Charles Saville, Gloucester, schooner Sea Serpent

Edward B. Southern, Quincy, Mass., Isthmus Panama

Leander W. Cogswell, Henniker, N.H., ship Hannibal

Josiah H. Learned, South Framingham, ship Hannibal

General Samuel A. Chapin, Norton, Mass., Isthmus Panama

Royal P. Hodges, Norton, Mass., Isthmus Panama

George Barron, Topham, Me., Isthmus Panama

Cyrus C. Atwell, Charlestown, Isthmus Panama

George H. Buxton, Salem, Mass., schooner Nassau

John Jackson, Salem, Mass., brig Ark

George L. Bradley, San Francisco, Cal., brig Ark

Nathaniel Fuller, Boston, ship Nester

William Russell, Salem, Mass., ship Nester

John Boyd, Salem, Mass., ship Nester

William F. Perry, Salem, brig Metropolis

Samuel H. Robinson, Boston, bark Orion

James A. Grant, Warnerville, Mass., bark Orion

Elihu W. Colcord, Lawrence, Mass., brig General Worth

George R. Williams, Boston, bark Pico

Henry N. Kingsbury, Newton, Mass., ship Marcia Cleaves

Salathuel N. Ryder, Cambridgeport, bark Morgan Dix

Robert B. Henderson, Boston, bark Cherokee

Albion Chipman, Cambridgeport, Mass., Isthmus Panama

John W. Gilcrhist, Norwich, Conn., Isthmus Panama

Cyrus Greely, Lewiston, Me., Isthmus Panama

Joseph Hilliard, Northbury, Mass., Isthmus Panama

George D. Rice, Melrose, Mass., Isthmus Panama

Lorign W. Gleason, Everett, Mass., Isthmus Panama

Moses G. Steele, Somerville, Mass., Isthmus Panama

George H. Cushman, Salem, Mas., Isthmus Panama

Charles H. Fifeild, Salem, Mass., ship Samuel Appleton

Albert H. Breed, Lynn, Mass., Isthmus Panama

Charles A. Jordan, Boston, Isthmus Panama

Moses L. Colby, Amesbury, Mass., ship Victory

Oliver S. Cressy, Providence, R. I., ship Ellen Foster

Joseph Delory, Peabody, Mass., ship Benjamin Howard

Henry T. Bowman, New Bedford, Central America

Henry M. Forrestall, Boston, schooner Flying Fish

Isaac S. Pear, Cambridgeport, Mass., ship Golden Eagle

John C. Philbrook, Ipswich, Mass., Isthmus Panama

Samuel C. Weston, Salem, Mass., Isthmus Panama

John Quinn, Boston, Isthmus Panama

Charles Spencer, Boston, bark Emily

Isaiah Aubens, Boston, Isthmus Panama

Charles E. Stumcke, Boston, Mass., born in San Francisco

John Glancy, Boston, Nicaragua

Alfred C. Hill, Saugus, Mass., Isthmus Panama

Edwin Gage, Haverhill, Mass., Isthmus Panama

Darius N. Stevens, Stoneham, Mass., Isthmus Panama

Joseph Morrill Hoyt, Lynn, Mass., Isthmus Panama

Frances M. Ball, Stoughton, Mass., Isthmus Panama

John N. Wood, Norridgwock, Me., Isthmus Panama

Daniel D. Taylor, Norridgewock, Me., Isthmus Panama

George Willard, Boston, Isthmus Panama

Isaac Gardner, Hingham, Mass., Isthmus Panama

Seth D. Wakefield, Lewiston, Me., Isthmus Panama

Daniel C. Perkins, Rockland, Mae., Isthmus Panama

Charles M. Abbott, Portland, Me., Isthmus Panama

George W. Crampton, Cambridge, Isthmus Panama

Eben N. Walton, Salem, Mass., honorary member

Seth Rich, bark Oxford

George H. Mann, Harriet Rockwell

William L. Henderson, bark Chester

Julius L. Clarke, brig Cirassian

Samuel P. Barker, ship Edward Everett

Edward Payson Adams, schooner Fides

William F. Cowdrey, ship Argonaut

Alonzo D. Buxton, ship Argonaut

Albert Ferry, bark San Francisco

Joseph G. Nelson, Overland

Henry D. Shute, schooner Sea Serpent

Samuel T. Manson, ship Constantine

William C. Barker, South America

Nathan Ketch, bark Phenix

H. B. Ellis, steamer Star of the West

Frederick Pease, bark Chester

George Lugardner, ship Capital

R. B. Henderson, bark Cherokee

P. D. Leonard, bark Chester

Lemuel Gillson, ship New Jersey

S.J. Upton, ship Overland

William K. Lambert, ship Charlotte

The banquet hall was handsomely decorated and flowers in profusion adorned the tables.  An appropriate floral design in front of the president’s chair was a representation in crysan hemums of the society’s seal – a pick, pan, and shovel ingeniously grouped together with the figure ’49 in its center.  Upon the wall hung the “bear flag” which General Fremont unfurled from the Custom House of Monterey in 1846, just as the English frigate sailed into the harbor to take possession of the country in the name of Great Britain.  It was loaned the society by the New York pioneers.  The gold dinner service was brought out for the occasion together with all the silver table ware the house affords.

One of the very interesting persons present last night was Captain Peter Peterson who wen to California for the fist time in 1834 as second mate on the ship “California”, and again in 1836 as chief mate on the same vessel, and in 1842 as captain of the “Admittance.”  He is now over 80 years old and is well-known by many early travellers to California and at the earnest solicitations of W. H. Thomes, the president of the association, who went to California in 1843 with him on the “Admittance” attended the banquet.

It was noticeable that there was but one woman present.  This was Mrs. Mary Sinclair Davis of Roxbury, who went to California overland in 1843, starting from Massachusetts in 1842, crossing the plains in an ox cart and settling on a ranch 20 miles from where Sacramento city is now located, where she remained until about 10 years ago.  It is told of General Sherman that when he was at Sutter’s Fort in 1846, being then but a lieutenant, a ball was to come off in a few days and he and a few comrades did not know with whom they were to enjoy the pleasures of the mazy, as there was but one woman at the fort.  The gallant young lieutenant, in order not to be disappointed, made is way to the house of Mrs. Davis and succeeded in getting her and her husband to attend the ball.

The guests of the society were Hon. A. W. Beard, representing the Commonwealth; F. B. Clark, Hon. Demas Strong, and James A. Spring of the New York Pioneer Association, and Dr. Hatch, representing the Pioneer Society of Washington.

The speeches were of a reminiscent character. President Thomes welcomed the company in a happy manner, and pleasantly alluded to the youthful appearance of the company.  When he looked back to the time these adventurous, enterprising men started for California to seek their fortunes, he could hardly realize that 40 years had passed and they were forty-niners. 

Treasurer Beard spoke for the State of Massachusetts in the absence of Governor Ames, and other addresses were made by General Samuel H. Capen of Norton, Hon. Demas Strong of Norton, and Secretary Spurr.

Letters were read from Governor Ames, Mayor O’Brien, Major H. G. Gibson of Washinton, Hon. John Conness of California, and General Sherman.  The latter’s letter is given below:

Fifth Avenue Hotel

New York, August 29, 1888

William H. Thomes, president California Pioneers, Boston

My Dear Sir – I thank you very much for your kind letter of the 27^th inst. And regret that I will be unable to be with you at the grand reunion of Sept. 10^, because I am already pledged to be at Columbus, O., on that very day, on a centennial celebration.

There is a charm about the memories of those early California days which seems to brighten with years like the golden sands. To me, who am almost the sole survivor the expedition sent around Cape Horn, to hold possession of what the navy had gained in 1846, the events of those early days seem more like the visions of Aladdin than actual facts, and subsequent events have swallowed up those memories; and I am daily appealed to assist in celebrating battles and sieges fast receding into the past, so that time is not allowed me to care for a family of six living children and eight grandchildren.  But you may assure any old pioneer of California of the days before the discovery of gold turned the whole world “upside down”, that my feelings are with them, whether they now reside in California, Oregon, Missouri, New York or Boston.

Our thoughts and feelings in speed exceed the magic telegraph, but our bodies are sluggish – “of the earth earthy” – and I cannot be at Columbus O., and Boston at the same time; therefore, report me absent on patriotic duty.  Sincerely your friend,

W.T. Sherman"

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For the truly curious:

Blog post 28 August 2009 “George Emerson, Forty Niner”:

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2009/08/george-emerson-forty-niner.html  

Blog post 20 December 2012 “A Fancy Wedding, and a Family Myth Perpetuated”:

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-fancy-wedding-and-family-myth.html 

My EMERSON Surname Saturday blog post 10 January 2015:

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/01/surname-saturday-emerson-of-ipswich.html  

And another interesting member of my family tree who told his family he was going to to be a missionary (he was the son of a Baptist preacher) but he was really headed to the gold rush!:
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2010/02/missionary-to-new-zealand.html 

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, “New England ‘49ers”, Nutfield Genealogy, posted June 17, 2020, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2020/06/new-england-49ers.html: accessed [access date]).