William Robert Prince papers, 1849-1851.
Prince, William Robert, 1795-1869.117 letters written primarily to his wife, Charlotte, mainly from Sacramento, where he ran a miners' variety store and collected plant material for his New York horticultural gardens. Comments on voyage from New York to California via the Isthmus of Panama in l849, with descriptions of Havana, Panama, and Acapulco; comments on black population; arrival in San Francisco and description of the town and its activities; brief experiences as a miner in Tuolumne County; description of life in Sacramento and its politics, business and commerce, with notes on prices and availability of a wide array of commodities and services. Letters contain many references to John Augustus Sutter and his operations; the cholera epidemic of late l850; the plight of the gold-seekers and merchants; unscrupulous business practices; living conditions of miners; illnesses among 49ers; alcohol and gambling; floods and fires; bond sales; squatters riot of August 1850; crime; food; native flora and methods of shipping plant and seed specimens. Also included are one letter from his wife, two letters from a business partner, itemized account sheets and other miscellaneous items.Sutter, John Augustus, 1803-1880.Voyages to the Pacific coast.Mines and mineral resources California.Havana (Cuba) Description and travel.Panama Description and travel.Acapulco (Mexico) Description and travel.San Francisco (Calif.) Description and travel.Sacramento (Calif.) Description and travel.Sacramento (Calif.) Commerce.View this collection description in WorldCat.org: