Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Sutter, John Augustus, 1803-1880
- Abstract:
- Includes letters from Sutter, documents relating to property, and copy of inventory of Russian-American Company property at Fort Ross and Bodega.
- Extent:
- 1.25 linear feet: 2 boxes and 1 oversize folder
- Language:
- English and English
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], John Augustus Sutter papers, BANC MSS C-B 631, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.
Background
- Biographical / historical:
-
John Augustus Sutter, a colorful figure of Swiss parentage who came to the United States in 1834, first settled in Saint Louis, where he operated as a trader on the Santa Fe Trail. Then in 1838, he left for the West via the Oregon Trail with detours to Alaska and the Sandwich Islands before arriving in California in 1839. He obtained a land grant in what is now the Sacramento area, building a fort/trading/trapping post at New Helvetia in 1841 and acquiring property from the Russians at Fort Ross. The gold found in his property in 1848 led to his financial downfall. In 1849 he was one of the delegates to the state constitutional convention. He lived with his family at Hock Farm from 1850 until 1864 when his homestead was burned. He spent his last years in the east.
- Physical location:
- For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Indexed terms
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Collection is open for research.
Permission to reproduce the letters from the Huntington Library in whole or in part must be obtained from the Huntington Library.
- Terms of access:
-
Copyright has not been assigned to The Bancroft Library. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Public Services. Permission for publication is given on behalf of The Bancroft Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], John Augustus Sutter papers, BANC MSS C-B 631, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.
- Location of this collection:
-
University of California, Berkeley, The Bancroft LibraryBerkeley, CA 94720-6000, US
- Contact:
- 510-642-6481