Guide to the Daingerfield Family Letters,
1850-1854
Processed by Special Collections staff; machine-readable finding aid created by Patricia White
Department of Special Collections
Green Library
Stanford University Libraries
Stanford, CA 94305-6004
Phone: (650) 725-1022
Email: speccollref@stanford.edu
URL: http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/spc/
© 1997
The Board of Trustees of Stanford University. All rights reserved.
Guide to the Daingerfield Family Letters,
1850-1854
Collection number: M004
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Stanford University Libraries
Stanford, California
Contact Information
- Department of Special Collections
- Green Library
- Stanford University Libraries
- Stanford, CA 94305-6004
- Phone: (650) 725-1022
- Email: speccoll@sulmail.stanford.edu
- URL: http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/spc/
- Processed by:
- Special Collections staff
- Date Completed:
- April 1960
- Encoded by:
- Patricia White
© 1997 The Board of Trustees of Stanford University. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Daingerfield Family Letters,
Date (inclusive): 1850-1854
Collection number: Special Collections M004
Creator: Daingerfield, Williamand
Daingerfield, Leroy
Extent:
62 items
Repository:
Stanford University. Libraries. Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives.
Language:
English.
Administrative Information
Access 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 LIST
Box 1, Folder 1
Letters from Leroy Daingerfield,
1850-1853
Baltimore, to John,
1850 March 7
San Franicisco, to John,
1850 July 23
Manihous River, to John,
1851 May 12
Calavera River, to mother,
1851 Sept. 10
Calavera River, to Juliet,
1853 June 15
Bear Creek, to Mag,
1853 Aug. 7
Bear Creek, to mother,
1853 Dec. 25
Bear Creek, to mother,
1853 Sept. 15
Bear Creek, to mother,
1853 Nov. 20
Scope and Content Note
Includes some election news from Sacramento.
Coyote Flat, to mother,
n.y., May 22
Davis Retreat, to Mary,
n.y., May 18
Trinity River, to Fay (?),
n.y., April 4
Shasta, to Mag,
n.y. Oct. 10
Scope and Content Note
Complaints about lack of good female society.
Sacamento Valley, to mother,
n.y., Jan. 12
Box 1, Folder 2
Letters from William Daingerfield,
1850-1851
Sacramento City, to his sister,
1850 Dec. 28
Sacramento City, to Leroy,
1850 Feb. 25
Baltimore, to his mother Mrs. Juliet Daingerfield,
1850 March 3
Ship State of Maine, to a sister, Mary,
1850 March 9
San Francisco, to mother,
1850 Aug. 10
Scope and Content Note
"Gold is measured here by the bushels."
Angels Creek, to a brother, John,
1850 Aug. 18
Scope and Content 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,
1850 Nov. 14
Scope and Content Note
Mentions the scourge of cholera.
Scaramento City, to mother,
1850 Oct. 21
Scope and Content Note
All of misfortune caused by trust in fellow man.
Sacramento City, to a sister,
1851 Feb. 12
Scope and Content Note
Circumstances do not permit return from "this God forsaken country."
Sacramento City, to mother,
1851 Feb. 27
Scope and Content Note
Tells of lynching.
Sacramento City, to mother,
1851 April 14
Scope and Content 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,
1851 May 29
Scope and Content 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,
1851 June 29
Scope and Content Note
San Francisco again burned to the ground. English convicts from Sidney continually landing.
Shasta City, to Sara,
1851 Oct. 30
Scope and Content Note
Main risk for investment is fire.
Shasta City, to mother,
1851 Dec. 25
Box 1, Folder 3
Letters from William Daingerfield,
1852
Shasta City, to a brother,
1851 Feb. 14
Scope and Content Note
Letters often get lost. Rapid rate population expansion. Lack of women makes manner of life different.
Shasta City, to Mary,
1852 Feb. 22
Scope and Content Note
Dick's indisposition (bad health). Quartz mining may make Shasta permanent place of business.
Shasta City, to a sister,
1852 May 10
Scope and Content Note
Greatest curse: raise man as a gentleman, then deprive of means to support that character.
Shasta City, to mother,
1852 June 8
Scope and Content Note
Expects 100%/annum on mining stocks. Leroy gets ranch.
Shasta City, to father,
1852 July 8
Scope and Content 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,
1852 July 22
Scope and Content Note
Mourns Dick's death.
Shasta City, to mother,
1852 Aug. 11
Scope and Content Note
Nominated for district judge.
Shasta City, to Juliet,
1852 Aug. 23
Scope and Content 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,
1852 Sept. 1
Scope and Content 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,
1852 Sept. 24
Scope and Content Note
Reassures mother that Leroy takes no direct part in liquor business.
Box 1, Folder 4
Letters from William Daingerfield,
1853-1854
Shasta, to a sister,
1853 Jan. 5
Scope and Content Note
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
Scope and Content Note
Looking for a port around the Oregon line -opportunities for speculation.
Shasta, to Billa (?),
1853 Jan. 16
Shasta, to a sister,
1853 Feb. 14
Scope and Content Note
Leroy involved in bear hunt. Expresses considerable sentimentality.
Shasta, to mother,
1853 March 4
Scope and Content Note
Important case coming up (will earn $1000).
Shasta, to mother,
1853 May 9
San Francisco, to mother,
1853 June 4
Scope and Content 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,
1853 July 15
Scope and Content Note
Shasta totally burned. Living it up, "acting in the [fool] in S. F."
San Francisco, to mother,
1853 Aug. 15
Scope and Content 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,
1853 Sept. 1
Scope and Content 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,
1853 Oct. 30
Scope and Content 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,
1853 Nov. 15
San Francisco, to mother,
1853 Dec. 1
San Francisco, to mother,
1853 Dec. 6
San Francisco, to mother,
1854 Apr. 1
Box 1, Folder 5
Letters from William Daingerfield,
n.d.
Shasta (?), to brother or sister,
n.d.
Scope and Content Note
Mentions possible District Judgeship.
Letter, no place, no addressee,
n.d.
Scope and Content Note
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
Scope and Content Note
Will send $500 soon.
Shasta, to mother,
n.y., March 8
Shasta, to sister,
n.y., March 16
At sea, Latitude 20.35 North, Longitude 120 (or 170?),
n.d.
Scope and Content Note
Destination San Francisco. Sees big fish devour little ones. (Lesson: devour or be devoured). Looks upon captain as abominable
tyrant.
