The correspondence of John T. Ryan (1891-1934) documents the activities of a Tuolumne County, California, quartz and placer gold mine owner. The bulk of the correspondence deals with Ryan's attempts to find financial backers to help him develop the Ryan quartz and placer mines, a failed joint venture (1912-1913) with M.S. D'Albergaria of Oakland, California, and dealings with mining supply and equipment companies. Additionally, the correspondence reveals aspects of Ryan's personal life, including correspondence from friends and family, his attempts to get a female "pard" (companion) to venture to his out-of-the-way location in the hamlet of Confidence, California, as well as attempts to barter mining claims for personal items.

John T. Ryan (ca. 1855-1934) was a mine owner in Tuolumne County, California. Ryan was born in New Jersey, the eldest son of seven children, to Irish immigrants, Dennis and Susan Ryan. The family came to Sonora (the county seat of Tuolumne County located one hundred thirty-three miles east of San Francisco) around 1856, where Ryan's siblings were all born. Dennis Ryan operated Ryan's Saloon in the rough and tumble gold-mining town and the saloon was still under family ownership as late as 1913.

0.40 linear feet (1 archives box)

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Collection is open for research.