Typescript titled “The Letters of Epaphroditus Wells of Downers Grove, Illinois to His Wife Emma B. Wells Written from April 1st 1849 to September 29, 1851 Concerning His Overland Journey to California and His Experiences while There.” Includes accounts of his overland journey with a wagon train to Sacramento, California, via St. Joseph, Fort Childs, Fort Laramie, and Salt Lake City. Discusses the price of provisions in California; sickness; setting up a store and tavern at Trinity Mines; and mining. (Original letters were in the possession of C. Corwith Wagner when the typescript was donated to the Missouri Historical Society in January 1948.) (23 pages), 1849-1851
Scope and Contents
The Oregon-California Collection is an artificial, or subject-based, collection comprising of a variety of documents that have been placed in this collection over the years due to their common subject matter. The collection consists primarily of letters, diaries, and articles from Missouri newspapers relating to overland travel to Oregon and California in the 1840s and 1850s. Most of these items are transcriptions or reproductions, rather than original documents. The collection also includes correspondence of the Missouri Historical Society with various individuals, 1924-1940, mostly relating to papers and publications about 19th-century overland travel to California and Oregon.
Dates
- 1849-1851
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research use.
Extent
From the Collection: 0.5 Cubic Feet ( (1 box))
Language of Materials
English
Repository Details
Part of the Missouri Historical Society Library and Research Center Repository