REGISTER OF SELECTED CORRESPONDENCE

 

 

R         Downing and Whinrey Families.

49                    Papers, 1837-1929.

                                    11 folders, photocopies

 

 

 

Folder 2:  1850-1859

 

7 Aug 1850       Jefferson County, Missouri.  Malinda Washburn to Levi P. Downing.  Cholera in St. Louis and sickness in Jefferson County.

 

23 Nov 1850     Caloma, California.  James Downing to Mary Downing.  Descriptions of placer mining.

 

5 Jul 1851         Cash Valley, California.  Lafayette Downing to William and Caroline Wann.  Talks of father returning to California, and of small size of emigration to the state that year.

 

31 Aug 1851     Shasta City, California.  R. M. Bell to James and Mary Downing.  Bell inquires after his father, and reports discouraging results in mines.

 

6 Jul 1852         Placerville, California.  Franklin Bell to Mary Downing.  Emigration is beginning to reach Placerville, society is improving “with many ladys coming across the plains.”

 

22 Aug 1852     Georgetown, California.  W. C. Whinrey to J. Whinrey at Rheatown, Tennessee.  Contains a description of the trip across the plains to California.

 

26 Feb 1857      Sacramento City, California.  J. M. Bell to Mary Downing; and Calvin L. Coble to Margret Lakey.  Reports that crops are beginning to come up, and that miners have done well.

 

8 Nov 1857       California County, California.  Louisa J. Downing to Mary Downing.  Says the men have gone into the mountains to cut lumber for a house.  Long description of the “Lawson Route” to California.  Warns newcomers to stay away from Salt Lake, as many have been killed by Indians and Mormons.

 

29 Nov 1857     Barkerville, California.  John S. Downing to Mary Downing.  Mentions emigrants have had trouble on the plains with Indians.  Contains a description of the land around Barkerville.

 

2 Dec 1857       Sacramento County, California.  Louisa J. Downing to Mary Downing.  Some details on finding land, and advice to future travelers.  Advises coming only in large groups with guides.

 

30 Dec 1857     Sacramento County, California.  Joseph Downing to “Uncle.”descriptions of crossing plains, and mentions troubles of some emigrant trains.

 

24 Jan 1858       Sacramento County, California.  Joseph Downing to William Wann and family.  Discussion of labor and prices.  “…a person can do pretty well here but a poor person will run tight for a year.”

 

16 Mar 1858     California.  Joseph Downing to Mary Downing.  Says he expects to go into the freight business, hauling goods to the mountains.

 

4 Apr 1858        Elizabethton, Carter County, Tennessee.  William L. Hunt to brother.  Concerns court judgment and finances.

 

20 Mar 1859     Hillsboro, Jefferson County, Missouri.  Malinda Washburn to Mary Downing.  Local news.

 

1 May 1859       Sacramento County, California.  Franklin L. Bell to Mary Downing.  Mentions going into freight business.  News of acquaintances.

 

25 Jun 1859       Sacramento County, California.  Joseph P. Downing to Mary Downing.  Notes prices and wages in California.

 

18 Oct 1859      Sacramento County, California.  Sarah and Louise Downing to Mary Downing.  Family news.

 

Folder 3:  1860-1869

 

22 Jan 1860       Sacramento County, California.  Joseph Downing to James M. Downing.  Remarks on robberies in California.  “…I am a noted character for not stealing.”

 

28 Jan 1860       Sacramento, California.  Sarah M. Downing to William and Tennessee Wann.  Family news.

 

28 Dec 1861     California.  Joseph Downing to Mary Downing.  Remarks on the Civil War in the Atlantic states, and mentions that the mails were not going through to Missouri.

 

18 Oct 1862      Sacramento County, California.  Joseph Downing to James N. Downing.  Mails to Missouri still questionable.  Says that freight business in California is booming.  Stock prices still very low.

 

22 Nov 1863     Sacramento County, California.  William Downing to Levi and Robert Downing.  Mentions possibility of being drafted into the Union army from California.

 

29 Nov 1863     Sacramento, California.  John S. Downing to Levi and Robert Downing.  Mentions being enrolled for the army and expecting a draft.

 

14 Apr 1864      Sacramento County, California.  William Downing to Levi and Robert Downing.  Mentions a revival of religion in the county.

 

23 Jul 1864        California.  Louisa Downing to Mary Downing.  Reports sickness, baptisms, etc. of family.

 

7 Jan 1865        Sacramento County, California.  Joseph and Louisa Downing to Mary Downing.  Mentions kin in Rolla, Missouri and the hard times in Missouri during Price’s raid.

 

24 Apr 1865      California.  Joseph Downing to brother.  Mentions the ending of the war and Lincoln’s assassination.  Mentions also the settling of family estate in Missouri.

 

31 Apr 1865      California.  Joseph and Martha Ann Downing to Mary Downing.  Reports hard times in California.  Says people are being forced to leave land or buy it.

 

31 Apr 1865      California.  Martha Ann Downing to brothers.  Hard times in California.

 

3 Nov 1865       Land deed.  Land in Greene County, Missouri from Eli Paris to William C. Whinrey.

 

26 Jun 1866       St. Louis, Missouri.  Concerns a claim against William C. Whinrey.

 

12 Jul 1866        Home, Tennessee.  Elizabeth Shannon to Mary Downing.  mentions prospects for good crops.  (Elizabeth Shannon was Mary Downing’s sister.)

 

5 Aug 1866       California.  Joseph and Louisa Downing to Mary Downing.  Mentions crops.

 

c1868               Joseph Downing to James and Robert Downing.  Wants to settle family estate in Missouri.  Also family news.

 

12 Jan 1868       Crooked Creek, Carroll County, Arkansas.  Louisa Wann to Mary Downing.  Family news.

 

1 Oct 1868        Stockton, California.  Joseph Downing to Mary Downing.  Settling of family estate in Missouri.

 

20 Apr 1869      Franklin, Tennessee.  Elizabeth Shannon to Mary Downing.  Family news including notes on deaths during the Civil War.

 

9 May 1869       Paradise Valley, California.  Joseph and Louisa J. Downing to Mary Downing.,  Mentions religious news, baptisms, etc., also talks of one communistic” Baptist sect.

 

28 Nov 1869     Stanislaus County, California.  Joseph Downing to Mary Downing.  Mentions buying land but doubts his ability to pay for it.  Money is scarce.

 

Folder 4:  1870-1879

 

5 Aug 1870       Paradise, California.  Joseph Downing to James N. Downing.  Mentions crops in California.

 

14 Nov 1870     Visalia, California.  Mary J. Bell to Mary Downing.  Family news.

 

27 Jan 1871       Tulare County, California.  Joseph Downing to Levi Downing.  Times harder in California than ever known in Missouri

 

27 Jan 1871       California.  Joseph Downing to Mary Downing.  Contains dates of birth of the children of Joseph and Louisa Downing.

 

26 Apr 1871      Visalia, California.  Joseph Downing to James Downing.  Gloomy prospects for crops, still expects to be forced to leave land.

 

16 Feb 1872      Visalia, California.  Joseph Downing to James Downing.  Crops will be good; railroad coming to Tulare County.

 

12 Apr 1872      Visalia, California.  Joseph Downing to Mary Downing.  Reports earthquakes throughout the mountain states on March 26.

 

1 Dec 1872       Fresno County, California.  Joseph Downing to James Downing.  Mentions will be moving to Squaw Valley.

 

16 Oct 1878      Biggs, California.  Louisa Downing to Mary Downing.  Family news.

 

23 Oct 1878      Squaw Valley, California.  Joseph Downing to Mary Downing.  Family news.

 

18 May 1879     Biggs, California.  William Downing to Eliza Calpurnia Downing.  Says times are hard.  Blames troubles on the fight between capital and labor; says news state constitution will end things.

 

13 Jul 1879        Hutchins, Dallas County, Texas.  To Clarke Whinrey.  Says money is scarce.  Description of crop land.  Letter is largely illegible.

 

27 Oct 1879      Rock Hill, Tennessee.  Elizabeth Shannon to Mary Downing.  Family news.

 

Folder 5:  1880-1889

 

c1880               Squaw Valley, California.  Matilda Downing to Mary Downing.  Family news.

 

18 Dec 1882     Dayton, Washington.  W. Hunt to W. C. Whinrey.  Family news.

 

9 Jul 1885         Corvallis, Montana.  Tennessee Wann to Mary Downing.  Family news.

 

10 Dec 1886     Corvallis, Montana. To Joseph Whinrey, Halltown, Missouri.  “This is the damdest place you ever seen…ten hoars for one decent woman.”  Describes a fight with a group of ten soldiers.

 

14 Dec 1887     Home, Tennessee.  Mrs. B. J. Johnson to W. C. Whinrey.  Family news.  Mentions prices and wages in Tennessee.

 

20 apr 1888       Oowala, Indian Territory.  Eliza Calpurnia Downing to Mary Downing.  Good description of Oklahoma, including an account of a purposeful burning of the prairie.

 

21 Jul 1888        California.  Matilda Johnson to Mary Downing.  Mentions a trip to see the giant redwoods.

 

Folder 6:  1890-1895

 

6 Sep 1891        Rheatown, Tennessee.  Matilda Johnson to W. C. Whinrey.  tells of the insanity of a family member.

 

2 Jul 1894         Odessa, Missouri.  Matte C. Jenkins to W. C. Whinrey.  Concerns a Whinrey estate in Ireland, and the attempts to claim it.

 

15 Jan 1895       Sunshine Mine, Utah.  A six-page fragment to “father.”  Mentions mining in Utah and the politics of silver.

 

Folder 7:  1896-1899

 

18 Oct 1896      Oakland, California.  L. J. Downing to W. C. Whinrey.  Mentions William Jennings Bryan and the Silver party.

 

Folder 9:  1905-1909

 

25 Aug 1907     Oakland, California.  L. P. Downing to Elizabeth Ruhama Downing.  Family news.

 

Folder 11:  undated and fragments

 

20 Apr              “Elderado County, California.”  Isham Williams to brother.  Comments on mining and gambling in California.

 

20 Jan               Wright County, Missouri.  Mary Brown to Mary Downing.  Comments on land clearing and planting.

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