California as I Saw It: First-Person Narratives of California, 1849-1900

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Image, Miner and Pack Burro, unidentified publication, California as I Saw It
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The 190 works presented on this site—approximately 40,000 written pages and more than 3,000 illustrations—provide eyewitness accounts covering California history from the Gold Rush through the end of the 19th century. Most authors represented are white, educated, male Americans, including reporters detailing Gold Rush incidents and visitors from the 1880s attracted to a highly-publicized romantic vision of California life.

The narratives, in the form of diaries, descriptions, guidebooks, and subsequent reminiscences, portray encounters with those living in California as well as the impact of mining, ranching, and agriculture. Additional topics include urban development, the growth of cities, and California's unique place in American culture. A special presentation recounts early California history, and a discussion of the collection's strengths and weaknesses provides useful context for the first-person accounts.

Klondike Gold Rush, Seattle Unit, National Historical Park [WA]

Description

Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park preserves the story of the 1897-98 gold rush and Seattle's role therein. At that time, 70,000 people gathered in Canada's Yukon gold fields, hoping to find their fortunes.

The park offers interactive exhibits, including computers which provide access to participants' journals and personal accounts; films upon request; educational programming between September and May; two traveling trunks; a series of speakers; and Junior Ranger activities. Education programs require reservations. Summer (June 15th through Labor Day) offerings include gold panning demonstrations, guided walking tours of Pioneer Square Historic District, and films about the gold rush. The website offers lesson plans, activities, a teacher resource guide, a scavenger hunt for download, a coloring page, and links to relevant historical websites.

City Of Rocks National Reserve [ID]

Description

The City of Rocks became a landmark in 1843 for California-bound emigrants. Today, the City of Rocks National Reserve is managed by the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation and the National Park Service, and is first and foremost a recreational area. The smooth granite faces offer exceptional rock climbing. In addition to recreation, visitors to the reserve can enjoy the unique geology, flora, and history of the area. Many of the emigrants left their signatures on the rock spires in axle grease.

The site offers indoor and wayside exhibits. The website offers visitor information, historical information, and information on the geology and ecology of the reserve. In order to contact the reserve by email, use the "contact us" link located on the left side of the webpage.

Old Sacramento State Historic Park [CA]

Description

Old Sacramento State Historic Park is a cluster of noteworthy, early Gold Rush commercial structures. Historic buildings include the 1849 Eagle Theater; the 1853 B. F. Hastings Building, once home to the California Supreme Court; and the 1855 Big Four Building. Old Sacramento's historical significance comes from it being the western terminus of the Pony Express postal system, the first transcontinental railroad, and the transcontinental telegraph. With over 50 historic buildings, Old Sacramento has more buildings of historic value in its 28 acres than any area of similar size in the West.

A second website for the park can be found here.

The park offers exhibits, tours, educational programs, living history programs and events, and other educational and recreational events.

Online Archive of California

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Photo, Joseph Sharp, 1849 gold miner of Sharp's Flats, Online Archive of CA
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This archive provides more than 81,000 images and 1,000 texts on the history and culture of California. Images may be searched by keyword or browsed according to six categories: history, nature, people, places, society, and technology. Topics include exploration, Native Americans, gold rushes, and California events.

Three collections of texts are also available. Japanese American Relocation Digital Archive furnishes 309 documents and 67 oral histories. Free Speech Movement: Student Protest, U.C. Berkeley, 1964–1965 provides 541 documents, including books, letters, press releases, oral histories, photographs, and trial transcripts.

UC Berkeley Regional Oral History Office offers full-text transcripts of 139 interviews organized into 14 topics including agriculture, arts, California government, society and family life, wine industry, disability rights, Earl Warren, Jewish community leaders, medicine (including AIDS), suffragists, and UC Black alumni.

Gold Rush!

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Painting, Sunday Morning in the Mines, Charles Nahl
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In commemoration of the 1848 California Gold Rush, the Oakland Museum opened a series of exhibitions and created this online companion site. Sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, this virtual tour of the museum's exhibition offers an extensive (roughly 5,000-word) narrative of the Gold Rush and its history, illustrated with over 50 images of posters, photographs, artifacts, and art related to the Gold Rush. Three audio narratives discuss details of the discovery of gold and the resulting massive westward migration. Also included on the site are 28 images of artwork and 22 photographs of related subjects.

Site visitors can explore the experiences of Chinese, Latino/Californio, Native American, and African American peoples who participated in the Rush. Links to three curriculum sites and sample curriculum materials are available for grades 4, 5, 8, and 11; five curriculum units and 18 lesson plans can be purchased from the museum. The site is ideal for researching California history and westward expansion.

Beatty Museum & Historical Society [NV]

Description

The Beatty Museum and Historical Society is dedicated to preserving the historical heritage of the Bullfrog Mining District and Southern Nye County. The museum chronicles the history of the area, from its prehistoric origins through the Bullfrog gold rush.

The museum offers guided tours and exhibits of local history. The website offers visitor information, a history of the area, and online research resources.

Independence Mine State Historical Park [AK]

Description

The Independence Mine State Historic Park commemorates the early history of Alaska, which first became populated during the gold rushes of the late 129th century. Gold was first discovered in the Independence Mine area in 1886, and within 20 years two major mines were operating in the area. Today, large portions of the mines are open to visitors year round.

The State Historical Park offers self-guided as well as guided tours, a visitor center, and a museum. The website offers visitor information and a history of the park.