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Forty-Niners
Many southeast Ohio residents participated in the Gold Rush of 1849. George Washington Thissell was one. Here is his biography:
G. W. Thissell born April 25, 1829, in Morgan county, Ohio, where he was educated, and learned the trade of carriage-making, which he followed until he left his native State, March, 1849, when he started for California. He stopped in Mashaska county, Iowa, with his brother Ezra, until March, 1850, when he set out on his long trip across the plains with an ox-team, and landed at a town known at that time as Hangtown, and is now known as Placerville, October 16, 1850, where he followed mining until May, 1851, when he established a hotel, and in July was one of the parties who formed a company and commenced the second tunnel that was ever run in the State, after which he found very rich diggings, taking out as high as $125 to the pan. Followed mining, in connection with the hotel, until 6th of January, 1852, when he returned to native State, and from there to Iowa, when he married Miss Asberrene Chambers, May 8, 1851, who was born February 5, 1831, in Bartholomew county, Indiana. In March, 1853, again emigrated to this State, re-crossing the plains with ox-teams, and again settled in Hangtown, and followed same business as in 1850-1 until July, 1855, when he came to this county and settled in Suisun valley, and followed farming. In July, 1857, took up his abode in Pleasants’ valley, settling upon the present tract of land upon which he now resides, comprising 165 acres, adapted to fruit-growing. Has 6,000 fruit trees, most of which are apricots; also 10,000 grape vines, all foreign varieties. Has a family of six children, as follows: Mary E., born June 6, 1852, on the loop fork of the Platte river; John N., born November 29, 1856; George W., born April 25, 1858; W. E., born July 4, 1861; Sarah E., born July 15, 1865; Minnie L., born May 23, 1870. Source: History of Solano County…. – San Francisco, California - Wood, Alley & Co., East Oakland, published 1879, pages 464-465. Transcribed by Kathy Sedler. http://www.calarchives4u.com/biographies/solano/sol-stah.htm.
Thissell not only made two trips to California and remained there, he wrote a book about his experiences, Crossing the Plains in ’49, Oakland, California, 1903. On page 9 of that book he tells how he began his journey:
March 16, 1849, in company with Jerry Sheppard, Henry Seamon, William and Ambrose Palmer, I went on board the steamer Zanesville, at McConnelsville, Ohio, bound for California. The steamer’s destination was St. Louis, Missouri. The hand-shaking, the parting words, “Write often,” God bless you,” and we were off for California. The steamer was crowded with men wild with excitement. The gold fever ran high.
I conjecture that the Palmers mentioned here were Ambrose (born 1820) and William (born 1823), sons of William and Hannah Conklin Palmer of Malta. George Washington Thissell was the son of Ezra and Hanna Sargent Thissell.
Many forty-niners came from Zanesville as well. Following is a portion of their story:
In the spring of 1849 the great Gold Rush started and Zanesville seethed with excitement. Coach makers worked on covered wagons. Merchants sold large orders of sugar, flour, coffee, and other foods. Men practiced shooting with rifles and pistols at imaginary Indians. They made and polished sturdy mule harness. Life-insurance salesmen were busy. The forty-niners were getting ready to start for California “where people dig gold by the shovelful.”
“The new and staunch steamer Enterprise,” lay at the Fifth Street landing. She advertised April 4 as the date for starting to Independence, Missouri, the point of departure by land for the gold fields. Cabin passage was $20 and deck passage only $10. William McCaddon was president of the Zanesville party of thirteen men. Their equipment consisted of four wagons, twenty mules, and two horses. They carried weapons for defense against Indians and wild animals. The 150 passengers on the boat included parties from Newark and Cambridge. Crowds along the canal bank cheered as the Enterprise puffed down the river.
Another group went to Cincinnati and took a steamboat for Panama. There two thousand people waited for passage to San Francisco. Willard Warner of Zanesville wrote to friends that there was nothing to do but wait for three months and nurse a sick friend who seemed to be dying of typhus. Ten men from West Main Street organized the South Zanesville Company and drove their wagons to Cincinnati to board a steamboat for Independence.
The first letter that reached Zanesville from the Enterprise party contained sad news. Captain McCaddon returned to camp from a hunting trip at five o’clock one afternoon and by two o’clock next morning he was dead of cholera. An epidemic of that disease swept the nation.
The returning forty-niners did not always tell how much gold they found. All were believed to be rich. James Baldwin came home and divided his gold with the man who furnished money for his trip. With his own share of the gold he bought a farm in Perry Township on the site of Zanesville Airport. Many people tried to borrow money from Baldwin, thinking he had plenty and would not miss it. Baldwin was honest and did not want to lie to people. So he carried two pocketbooks. One was named “World.” When some one asked him for money, Baldwin opened that pocket book and truthfully said, “You see, I haven’t got a cent in the World.”
Source: Schneider, Norris Franz (1898-1993). Y Bridge City: The Story of Zanesville and Muskingum County, Ohio. The World Publishing Company, Cleveland and New York, 1950, pages 126-7.
Does anyone know more details of the individuals mentioned, or any others who departed southeastern Ohio for the gold fields of California?
Franz W. Schneider
G. W. Thissell born April 25, 1829, in Morgan county, Ohio, where he was educated, and learned the trade of carriage-making, which he followed until he left his native State, March, 1849, when he started for California. He stopped in Mashaska county, Iowa, with his brother Ezra, until March, 1850, when he set out on his long trip across the plains with an ox-team, and landed at a town known at that time as Hangtown, and is now known as Placerville, October 16, 1850, where he followed mining until May, 1851, when he established a hotel, and in July was one of the parties who formed a company and commenced the second tunnel that was ever run in the State, after which he found very rich diggings, taking out as high as $125 to the pan. Followed mining, in connection with the hotel, until 6th of January, 1852, when he returned to native State, and from there to Iowa, when he married Miss Asberrene Chambers, May 8, 1851, who was born February 5, 1831, in Bartholomew county, Indiana. In March, 1853, again emigrated to this State, re-crossing the plains with ox-teams, and again settled in Hangtown, and followed same business as in 1850-1 until July, 1855, when he came to this county and settled in Suisun valley, and followed farming. In July, 1857, took up his abode in Pleasants’ valley, settling upon the present tract of land upon which he now resides, comprising 165 acres, adapted to fruit-growing. Has 6,000 fruit trees, most of which are apricots; also 10,000 grape vines, all foreign varieties. Has a family of six children, as follows: Mary E., born June 6, 1852, on the loop fork of the Platte river; John N., born November 29, 1856; George W., born April 25, 1858; W. E., born July 4, 1861; Sarah E., born July 15, 1865; Minnie L., born May 23, 1870. Source: History of Solano County…. – San Francisco, California - Wood, Alley & Co., East Oakland, published 1879, pages 464-465. Transcribed by Kathy Sedler. http://www.calarchives4u.com/biographies/solano/sol-stah.htm.
Thissell not only made two trips to California and remained there, he wrote a book about his experiences, Crossing the Plains in ’49, Oakland, California, 1903. On page 9 of that book he tells how he began his journey:
March 16, 1849, in company with Jerry Sheppard, Henry Seamon, William and Ambrose Palmer, I went on board the steamer Zanesville, at McConnelsville, Ohio, bound for California. The steamer’s destination was St. Louis, Missouri. The hand-shaking, the parting words, “Write often,” God bless you,” and we were off for California. The steamer was crowded with men wild with excitement. The gold fever ran high.
I conjecture that the Palmers mentioned here were Ambrose (born 1820) and William (born 1823), sons of William and Hannah Conklin Palmer of Malta. George Washington Thissell was the son of Ezra and Hanna Sargent Thissell.
Many forty-niners came from Zanesville as well. Following is a portion of their story:
In the spring of 1849 the great Gold Rush started and Zanesville seethed with excitement. Coach makers worked on covered wagons. Merchants sold large orders of sugar, flour, coffee, and other foods. Men practiced shooting with rifles and pistols at imaginary Indians. They made and polished sturdy mule harness. Life-insurance salesmen were busy. The forty-niners were getting ready to start for California “where people dig gold by the shovelful.”
“The new and staunch steamer Enterprise,” lay at the Fifth Street landing. She advertised April 4 as the date for starting to Independence, Missouri, the point of departure by land for the gold fields. Cabin passage was $20 and deck passage only $10. William McCaddon was president of the Zanesville party of thirteen men. Their equipment consisted of four wagons, twenty mules, and two horses. They carried weapons for defense against Indians and wild animals. The 150 passengers on the boat included parties from Newark and Cambridge. Crowds along the canal bank cheered as the Enterprise puffed down the river.
Another group went to Cincinnati and took a steamboat for Panama. There two thousand people waited for passage to San Francisco. Willard Warner of Zanesville wrote to friends that there was nothing to do but wait for three months and nurse a sick friend who seemed to be dying of typhus. Ten men from West Main Street organized the South Zanesville Company and drove their wagons to Cincinnati to board a steamboat for Independence.
The first letter that reached Zanesville from the Enterprise party contained sad news. Captain McCaddon returned to camp from a hunting trip at five o’clock one afternoon and by two o’clock next morning he was dead of cholera. An epidemic of that disease swept the nation.
The returning forty-niners did not always tell how much gold they found. All were believed to be rich. James Baldwin came home and divided his gold with the man who furnished money for his trip. With his own share of the gold he bought a farm in Perry Township on the site of Zanesville Airport. Many people tried to borrow money from Baldwin, thinking he had plenty and would not miss it. Baldwin was honest and did not want to lie to people. So he carried two pocketbooks. One was named “World.” When some one asked him for money, Baldwin opened that pocket book and truthfully said, “You see, I haven’t got a cent in the World.”
Source: Schneider, Norris Franz (1898-1993). Y Bridge City: The Story of Zanesville and Muskingum County, Ohio. The World Publishing Company, Cleveland and New York, 1950, pages 126-7.
Does anyone know more details of the individuals mentioned, or any others who departed southeastern Ohio for the gold fields of California?
Franz W. Schneider
LeilaN |
Latest page update: made by LeilaN
, Nov 13 2009, 12:45 PM EST
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Keyword tags:
1849 gold rush
Ambrose Palmer
Crossing the Planes
Enterprise party
forty-niners
gold
Morgan County
Norris Schneider
Thissell
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | ||
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| porterbm | Forty- Niners | 1 | Apr 3 2008, 11:37 PM EDT by LeilaN | ||
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Thread started: Apr 3 2008, 8:50 PM EDT
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When my Great grand-pa Christopher C Heskett was born in 1833 in the Pennsville area,his mother Eliza Rivers Heskett died in Childbirth .Family history says sometime after that his Father, John Heskett ,left the boy with a relative to raise,and left for California on a ship around the horn , to seek his fortune He was never heard from again . I am very interested to find out if he started another family or died off .So far all I have been able to find out is there are a couple John Heskett`s in the San Francisco area .May not have anything to do with the Forty -Niners ,but is an interesting thought . any ideas ?? Bernie
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