Alexander Van Valen Papers
name: label: Creator
content: Van Valen, Alexander
place: label: Place
content: California
label: Place
content: California -- San Francisco
label: Place
content: San Francisco (Calif.) -- 1840-1850
topic: label: Topic
content: Mining
label: Topic
content: Gold mines and mining
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Purchased by the National Museum of American History from Cowan's Historic Americana Auctions in 2006.
creator: label: Creator
content: Van Valen, Alexander
setName: label: See more items in
content: Alexander Van Valen Papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: Personal papers of Alexander Van Valen documenting his participation in the California Gold Rush, 1849-1850.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Alexander Van Valen was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, on June 25, 1819.  He married Susan Maria Talmage, and the couple had twin daughters, Catharine Eliza and Sarah Maria, born June 2, 1845.  Van Valen served as treasurer of the California Gold Mining Company, one of many companies formed to participate in the 1849 California Gold Rush.  Funded by two wealthy New York merchants, Henry A. Kerr and B. S. Clark, the company consisted of Van Valen and four men other men.  Van Valen and his business partners agreed to spend two summers in California and pay Kerr and Clark one quarter of any profits made.  Van Valen sailed aboard the San Francisco-bound Hersilia on January 22, 1849.  Once in California, he and his company decided to try to strike it rich, first along the Mokelumne River and then up the San Joaquin River to Stockton.  The trip proved unsuccessful, and Van Valen returned to New York less than two years later.  He died on November 24, 1869.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 1.5 Cubic feet (4 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1849-1850
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0935
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Correspondence
label: Type
content: Maps
label: Type
content: Diaries
label: Type
content: Daguerreotypes
label: Type
content: Painted photographs
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Hand coloring
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged into two series.

Series 1, Personal Papers, 1849-1850

Series 2, Other Materials, 1849-1850
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Processed by Kiley Orchard (intern), 2008; supervised by Vanessa Broussard Simmons, archivist.
altformavail: label: Existence and Location of Copies
content: 1849 Diary digitzed in 2014.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Correspondence -- 19th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Maps -- 19th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Diaries -- 19th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Daguerreotypes
label: Genre/Form
content: Painted photographs
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- Daguerreotypes -- 1840-1860
label: Genre/Form
content: Hand coloring
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The collection consists mostly of the personal papers of Alexander Van Valen during his journey and subsequent stay in San Francisco, California, to participate in the Gold Rush,1849-1850.  Of particular interest are the founding documents of the mining company, his 85 page journal, and his many letters, mostly to and from his wife Susan.  Also included are portraits and daguerreotypes of his family.  This collection is especially valuable to researchers who are interested in the California Gold Rush, nineteenth century maritime travel, business history, and migration.