A year of mud and gold
Subtitle: San Francisco in letters and diaries, 1849-1850
By: edited by William Benemann.
Contributors: Benemann, William, 1949-
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
Published: 1999
Place of publication: Lincoln
Language: eng
Number of pages: 241
Subjects: Pioneers -- California -- San Francisco -- Diaries; Pioneers -- California -- San Francisco -- Correspondence; San Francisco (Calif.) -- Biography; San Francisco (Calif.) -- History -- 19th century -- Sources; San Francisco (Calif.) -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Sources; San Francisco (Calif.) -- Social conditions -- 19th century -- Sources; California -- Gold discoveries -- Sources
Description: "Here are the letters and diaries of ordinary men and women caught up in the rapid transformation of San Francisco during its gold rush heyday, 1849-50. Together these accounts render a rich mosaic of San Francisco's metamorphosis from a small Mexican outpost into a rough-and-tumble boomtown filled with gamblers and prostitutes, evangelists and entrepreneurs - men, women, and children from all parts of the country, arriving in California with the dream of striking it rich."--BOOK JACKET.

"The correspondents come from a variety of economic and social backgrounds. Some are barely literate, while others craft prose on par with the finest nineteenth-century travel literature. Their writings address a broad range of concerns, from business prospects and consumer prices to social mores and popular amusements."--BOOK JACKET.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 229-234) and index.