- Collection Overview
- Collection Description & Creator Information
- Access & Use
- Collection History
- Find Related Materials
A. M. Ferguson (Mrs. Yates Ferguson) Letter to Miss G. E. Wilson, Her Sister, 1855 June 30-August 9
Collection Overview
Collection Description & Creator Information
- Scope and Contents
Four-page letter, from A. M. Ferguson, in Greenwood Valley, El Dorado County, California, to her sister, G. E. Wilson in Katonah, Westchester County, New York. Originally from Westchester County, New York, Ferguson settled in California with her husband, Yates Ferguson, who became a gold miner. Ferguson's letter contains entries written on June 30th, July 13th, and August 9th, 1855, in which she mentions her brothers-in-law Emory Canda Ferguson (1833-1911) and Clark Ferguson (1835- ), both of whom were gold miners in California and British Columbia. While both brothers eventually made homes in Washington State (where Emory Canda Ferguson founded the settler town Snohomish), at the time, they were mining at the Slap-Jack Bar in Greenwood Valley. There are also notes about socializing with Mr. and Mrs. Rosteen (Rothstein), the founders of "Buckeye Exchange," the first settler hotel in Greenwood; Fourth of July celebrations in Greenwood Valley; and her husband's visits to Sacramento and San Francisco, California. Her letter is lively, remarking on gossip about various family members and acquaintances back home, the inconsistency of the mail service, having "nothing to do," dancing with her husband at a party, and reading Don Quixote. The envelope is closed with a wax seal impressed with California gold dust.
- Arrangement
Materials are arranged in the order in which they were accessioned.
Collection History
- Acquisition:
AM 2018-19
- Appraisal
No materials were removed during processing.
- Processing Information
This collection was processed by John Delaney in April 2013. Finding aid written by John Delaney in April 2013.
Finding aid updated by Faith Charlton in June 2016 and by Kelly Bolding in October 2016, August 2017, November 2017, November 2018, January 2019, July 2019, September 2019, November 2019, January 2020, and February 2020.
No additions will be made to this collection. Accessions relating to this topic will be added to the General Manuscripts Miscellaneous Collection (C0140).
Access & Use
- Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research use.
- Conditions Governing Use
Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.
- Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.
- Credit this material:
A. M. Ferguson (Mrs. Yates Ferguson) Letter to Miss G. E. Wilson, Her Sister; Princeton University Library Collection of Western Americana Miscellaneous Manuscripts, C1446, Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library
- Location:
-
Firestone LibraryOne Washington RoadPrinceton, NJ 08544, USA
- Storage Note:
- Firestone Library (mss): Box 1
