Mary Ballou’s letter to her son

Mary Ballou’s letter to her son

Gold Rush
Women
California

Mary Ballou was one of many thousands of women who made the journey to the gold fields, travelling either with their husband or father or occasionally alone. On arrival in California Mary and her husband set up a boarding house at a mining camp but occasionally also prospected: her comment about washing out gold dust ‘in the cradle’ refers to a panning technique. In Mary’s letter to her son back home in New Hampshire she describes the very arduous, albeit profitable, nature of her work, the constant dirt, the inadequacy of provisions and the scarcity of women neighbours able to provide consolation and support. Mary struggled with her new life and advised other women not to follow her. The letter shows one woman’s experience of life in the gold rush and describes the economic importance of the gold rush supply chain.

Mary Ballou, Negro Bar, California

'History Matters', a project of the American Social History Project/Center for Media and Learning of the City University of New York and the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University.

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6512/

1852

Margaret Minchin

Not known

English

Text – typescript of manuscript letter.

19th century California