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Mining and the Gold Rush

In 1848 gold was discovered in Sutter’s Mill in California, a territory that had just come into the possession of the US. The gold rush that followed to this and other areas – including as far north as Alaska – supported a boom in the growth of Western settlements and infrastructure. This period can be explored in the Graff Collection through records of the towns and cities, guidebooks for potential emigrants, diaries of prospectors and accounts of the frenzy for gold

Title	Date	Document Type	Region

Title	Date	Document Type	Region
1859 traveler’s guide to the new gold mines in Kansas and Nebraska: with a description of the shortest and most direct route from Chicago to Pike’s Peak and Cherry Creek gold mines	c.1859	Broadside	Kansas; Nebraska
Across the plains in "49"	1910-1911	Pamphlet	California; Iowa; Wyoming
Acts of incorporation, organization, and by-laws of the North Western Mining Company, Texas. Chartered by two general acts of Republic of Texas	1846	Pamphlet	Texas
Appendix to Jackson’s map of the mining districts of California…	1851	Rare Book	California
An Arizona ranger, story of the south-western solitude	1906	Rare Book	Arizona; Mexico
[Autograph letter signed, addressed to his sister Loretta Steele, Rio da los Americanos]	06 Nov 1852	Correspondence	California
[Autograph letter signed, addressed to R.M. Sherman of San Francisco]	1847	Correspondence	California
[Autograph letter signed, Sacramento, Calif., March 31, 1851, to his sister, Loretta Steele]	1851	Correspondence	California
Beyond the West…	1870	Rare Book	Wyoming; New Mexico; Arizona; Idaho; Oregon; Utah; Nevada; California; Montana; Nebraska; Colorado; Oklahoma
The Black Hills gold fields and how to reach them!...Cost of outfit, and full information of the country, by one who has been there	1875	Pamphlet	The Dakotas
The Black Hills news-letter and mining reporter	1878	Periodical	The Dakotas
The Black Hills of Dakota, 1881.	1881	Pamphlet; Directory	The Dakotas
The Black Hills. A minute description of the routes, scenery, soil, climate, timber, gold, geology, zoölogy, etc. With an accurate map, four sectional drawings, and ten plates from photographs, taken on the spot.	1876	Rare Book	Wyoming; Nebraska; The Dakotas
Boise City and southwestern Idaho: resources, progress and prospects: information for intending settlers / compiled under direction of the Boise City Board of Trade	1887-1888	Periodical	Idaho
The Bonanza mines of Nevada: gross frauds in the management exposed. Reply of S. P. Dewey to the misrepresentations of the Bonanza firm in their libelous publication of May 25th, 1878	1878	Pamphlet	Nevada; California
Borden’s Leadville: a treatise on Leadville, Colorado: reliable information	1879	Pamphlet	Colorado
California	1848	Pamphlet	California; Oregon; New Mexico
California 49er; travels from Perrysburg to California	1903	Journal	California; Texas
California as it is and as it may be; or, A guide to the gold region	1849	Rare Book	California
Californien – Das Neue Goldland	1849	Rare Book	California
The Centennial. v.1, no.1; Jan. 1876	1876	Periodical	Colorado
[Certificate issued to Josephine Souers for land claimed in the Kit Clayton Lode]	1863	Broadside	Montana
[Certificate of James Hamilton's claim]	03 Aug 1860	Broadside	Colorado
Cherry Creek pioneer. v.1, no.1, Apr. 23, 1851	1853	Periodical	Kansas
Cincinnati weekly gazette Vol. 68, No.8	11 Aug 1859	Periodical	Ohio
The Colorado Miner, v.3, no.27	25 Nov 1869	Periodical	Colorado
Colorado: its resources, parks, and prospects as a new field for emigration; with an account of the Trenchara and Costilla estates, in the San Luis park	1869	Rare Book	Colorado
Colton's sectional and topographical map of Colorado	1872	Map	Colorado
Commerce of the prairies, or, the journal of a Santa Fe trader: during eight expeditions across the great western prairies, and a residence of nearly nine years in northern Mexico, volume I	1844	Rare Book	Mexico; New Mexico
The Daily Colorado Times, v.1, no.140	18 May 1867	Periodical	Colorado
The Daily Mining Journal. v.3, no.34; Jan. 13, 1866	1866	Periodical	Colorado
Death valley in '49...	1894	Rare Book	California; Michigan; Wisconsin; Ohio
Directory of the city of Council Bluffs and emigrants' guide to the gold regions of the west	1866	Rare Book; Directory	Iowa; Nebraska
Echoes from Arcadia. The story of Central City, as told by one of "The Clan"	1903	Rare Book	Colorado
Echoes of the Past	1914	Rare Book	California; Nevada; Illinois; Iowa; Missouri; Idaho; Wyoming; Ohio
The emigrant's guide, to Oregon and California	1845	Rare Book	Oregon; California; Iowa; Canada
The emigrants’ guide to California, containing every point of information for the emigrant, including routes, distances, water, grass: with a large map of routes, and profile of country, &c. with full directions for testing and assaying gold and other ores	1849	Pamphlet	California; New Mexico; Kansas
The emigrant’s guide to New Mexico, California, and Oregon: giving the different overland and sea routes compiled from reliable authorities with a map of North America	1850	Rare Book	New Mexico; California; Oregon
Extracts from the Diary of William C. Lobenstine, December 31, 1851-1858	1920	Diary; Journal	California; New York
First annual report of the Sonora Exploring and Mining Company, made to the stockholders	16 Mar 1857	Broadside	Mexico; Colorado; Texas
For Alaska gold fields the Kotzebue Sound Mining and Trading Co. will dispatch the fast sailing bark J.A. Falkenburg...on May 10, 1898 direct to Kotzebue Sound ...	1898	Broadside; Poster	Alaska; California
For Pike's Peak, Ho! Daily U.S. mail line through to Denver City	1860	Broadside	California
[Four maps taken from 'The central gold region. The grain, pastoral and gold regions of North America. With some new views of its physical geography; and observations on the Pacific railroad.']	1860	Map	Colorado; Wyoming
Four years in British Columbia and Vancouver Island: an account of their forests, rivers, coasts, gold fields and resources for colonisation	1862	Rare Book	Canada
A frontier lady: recollections of the gold rush and early California	1932	Rare Book	California; Iowa
The garden of the world, or the great west	1856	Rare Book	Ohio; Indiana; Illinois; Michigan; Wisconsin; Iowa; Missouri; Kansas; Nebraska; Minnesota; Texas; New Mexico; Utah; Oregon; Washington; California
The Gold Mines of Western Kansas; being a complete description of the newly discovered gold mines, different routes, camping places, tools & outfits; and containing everything important for the emigrant and miner to know	1858	Pamphlet	Kansas
Great northern route to the gold regions via the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad line and the Platte Valley Route	1859	Map	Illinois; Iowa; Nebraska
Guide to the Kansas gold mines at Pike's Peak	1859	Pamphlet	Kansas; Arkansas
Hand book to the gold fields of Nebraska and Kansas: being a complete guide to the gold regions of the north and south Platte, and Cherry Creek	1859	Rare Book	Nebraska; Kansas
Hand book to the gold fields of Nebraska and Kansas: being a complete guide to the gold regions of the north and south Platte, and Cherry Creek...	1859	Rare Book	Nebraska; Kansas
Hand-book and map to the gold region of Frazer's and Thompson's Rivers, with table of distances; to which is appended Chinook jargon-language used	c.1858	Pamphlet	Canada
Hand-book and travelers' guide of New Mexico […] for tourists, miners, capitalists and emigrants	1881	Rare Book	New Mexico; Colorado
Headquarters, Dept. of New Mexico. Santa Fe, N.M., June 15th 1863. General orders no.15.	15 Jun 1863	Broadside	New Mexico; Arizona
Histoire de la Louisiane; volume I	1758	Rare Book	Louisiana; New Mexico
Histoire de la Louisiane; volume II	1758	Rare Book	Louisiana
Histoire de la Louisiane; volume III	1758	Rare Book	Louisiana
History and directory of the Black Hills; containing historical sketches pertaining to the first settlement of the Black Hills, descriptions of the various cities, towns, settlements, quartz mills and mines, with a complete business directory of each locality	1878	Directory	The Dakotas; Wyoming; Iowa
History of Cheyenne and northern Wyoming: embracing the gold fields of the Black Hills, Powder River and Big Horn countries...	1876	Pamphlet	Wyoming
A history of Stockton from its organization up to the present time, including a sketch of San Joaquin County; comprising a history of the government, politics, state of society, religion, Fire department, commerce, secret societies, art, science, manufactures, agriculture... within the past thirty years	1880	Rare Book	California
Hutchings' California scenes - methods of mining	1855	Ephemera; Broadside	California
Idaho Springs; its mines and mineral waters	1880	Pamphlet	Colorado
Idaho: six months in the new gold diggings. The emigrants guide overland. Itinerary of routes, features of the country, journal of residence, etc.	1864	Pamphlet	Idaho
Idaho: six months in the new gold diggings. The emigrants guide overland. Itinerary of routes, features of the country, journal of residence, etc., etc.	1864	Pamphlet	Idaho; Nebraska; Kansas
If you are bound to go to the gold fields of the Black Hills of Dakota you must buy your tickets via the Chicago and North Western Railway...	1877	Map; Broadside	Montana; The Dakotas; Wyoming; Nebraska; Wisconsin; Michigan; Iowa
The Illustrated miners’ hand-book and guide to Pike’s Peak, with a new and reliable map, showing all the routes, and the gold regions of western Kansas and Nebraska	1859	Rare Book; Directory	Colorado; Kansas; Nebraska
In camp and cabin: mining life and adventure, in California during 1850 and later	c.1901	Rare Book	California; Wisconsin; Mexico
The inter-mountain district	1887-1888	Map	Washington; Oregon; California; Nevada; Utah; Idaho; Montana; Wyoming; Colorado
James Henry Twogood papers	1888-1910	Correspondence; Ephemera	Oregon; Idaho
Journal of John Wood, as kept by him while traveling from Cincinnati to the gold diggings of California, in the spring and summer of 1850…	1852	Journal	California; Ohio
A journal of the overland route to California! and the gold mines	1851	Pamphlet; Journal	California; Arizona; Ohio
Journal of Samuel Rutherford Dundass...including his entire route to California, as a member of the Steubenville Company bound for San Francisco, in the year 1849	1857	Journal	California
Journal of travels from St. Josephs to Oregon, with observations of that country, together with some description of California, its agricultural interests, and a full description of its gold mines	1850	Pamphlet; Journal	Oregon; California
[Journal of a voyage from New York around the Cape to San Francisco]	07 Oct 1852 - 07 Feb 1853	Journal; Ephemera	New York; California; Mexico; Nevada; Virginia
The Klondyke... a complete guide to the gold fields...	1897	Rare Book	Alaska; Canada; Pacific Northwest
Laws of Big Creek mining district, adopted Feb. 13th, 1864	1864	Broadside	Nevada
Letters: [California], to Edward [McDonnell], 1850 Oct. 13-Nov. 25.	13 Oct 1850 - 25 Nov 1850	Correspondence	California
The life and adventures of James W. Marshall, the discoverer of gold in California	1870	Rare Book	California
Mad rush for gold in frozen North	1914	Journal	Alaska
Map illustrating the general geological features of the country West of the Mississippi River	1857	Map	Arizona; New Mexico; Texas; California; Oklahoma; Louisiana; Mississippi; Washington; Oregon; Idaho; Montana; Wyoming; The Dakotas; Minnesota; Nebraska; Iowa; Wisconsin; Illinois; Missouri; Kansas; Arkansas; Colorado; Utah
Map of the Cariboo & Omenica gold fields and the routes thereto	1870	Map; Pamphlet	Canada; Pacific Northwest
Map of the Coeur-D'-Alene mines and vicinity: Idaho Territory	1884	Map	Idaho
Map of Colorado Territory shewing [sic]the system of parks	1865	Map	Colorado
Map of the Comstock Lode and the Washoe mining claims in Storey and Lyon Counties, Nevada	c.1875	Map	Nevada
Map of explorations and suveys in New Mexico and Utah	1860	Map	New Mexico; Utah; Arizona; Colorado
Map of the gold regions of California, showing the routes via Chagres and Panama, Cape Horn &c.	1849	Map	California; USA
Map of the Nez Perces and Salmon River gold mines in Washington Territory	1862	Pamphlet; Map	Washington; Oregon
Map of southern Idaho and the adjacent regions	1880	Map	Idaho; Oregon; Washington; Wyoming
Map of the Territory of Montana	1865	Map	Montana
Map of the United States' lead mines on the upper Mississippi river drawn & published by R.W. Chandler of Galena	1829	Map	The West; Ohio; Illinois; Wisconsin
Map of the White Pine mines and the region adjacent: with an essay on the geology and vein system of the district and the character of the surrounding country, accompanied with tables of hights [sic], distances, bullion products, etc.	1869	Rare Book	Nevada
Map showing proposed military and emigrant roads to the gold fields of Montana or East Idaho	1864	Map	Montana; Idaho; The West
Miners and business men's directory, for the year commencing January 1st, 1856	1856	Directory	California; Mexico
The Miners' own book, containing correct illustrations and descriptions of the various modes of California mining, including all the improvements introduced from the earliest day to the present time	1858	Pamphlet	California
The miner's ten commandments	1853	Ephemera; Broadside	California
Miner’s guide map to Alaskan and Yukon River goldfields	1898	Map	Alaska; Canada
Mining and hunting in the Far West	c.1899	Rare Book	California; Idaho
[Mining claim, Colorado Creek]	1861	Ephemera	Colorado
[Mining claim, Colorado]	1860	Ephemera	Colorado
[Mining claim, Colorado]	1860	Ephemera; Broadside	Colorado
[Mining claim, Colorado]	1860	Broadside; Ephemera	Colorado
[Mining claim, Denver]	1861	Broadside; Ephemera	Idaho; Colorado
[Mining claim, Denver]	1861	Ephemera; Broadside	Idaho; Colorado
[Mining claim, Denver]	1861	Ephemera; Broadside	Idaho; Colorado
Mining Law of the territory of Arinona [sic]	1864	Pamphlet	Arizona
Montana and Yellowstone national park. Facts and experiences on the farming, stock raising, mining, lumbering, and other industries of Montana	1881	Rare Book	Montana; Wyoming
Mormon way-bill, to the gold mines…	1851	Pamphlet	Utah; California
The Mountain herald. v.1, no.15, Sept. 17, 1852	1852	Periodical	California
Narative [sic] of Geo. J. Kellogg from 1849 to 1915: and some history of Wisconsin since 1835	1914	Pamphlet; Journal	Wisconsin; Illinois; Iowa; Nebraska; Colorado; Nevada; California
Nevada State Mining Law. An act concerning the location and possession of mining claims...	1866	Pamphlet	Nevada
New and short route open to the gold regions; Pike’s Peak and Cherry Creek and all parts of Kansas and Nebraska	1859	Broadside	Kansas; Nebraska; Colorado
New and short route to the gold mines of the Black Hills, Montana and Idaho. 400 miles of travel saved	1865	Broadside	Montana; Idaho
The new gold field! The Big Horn country looming up! An expedition going in April, 1877. An outfitting point within 150 miles! The best route, etc., via Rawlins, Wyoming Territory	1877	Poster	Wyoming
New map; Gold in the Black Hills, with explanatory notes and extracts from official reports, with laws appended upon the subject of mines and mining	1876	Pamphlet	The Dakotas; Wyoming
The new mining law of Montana Territory…	1864	Broadside	Montana
The northern route to Idaho: and the Pacific Ocean	1864	Broadside	Idaho; Missouri
Nuova California: (Statti Uniti dell'America Settentrionale)	1851	Map	California
Omaha daily Nebraskian. v.2, no. 104-105; March 31-April 1, 1863	1863	Periodical	Nebraska; Wyoming
Our new West: records of travel between the Mississippi River and the Pacific Ocean…	1869	Rare Book	Colorado; Wyoming; Utah; Idaho; Montana; Nevada; California; Oregon; Washington; Arkansas; Canada
An overland journey, from New York to San Francisco, in the summer of 1859	1860	Rare Book; Journal	Kansas; Utah; California
Overland route to California, description of the route, via council bluffs, Iowa	1852	Pamphlet	California; Iowa
The overland stage to California: personal reminiscences and authentic history of the great overland stage line and pony express from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean	1901	Rare Book	California; Kansas; Colorado
Overland trip to California in 1850...	1900	Pamphlet	Ohio; Indiana; Missouri; The Dakotas; Utah; California
Pencil sketches of Colorado, its cities, principal towns and mountain scenery	1866	Rare Book	Colorado
"A pretty fair view of the eliphent"…	1960	Correspondence; Journal; Pamphlet	Illinois; California
Prospectors’ manual: being a full and complete history and description of the newly discovered gold mines on Granite Creek, the canyon of the Tulameen River, and other new mineral discoveries in the Similkameen country, with full instructions as how to get there...	1886	Pamphlet	Canada
Rand, McNally & Co.’s new map and guide to the Black Hills of Dakota	1875	Pamphlet; Map	The Dakotas; Nebraska; Minnesota; Iowa; Kansas; Colorado; Wyoming; Montana
Report and map of the superintendent and engineer of the Smoky Hill Expedition, together with the table of distances	1861	Rare Book	Kansas
Report from a select committee of the House of Representatives, on the overland emigration route from Minnesota to British Oregon: with an appendix	1858	Pamphlet	Minnesota; Canada; Oregon
The rocky mountain gold regions containing sketches of its history, geography, botany, geology, mineralogy and gold mines, and their present operations...	1861	Rare Book
Rocky Mountain gold reporter and Mountain City Herald	1859	Periodical	Colorado
Rocky Mountain news. The mines and miners of Kansas and Nebraska. v.1, no.20; Oct.6, 1859	1859	Periodical	Kansas; Nebraska; New York
Rocky Mountain news. v.1, no.6; June 11, 1859. Extra, Greeley’s report. The mines and miners of Kansas and Nebraska	1859	Broadside; Periodical	Kansas; Nebraska; Colorado
The routes and mineral resources of north western Canada	1898	Rare Book	Canada
S. Bloom, dealer in clothing, and Gent’s furnishing goods. General assortment of miners outfitting articles		Broadside	Nebraska
The San Francisco City Directory, by Charles P. Kimball. September 1, 1850	1850	Directory	California
Silver-seeking in the San Juan mines: Location of the silver region - how to get there - what you want, and cost of outfit - how to locate your claim, together with the mining laws of Colorado and acts of Congress relating thereto	1877	Pamphlet	Colorado
Six months in the gold mines; from a journal of three years' residence in Upper and Lower California, 1847-8-9	1850	Rare Book; Journal	California
Sketch of part of the march & wagon road of Lt. Colonel Cooke, from Santa Fe to the Pacific Ocean, 1846-7: from a point on Grande River (near which the road should cross,) to the Pimo Villages where he fell into and followed the route of Gen. Kearny, down the Gila River	1848	Map	California; Arizona; New Mexico
Sketch of the quartz mining region of the Rocky Mountains. Including the adjacent country with principal roads, streams and towns.	1860	Map
Springfield mining laws. Adopted...April 13th, 1852, and revised August 11th…	1852	Broadside	California
The story of early days in the Big Bend Country: breaking trails, rush of miners, coming of cattlemen, making homes, pioneer hardships...	1926	Pamphlet	Canada
Ten thousand miles of travel, sport and adventure	1869	Rare Book
Thayer's new map of the state of Colorado completed from official surveys and explorations	1879	Map	Colorado
Thomas Jefferson Oxley letters	1850-1853	Correspondence	California
Threads of Alaskan gold	c.1904	Rare Book	Alaska
[Three maps from 'Guide to the Yukon gold fields, where they are and how to reach them']	1895	Map	Alaska; Canada; Pacific Northwest
Three weeks in the gold mines, or, Adventures with the gold diggers of California in August, 1848: together with advice to emigrants, with full instructions upon the best method of getting there, living, expenses, etc., etc., and a complete description of the country	1848	Pamphlet	California
Thrilling narrative of the adventures, sufferings and starvation of Pike's Peak gold seekers on the plains of the west in the winter and spring of 1859. By one of the survivors. Whiteside County, Illinois, 1860.	c.1890	Rare Book	Colorado; Kansas
Thrilling narrative of the adventures, sufferings and starvation of Pike’s Peak gold seekers on the plains of the West in the winter and spring of 1859	1860	Pamphlet	Nebraska; Kansas
To the Black Hills: rate bulletin no. 15	1878	Map; Broadside	Wisconsin; Michigan; Minnesota; Iowa; Wyoming; The Dakotas; Nebraska; Illinois
To the gold fields of the Black Hills!: via Omaha & Sidney, or Cheyenne: the Union Pacific R.R. offers the quickest, safest and most reliable route to the new Eldorado!	1877	Pamphlet	The Dakotas; Nebraska
Topographical map of the Reese River mines located in the vicinity of the town of Austin, Lander County, N.T.	1863	Map	Nevada
Two lectures on British Columbia	1868	Pamphlet; Broadside	Canada; California
Way-side scenes in California	c.1855	Broadside	California
Western Montana; a review of the mineral, timber and agricultural resources of the counties of Silver Bow, Jefferson, Madison, Beaverhead, Deer Lodge and Missoula, with special reference to Butte City, the greatest mining camp on earth	1886	Directory	Montana
The Western Mountaineer	1859	Periodical	Colorado
White Pine M. District	c.1884	Map	Nevada
Yukon Yesterdays. Thirty years of adventure in the Klondike…	1936	Rare Book	Canada

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Mining and the Gold Rush