Leslie Saint asked for information on Henry and Des Moines County people who went to the California Gold Rush in 1849. I've only begun to work seriously on this subject, so this is just a preliminary report. There were at least two groups that went west that year. (1) The "Mt. Pleasant Mining Company" trip left from Mt. Pleasant in early April 1849. Some of the party took most of their supplies by riverboat down the Mississippi and then up the Missouri River to St. Joseph, where they met the rest of the party. They crossed the Missouri about May 1. There were 15 wagons, 42 men, l woman and a child on this trip. There are two accounts that I have seen: (a) The journal of P. C. Tiffany (manuscript in the Beinecke Library, Yale University, New Haven, CT) - Tiffany gives these names for people who were on the trip: S. BLACK, John P. GRANTHAM, HERMAN, HIGGINS, Jasper HILL, L. S.HUTTON, LUSK, MOORE, PRESLY, RICE, RUCHE, RUCKER, and P. C. TIFFANY. (b) Jasper Hill's letters (published by D. Nunis 1964 as "The letters of a young gold miner, covering the adventures of Jasper S. Hill during the California Gold Rush 1849-1852) - Hill gives a list of the people on the trip; but unfortunately I don't have it in my files. The only name I have is of the one woman, Mrs. LOTSPEICH who had her son with her. (2) "Captain Ikenberry's" Company - Actually, the leader was Samuel Eikenbary/Eikenbery, who lived near Danville, Des Moines County, Iowa. His party consisted of 23 ox teams and about 65 men. They crossed the Missouri River at St. Joseph on April 20. The names from this trip that I've so far confirmed are: William DEARDORFF, Samuel EIKENBARY, Edward FORD, J. KELLEY, Peter KESSLER, (maybe) John D. LOVE, Asa McCULLY, David McCULLY, Samuel MILLER, __ MORROW, William PATTON, D. REDDING, William SCOTT, Amos STARKEY, John L. STARKEY, Samuel STARKEY, Charles W. WASHBURN, John Morrison WATERS, and William WATERS. I have some information on the Eikenbary company names, if anyone is interested. I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who can tell me anything about the people named, or anyone else you know who was on the trip. Sandy Wilbur http://pweb.netcom.com/~symbios/geneal.html Leslie W. Saint wrote: > > Sandy and list subscribers: > > I visited you web site and the page with the information about the other > trips the McCully's took to CA and OR reminded me of an old family story > that my gggrandfather, Samuel T. Saint, went to CA gold rush in 1849 and > returned "a year and a half later." Samuel T. lived in Tippecanoe Twp., > Henry Co. at the time. > > This story was written down in some notes my parents took down when they > talked to a great uncle in the 1970's > > Samuel T. Saint married Hannah Husted, 15 July 1848, at the house of her > father, Peter Husted in Yellow Springs Twp., Des Moines Co., IA > > In HISTORY OF DES MOINES COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE, By Augesine M. > Antorobus there is a biographical sketch of William Husted, a brother of > Hannah Husted. "William Husted has resided in Des Moines county since > I842, save for a period of a year and a half spent in California." > > The wording of the legnth of the trip matches the story of my great > uncle. > > >From your web site page, http://pweb.netcom.com/~symbios/wagntrn.html, > you say that "David and Asa McCully joined a group from DesMoines and > Henry counties bound for the California gold fields." > > So did the McCullys, Saints and Husteds go to CA on the same wagon > train? I've look for evidence of this but haven't found any yet. I had > a search for the Saint and Husted names done in California Wagon Train > Lists, Vol 1, 1849-1852 with neither name in the index. > > If these families did go to CA together maybe this information might > lead to you finding the answer. I have the disadvantage of not living > in Henry Co., IA or CA. > > Keep us up-to-date on what you might find about 49ers from Henry and Des > Moines Co. going to CA and OR. > > Thanks, Leslie W. Saint > > Sandy Wilbur wrote: > In the spring of 1853, Asa McCully organized a wagon train from New > London, > Henry Co., IA, to Oregon. A list of possible participants, most of > them from > Des Moines and Henry counties, is included on my website at > http://pweb.netcom.com/~symbios/asatrn.html > If anyone recognizes any names, I'd be pleased to hear from you. > Sandy Wilbur > > ==== IAHENRY Mailing List ==== > mailto:FULTONVA-L-REQUEST@rootsweb.com to subscribe to Fultons from > Virginia mailing list.