The Lost Gold Rush Journals: Daniel Jenks 1849-1865

California Gold Rush history comes to life! Buried in the archives until 2021 and never published, this amazing collection of Gold Rush journals chronicle America's Gold Rush era in astonishing detail. Between 1849-1865, Argonaut Daniel Jenks documented his (mis)adventures all across the American West in his journals. Writing to an imaginary confidant, Jenks shared his inner-most thoughts with the reader - the dreams and fears that drove him. Ride along with Daniel as he uncovers the mysteries of the Wild West, learns how to prospect for gold, and comes dangerously close to losing his scalp during the Northern California and Southern Oregon Indian Wars!

From Native Americans, to Chinese Gold Rush miners and Vigilance Committees, Jenks wrote of that extraordinary chapter in American history like few others have. During his cross country Gold Rush odyssey, Daniel prospected for gold at historic gold mining camps and boomtowns, places like; Big Oak Flat, Chinese Camp, Garrote, Savage's Camp, Jacksonville, Marysville, Chilean Camp, Wood's Camp, Yreka's Long Gulch, Humbug Creek, Dry Diggings and Pioneer City (aka Hog 'em). And he also traveled along some of America's most famous emigrant trails; The Santa Fe Trail, The Cherokee Trail, Applegate Trail, Hastings Cutoff, Lassen Trail, Nobles Trail, Salt Lake Cutoff, The California Trail, The Oregon Trail and The Yreka Trail. Now, for the first time ever, you can finally read Daniel's long-lost collection of Gold Rush journals for yourself.

It's a must-read for all History Buffs! Historic 5-volume collection of Gold Rush journals. Original journals were sold by Christie's Auction House in 2012 for $185,000. Includes both California and Colorado Gold Rushes. Journal entries span from 1849-1865. Never before published. Easy reading format.

Go West! With Daniel Jenks.

"One of the most vivid and best written gold rush journals we have ever handled" - Christie's Auction House

Author: Larry Obermesik
Publisher: Larry Obermesik
Published: 07/04/2021
Pages: 674
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 2.54lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 1.63d
ISBN: 9781736529959

About the Author
Obermesik, Larry: - As a hobby, I was researching a long-forgotten place called Independence Camp. A tract of land along Fountain Creek (Fontaine qui Bouille) in Southern Colorado, which Native American tribes had frequented for millennia. Since 1706, almost every major expedition through this territory visited the site -- but very little was ever written about it. When throngs of gold-seekers descended on the Pikes Peak region in the 19th century, Independence Camp became an important way station for them as well. In Hall's 1895 History of Colorado; Mr. Hall repeats the story William Parsons wrote in his famous Pikes Peak gold rush guidebook: On July 4, 1858 The Lawrence Party, with Julia Holmes the first American woman to climb Pikes Peak, arrived at a beautiful grove of Cottonwoods 15 miles north of Pueblo, which they named Independence Camp. As Julia Holmes wrote; The train camped early this evening, in order to celebrate the glorious fourth. This was done by consuming what little whiskey remained among the members. Most of the emigrants who traveled to Colorado via the Sante Fe Trail in the 19th century stopped at Independence Camp. It was a well known place, even noted on a few period maps. While the site of Jim's Camp is remembered as an important place in Colorado gold rush history, Independence Camp has almost been lost to time. The original site is near my home and I wanted to know more. So I dug deeper. My search led me to the Library of Congress, where I discovered an actual drawing of Independence Camp had been made in 1859. The sketch was attributed to a prospector from Pawtucket, Rhode Island; named Daniel Jenks. I also learned the Library of Congress bought 2 of the original 5 volumes of his gold rush journal. The other 3 volumes were sold to an anonymous bidder at a Christie's auction in 2012. I imagined them gathering dust in a vault somewhere, forever beyond interested eyes. I'd only delved into the journals to learn more about Independence Camp, but I quickly became captivated by Daniel's amazing story. Eventually I found all 5 volumes of his journal, a body of work that's no small challenge to discern. But my interest drove me to decipher and transcribe the text into the narrative you now hold in your hands. I hope you enjoy reading the Jenks Journals, as I have, and treasure the tale Daniel told.