This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Early California Mail and Express Pioneers Recall Hot Traffic
AUSTIN F. ROBERTS surveys postal woes before California gold rushes. He notes five months for east coast letters to reach San Francisco, scarce post offices, and rampant neglect, with pioneers like Alexander Todd creating express outfits and routes from Tipton to San Francisco. The Pony Express era, Butterfield stages, and Wells Fargo contracts revolutionized mail across the West.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
San Francisco
Post Office Department
Marshall
Sutter’s
Washington
California
United States Mail
Francisco
U.S
Alta-Californian
Alexander H. Todd
Todd
Butterfield
Tipton
Missouri
Plains
Deserts
Indian Territory
Los Angeles
Warner
Ranch
Kern River
Bakersfield
Gordon
Concord
Salt Lake
Pony Express
Thompson
Sierra Nevada