1832-1885; bulk: 1884-1885
Guide to the Collection
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| Creator: | Cary, Thomas Greaves,
1824-1888 |
| Title: | Thomas Greaves Cary papers |
| Dates: | 1832-1885 |
| Bulk Dates: | 1884-1885 |
| Physical Description: | 33 cased
volumes |
| Call Number: | Ms. N-1999 |
| Repository: | Massachusetts Historical Society
1154 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02215
library@masshist.org |
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Abstract:
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This collection contains thirty notebooks of
sketches written by Thomas Greaves Cary (1824-1888) of events in the history of
California, including early settlement, the gold rush, vigilance committees,
and the Mexican-American War. It also includes several records of the Cabarras
Gold Mining Company kept by Cary's father Thomas Greaves Cary (1791-1859)
related to the gold rush in North Carolina.
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Thomas Greaves Cary (1824-1888) was the son of Thomas Greaves Cary
(1791-1859) and Mary Ann Perkins Cary. A prominent member of Boston society,
Cary's father served as a Massachusetts state senator in 1846-1847 and 1852-3,
and served as president of the Boston Athenaeum and the Perkins Institute for
the Blind. The younger Cary was a member of the California Vigilance Committee
of 1856, a vigilante group that attempted to control crime and political
corruption. Describing his experiences in California in 1856, he referred to
himself as one of San Francisco's "oldest residents." Cary also traveled to
Argentina and Uruguay in 1865 to gather specimens and information for the
research of his brother-in-law Louis Agassiz. He spent his later years in
Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he wrote his historical sketches and
reminiscences of his years in California.
The Thomas Greaves Cary papers consist of two series: Cabarras Gold Mining
Company records, 1832-1853, and the Thomas Greaves Cary (1824-1888) sketches.
The smaller, first series contains a mining account book, letterbook, and
receipt book of the Cabarras Gold Mining Company of North Carolina recorded by
Thomas Greaves Cary (1791-1859). The mining company owned over 2000 acres in
Cabarrus, Mecklenburg, and Lincoln counties during the North Carolina gold
rush.
The second series consists of sketches written by Cary's son Thomas Greaves
Cary (1824-1888), containing his recollections and historical research about
the American west. Specific topics include the history of California from the
16th to 19th century, the Mexican-American War, California vigilance
committees, California gold mining, Nevada silver mining, Chinese emigration to
California, Native American tensions in Nevada, and the Pacific Railroad.
California history sketches include essays about the period before and after
Cortes, the explorers of the Californian coast, border conflicts between the
United States and Mexico, and the gold rush era.
Cary's writings are grouped together in three separate subseries by date and
by the type of volume: blue softbound drafts, ca. 1884; hardbound black
notebooks, 1884;, and marbled softbound notebooks, 1885. Some writings appear
to have been copied from one set of notebooks to another, and many subjects are
repeated among the three sets. Cary composed his sketches in 1884 during his
recovery from a broken leg. Although he wrote these sketches specifically for
the Massachusetts Historical Society, similar essays by Cary can be found in
the Boston Public Library and the Harvard University Library.
The Massachusetts Historical Society (MHS) holds the following collections
related to the Thomas Greaves Cary papers:
Thomas Greaves Cary journal, 1865-1866. Ms. N-1998.
Cary family papers II, 1778-1933. Ms. N-2002.
Cary family papers III, 1769-1919. Ms. N-2003.
Gift of Thomas G. Cary, June 1884.
The collection is organized into the following series:
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| I. Cabarras Gold Mining Company records, 1832-1853 |
| | A. Account book, 1832-1838 |
| | B. Letterbook, 1833-1853 |
| | C. Receipt book, 1833-1834 |
| II. Thomas Greaves Cary (1824-1888) sketches, 1884-1885 |
| | A. Historical sketch drafts, ca. 1884 |
| | B. Hardbound historical sketches, 1884 |
| | C. Softbound historical sketches,1885 |
| | | | | | |
| Volume | Contents |
| I. Cabarras Gold Mining Company records,
1832-1853
This series contains the Cabarras Gold Mining Company account book,
letterbook, and receipt book. These records were kept by Thomas Greaves Cary
(1791-1856).
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| Vol. 1 | | A. Account book, 1832-1838
This mining account book contains the financial transactions recorded by
Thomas Greaves Cary (1791-1859) for the Cabarras Gold Mining Company from
November 1832 to October 1838. The listed expenses include machinery, cash
expenses, sundries, labor, and payments to the trustees.
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| Vol. 2 | | B. Letterbook, 1833-1853
This letterbook contains business letters written for the Cabarras Gold
Mining Company by Thomas Greaves Cary (1791-1859). The bulk of the letters are
addressed to Jesse B. Quinby, the North Carolina superintendent for the
Cabarras Gold Mining Company. Other letters are addressed to the stockholders
of the company, including Israel Thorndike and William Alexander.
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| Vol. 3 | | C. Receipt book, 1833-1834
This receipt book contains a few receipts from the work of Thomas Greaves
Cary (1791-1859) for the Cabarras Gold Mining Company with additional writings
in an unknown hand.
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| II. Thomas Greaves Cary (1824-1888) sketches,
1884-1885
Thomas Greaves Cary (1824-1888) wrote his recollections and historical
sketches of California and the American West in 1884 while recuperating from a
broken leg, as described in a note within the collection. His sketches comprise
three sets of notebooks: 19 softbound blue drafts written ca. 1884; 8 hardbound
black notebooks containing sketches written in 1884; and 3 softbound marbled
notebooks containing sketches written in 1885.
Cary's sketches of California describe the history of the exploration of the
California coast and its inhabitants from the time of Cortes in the 16th
century to the 18th century, detailing the efforts of explorers Francisco
Vasque de Coronado, Hernando de Alarcon, Juan Rodriquez Cabrillo, Sebastian
Vizcaino, and Sir Francis Drake. 19th century topics include the history of the
Mexican War of Independence from 1810 to1821, the Bear Flag Revolt in 1846, and
the various border conflicts between Mexicans and Americans in California,
including the 1848 Mexican-American War and its causes. The sketches illustrate
the military endeavors leading to the war, including the capture of Monterey by
Commodore John Sloat in 1846 and the capture of Los Angeles by Commodore Robert
Stockton, as well as the arrival of General Stephen Kearny to the area.
The sketches provide detailed accounts of the discovery of gold in
California in 1848 at Sutter’s Fort by Captain John Sutter and James W.
Marshall and the resulting gold rush in the area which later became Sacramento.
Cary also wrote about the discovery of silver in Washoe, Nevada during
1859-1860 and the resulting emigration from California, as well as the tensions
between the mining community and the Pi Utes of Washoe after the discovery. One
sketch includes excerpts from articles in the New York
Times and London Times on the question of
Chinese immigration to California while another sketch contains an explanation
of hostilities toward the Chinese in California created through the legislation
of Governor John Bigler. The vigilance committees in San Francisco in the 1850s
and the lynch laws in Sacramento were also discussed by Cary, as was the
history of the Pacific Railroad from 1836 to 1869.
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| | A. Historical sketch drafts, ca. 1884
Arranged as ordered by the author. |
| Vol. 4 | | | "Causes of the war with Mexico" This essay contains a hand-drawn map of the western United States, including
Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Alta California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas,
Indian Territory, and Mexico.
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| Vol. 5 | | | "California in the time of Cortes" |
| Vol. 6 | | | "California from the Mexican revolution to the Bear Flag
war" This essay contains a hand-drawn map of Mexico and the United States
territory.
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| Vol. 7 | | | "Commodore Sloat takes possession of Monterey; He claims California
as United States territory" |
| Vol. 8 | | | "California after the time of Cortes" |
| Vol. 9 | | | "Taking of the City of Los Angeles by Commodore Stockton; Revolt of
the Californians; Arrival of General Kearny; Re-capture of Los
Angeles" This essay contains a hand-drawn map of New Mexico and Arizona and a
hand-drawn map of Alta California that illustrate the travels of General
Stephen Kearny.
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| Vol. 10 | | | "Causes of the War between the United States and Mexico" |
| Vol. 11 | | | "Commodore Stockton appoints Colonel Fremont, provisional governor
in his stead; Misunderstanding between General Kearny and Colonel Fremont;
Fremont’s trial by Court martial" |
| Vol. 12 | | | "Discovery of Gold in California" |
| Vol. 13 | | | "The Mexicans driven from the mines; Riots of the “Hounds” in San
Francisco; Rapid growth of San Francisco" |
| Vol. 14 | | | "Trial of Windred and Burdue; Lynch Law at Sacramento; Great Fire in
San Francisco May 3rd, 1851" |
| Vol. 15 | | | "Committee of Vigilance formed June, 1851" |
| Vol. 16 | | | "A letter from the Chinamen of California to the Governor of
California April, 1852" |
| Vol. 17 | | | "The New York 'Times' and The London 'Times' on the Chinese
question" |
| Vol. 18 | | | "Discovery of Silver at Washoe" |
| Vol. 19 | | | "The Indians of Washoe; Pah Utahs or Pi Utes; Massacre of the
whites" |
| Vol. 20 | | | "Pacific Railroad; An English view of Asa Whitney’s project; Panama
Railroad" This sketch contains a map of the Central Pacific Railway and its
connections.
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| Vol. 21 | | | "The Pacific Railroad to its completion in 1869" This sketch contains a map of the Southern Pacific Railroad and its
connections, a table of the connections, two schedules for the Omaha-San
Francisco route, and a map of the Central Pacific Railway, as seen in volume
20.
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| Vol. 22 | | | "Pacific Railroad to its completion in 1869" This contains the Central Pacific Railway map that is attached to both
volume 20 and 21.
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| | B. Hardbound historical sketches, 1884 |
| Vol. 23 | | | "Alta California 1846 to 1848" |
| Vol. 24 | | | "The Chinese in California" |
| Vol. 25 | | | "Vigilance Committee ’51" |
| Vol. 26 | | | "Discovery of Gold; First Vigilance Committee 1851" |
| Vol. 27 | | | "The Effects of the Vigilance Committee" |
| Vol. 28 | | | "The Second Vigilance Committee 1856" |
| Vol. 29 | | | "Pacific Railroad 1836 to 1869; Clipper Ships and the China
Trade" |
| Vol. 30 | | | "Mining Bubbles; Trouble with the Indians in Washoe May
1860" |
| | C. Softbound historical sketches, 1885 |
| Vol. 31 | | | "Alta California 1846 to 1848; Discovery of Gold in
1848" |
| Vol. 32 | | | "San Francisco Vigilance Committees 1856" |
| Vol. 33 | | | "Mining Bubbles and Silver at Washoe; Trouble with the Indians,
Washoe, May 1860; The Pacific Rail Road 1836 to 1869" |
Thomas Greaves Cary papers, Massachusetts Historical Society.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in
ABIGAIL,
the online catalog of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Researchers
desiring materials about related persons, organizations, or subjects should
search the catalog using these headings.
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| Persons: |
| | Cary, Thomas G. (Thomas Greaves),
1791-1859. |
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| Organizations: |
| | Cabarras Gold Mining Co. |
| | Pacific Railroad Company. |
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| Subjects: |
| | Account books
--1832-1838. |
| | California --Gold discoveries. |
| | California --History --1846-1850. |
| | California --History --Maps. |
| | Gold mines and mining --North Carolina. |
| | Mexican War, 1846-1848. |
| | North Carolina --History --1775-1865. |
| | Vigilance committees --California. |
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