Lot 11
(Autographs) Samuel Brannan. Merchant credited with starting the California Gold Rush by proclaiming the discovery of gold upon his return to San Francisco on May 12, 1848, autograph letter signed "S. Brannan", headed "New Helvetia" (Sutter's Fort) and dated "June 27, 1848", to Captain Edward H. Von Pfister in the "Coloma Mines" (one page on full sheet with address panel on the back, no postal markings), acknowledging a recent letter and stating "I have bought out Mr. [Charles C.] Smith (Brannan's business partner) and have the whole control of the business myself and have arrangements on foot that will give you regular supplies to keep up your stock.", also is a short postscript inviting Von Pfister to 4th of July celebration "at the fort" & signed "S.B.", few wrinkles & a bit soiled on the address panel page, Very Fine.Estimate $5,000 - 7,500.
Early in 1848, employees of John Sutter paid for goods in Brannan's store with gold they had found at Sutter's Mill, near Coloma, California. Brannan went to the mill and, as a representative of the LDS Church, he received the tithes of the LDS workers there from the gold they had found in their spare time. Brannan then purchased every shovel in San Francisco and ran through the streets yelling, "Gold! Gold! Gold from the American River!"
Brannan had opened more stores to sell goods to the miners (his Sutter Fort store sold US$150,000 a month in 1849), and began buying land in San Francisco. At about this time, Brannan was accused of diverting church money, including collected tithes, to fund his private ventures. An LDS envoy was sent to Brannan and reportedly told them, "You go back and tell Brigham Young that I'bottom left give up the Lord's money when he sends me a receipt signed by the Lord.", although historians, such as Will Bagley have found this is likely just legend. Brannan was elected to the first town council of San Francisco and, after a series of sensational crimes in the area, helped organize the Committee of Vigilance, which functioned as a de facto police force. A squatter was murdered by the vigilante group and, although Brannan may not have pulled the trigger, he was considered the instigator and was subsequently disfellowshipped from the LDS Church for those vigilante efforts.
In 1851, Brannan visited Hawaii, and purchased large amounts of land in Honolulu. In 1853 he was elected to the California State Senate. He was involved in developing trade with China, financial agreements with Mexico, founding the Society of California Pioneers, and developing banks, railroads and telegraph companies. Brannan built the first incarnation of the famous Cliff House in San Francisco in 1858. In 1868 he was a member of the Robinson Trust that purchased Abel Stearns land in Los Angeles County.
After visiting the hot springs in Napa County in 1859, Brannan planned a resort and bought a tract of land and founded the village of Calistoga (said to be a combination of the words California and Saratoga). Brannan founded the Napa Valley Railroad Company in 1864 in order to provide tourists with an easier way to reach Calistoga from the ferry boats from San Francisco that docked in Vallejo. The railroad was sold at a foreclosure sale in 1869.
In 1872 Anna Eliza divorced Brannan. Brannan lost much of his personal fortune after his divorce. It was ruled that Brannan's wife was entitled to half of their holdings, payable in cash. Because the vast majority of Brannan's holdings were in real estate, he was forced to liquidate to pay the divorce settlement.
Following the divorce, he became a brewer, then developed a problem with alcohol. Forsaking the city he helped found, he drifted to San Diego, remarried and set up a small ranch near the Mexican border, where he engaged in land speculation with the Mexican government near Sonora. At the age of sixty-nine, he was paid the sum of forty-nine thousand dollars in interest from the government of Mexico. He quit drinking, paid all his debts and died without enough money to pay his own funeral.
Samuel Brannan died at the age of 70 in Escondido, California, on May 14, 1889.
This excerpt is taken from a monologue, GOLD RUSH MEMORIES OF A CALIFORNIA PIONEER: SAM BRANNAN, based on an interview published in the Sacramento Bee, January 21, 1888, which had been printed previously in the San Diego Union.
People have asked me for years; how did I find out (about the discovery of gold)? Some say I first heard about the gold discovery from my business partner, C.C. Smith, who received gold dust for a bottle of brandy from Jacob Wittmer, one of Sutter?s teamsters, who bought it at my Sutters Fort Store. ACTUALLY on Feb 8th it was at the store of Edward Von Pfister (addressee of this letter) in Benecia. He sailed on the Brooklyn with me from Honolulu to San Francisco. On that day, the supervisor of the sawmill, Charlie Bennett, a veteran of the 1st Dragoons, was sent to San Francisco to get title to the gold country for Sutter and Marshall. Charlie showed all of us several ounces of gold dust. I reported in my paper on March 18th that gold had been found in "considerable" quantities in the raceway of Sutter?s sawmill. The "Other" paper, The Californian reported it three days earlier. Again on March 25th, I wrote, "So great a quantity of gold taken from the mine recently found at New Helvetia, that is become an article of traffic in that vicinity.".
Realized: $9,000
Lot 12
(Autographs) Wm. G. Fargo. President signature on 1868 Buffalo City Insurance Co. stock certificate; small tear at left; with 2008 A.P.S. certificate.Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $575
Lot 13
(Autographs) Stephen W. Kearny Signed Discharge. Document datelined "Head Quarters, 1st Regt. Dragoons, Fort Leavenworth, Mo., June 16th, 46" regarding the appointment of Sgt. J. Haley in place of John Walker for…the necessity of there being a Sergeant Major on the expedition to Santa Fe now before us, signed "S.W. Kearny, Col. 1st Dr."; some light toning, F.-V.F.Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $350
Lot 14
(Autographs) Thomas O. Larkin, United States Consul to Alta California 1843-1848 and Co-Founder of Benicia. Autograph letter signed "Thomas O. Larkin", from Benicia and dated "May 22, 1849", to Captain Edward H. Von Pfister (one page on half sheet, no cover or postal markings), regarding deeds and referencing Don Guadalupe [Vallejo] and Mr. [Robert] Semple, minor edge wear and toning at the folds, Fine.Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $270
Lot 15
(Autographs) John A. Sutter, Owner of the Property on Which Gold Was First Discovered in California on January 24, 1848. Autograph letter signed "J. A. Sutter" with flourishes on "The Associated Pioneers Of The Territorial Days Of California" New York City printed illustrated letterhead showing "Gen'l John A. Sutter, President, Litiz, Pa." and listing other officers, dated August 15, 1878, to General James W. Denver as President of the National Association of Veterans of the Mexican War in Washington, D.C. (three pages on full sheet, no cover), taking issue with a comment in a publication by the Mexican-American War organization about the Secretary of the California Pioneers group, Very Fine.Estimate $750 - 1,000.
Realized: $1,050
Lot 16
(Autographs) Gen. M.G. Vallejo. California pioneer family, 1876 autographed letter signed written in Spanish to Don Valentin Alviso regarding the suicide of a mutual friend; also including a check signed by Vallejo drawn on Sonoma Valley Bank, and a print of "Lachryma Montis", General Vallejo's estate in the County, which he built in 1851 and died there in 1890, Very Fine, a wonderful pair of items signed by this historic California figure.Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $210
Lot 17
(Documents) 1846 Bill of Sale to Wm. A. Leidesdorff. All in manuscript, datelined Yerba Buena, 24th Augt 1846 (Yerba Buena was original name of San Francisco), "Bot of Frank Ward" various items Taffeta, Ribbons, Silk, etc; some aging and edge wear, still rare item.Estimate $750 - 1,000.
Realized: $525
Lot 18
(Documents) 1847 Promissory Note Leidesdorff to Larkin. In the amount of $207 payable in Hides and dated December 8th 1847; document is somewhat toned and with edge faults, still rare.Estimate $1,000 - 1,250.
Larkin & Leidesdorff were leading citizens of pre-gold rush San Francisco.
Realized: $625
Lot 19
(Documents) 1853 California Commissioner of Deeds Appointment. Of Charles Nettleton, signed by Gov. John Bigler (first governor) & J.W. Denver, Secretary of State, folds and with a few edge faults (no photo).Estimate $200 - 300.
Realized: $140
Lot 20
(Documents) Captain John Paty Receipt. Signed and datelined "Yuba Buena, Oct 14th, 1846" for letter of William C. Davis for Mr. Jacob Frankfort of Pueblo of the Angeles and $700 note against Paty, Very Fine.Estimate $400 - 600.
Capt. John Paty was prominently identified with the history of California and San Francisco from 1837 up to the time his death which took place at Honolulu in 1868. He was a sea captain and was noted for the numerous voyages he had made from Honolulu to San Francisco.
Realized: $400