Copyright has not been assigned to The Society of California Pioneers. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Librarian. Permission for publication is given on behalf of The Society of California Pioneers as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must be obtained by the reader.
Description
Copyright has not been assigned to The Society of California Pioneers. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Librarian. Permission for publication is given on behalf of The Society of California Pioneers as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must be obtained by the reader Autobiography & Reminiscence of Francis George Bornemann, San Francisco, 1901. The Society of California Pioneers Francis George Bornemann was born in the city of Verden, Germany on October 31, 1822. His early years were spent working in a Dry Goods Store and then later as a bookkeeper for a French Commission house. On March 15, 1849, Bornemann left Germany on board the "Talisman", reaching California on September 12 after a stop in Rio de Janeiro. When Bornemann reached S.F. he disposed of his goods, at a loss, and headed for the mines. By late September 1849 he and some of his fellow passengers set out for Stockton and then to Mormon Gulch. They mined all winter and stayed at Mormon Camp. That winter one of Bornemann's companions died and was buried on the mountain. In June of 1850 Bornemann left Calaveras with two companions for S.F. While there, Bornemann purchased a cigar store with a partner, expanding to include a wholesale store, but later was destroyed in the fire of May 1851. They located another store to rent which was again devastated by a fire that June. By January of 1852, Bornemann's partner had returned to Germany and Bornemann sold the store. In August 1861, Bornemann was appointed Memorandum Clerk and Cashier in the San Francisco Mint and kept the position of Cashier until 1886. In 1889 he was appointed to a clerkship in the United States Mint Autobiographies and Reminiscences of California Pioneers, p. 18-31, Vol. 4. This is a typed transcript of the member's autobiographical reminiscence created as an institutional record for the Society of California Pioneers. This reminiscence includes a reference to a photograph of the member in a set of bound volumes, but there is no longer a photograph of this member in our collection. Covering the period of Bornemann's life from 1839 to 1901, it includes many details about Bornemann's experience as a miner and provides insight into miners' living conditions. When mining, Bornemann and companions were told by a "Committee of three Missourians" that "foreigners" weren't welcome to mine in the area they chose. However, once it became clear that they were German and not Italian, Spanish, or Chilean, it was found they would have no problem. Bornemann describes losing his business in two fires in San Francisco, the first in May of 1851 and the second in June 1852.
Bornemann, Francis George--1822-1913 Pioneers--California--Biography Frontier and pioneer life Gold mines and mining--California Gold mines and mining--California--Personal narratives Gold mines and mining--California--Calaveras County Fires--California--San Francisco--Personal narratives German Americans--California Voyages to the Pacific Coast San Francisco (Calif.)--History
Place
Pioneers California Biography Gold mines and mining California. Personal narratives Calaveras County. Fires San Francisco German Americans San Francisco (Calif.) History
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.
