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 Edward Percy Reed, San Jose, 1901. The Society of California Pioneers Edward P. Reed was born on May 14, 1822 in Homer, Cortland County, New York son of Edward C. Reed, a New York Congressman. Reed left home for New York City at 18 years of age working in a dry goods store in New York, and then going to Washington D.C. Reed was advised by a family friend to go out west, but worked for his uncle until news of the discovery of gold reached him. In January of 1849, Reed sailed from New York on "The South Carolina". Their ship stopped in Rio de Janeiro for 5 days and also stopped on the Island of Juan Fernandez for 2 days, arriving in San Francisco June 30, 1849. After a few days of working in San Francisco, Reed left on a schooner for Sacramento. For awhile, Reed sold provisions but then headed for the Trinity River with a party of 3 men from Kentucky. Reed traveled back to Sacramento and was there during the flood of July 13, 1849. Reed operated a hotel and was later appointed City Clerk and City Assessor. In the spring of 1857 he resigned both positions and went back east to visit family. Back in California Reed engaged in real estate, money loaning, and business. He sold land to the Francisco and San Jose Railroad companies. In 1882 Reed came upon financial hardship when he invested in the San Jose Independent Mill and Lumber Co. and was forced to foreclose on all his property Autobiographies and Reminiscences of California Pioneers, p. 97-122, Vol. 2. This is a typed transcript, bound into a volume, 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. This reminiscence provides some Reed family history and a glimpse into the daily life and experiences aboard the ship Reed traveled on to California. He writes about the recreation and amusement found on board ship: boxing, shark hunting, and shearing "all the hair off one another's heads". Reed also documents his impressions of Rio de Janeiro and the use of slave workers. He describes his life as a gold miner, and mentions details such as costs of provisions and geographic locations. He also writes of the trials he faced under bad weather and travel conditions, both near the Trinity River and south near San Jose. Information regarding Reed's various business and real estate interests in and around San Jose is provided.
Reed, Edward Percy--1822-1901 Pioneers--California--Biography Frontier and pioneer life Gold mines and mining Voyages to the Pacific Coast Voyages and travels Sacramento (Calif.)--History San Jose (Calif.)--History
Place
Pioneers California Biography California, Northern. Sacramento (Calif.) History San Jose (Calif.)
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