Weston, MO to Flemingsburg, KY - 1850 - Gold Rush content

Written on March 1, 1850, this letter highlights the frantic climate of the California Gold Rush. Weston, Missouri, was one of the premier "jumping-off" river ports where pioneers outfitted their wagons before crossing the plains.

The author, Joe Evans, explains a settled lawsuit. He compromised out of court with his doctor because the physician was departing immediately for the goldfields of California. The letter offers a wonderful window into Southern social norms of the era; the doctor successfully used a guilt tactic about Evans' parents' unpaid medical debt, knowing that questioning a gentleman's family honor ("a tender spot") would force a quick settlement.