Woolsey's Who Went to California
Request from Wilford W. Whitaker
Right now, I am trying to identify Woolseys who were in California by 1850/1851/1852.
I haven tentatively identified twelve Woolseys who were there by 1850 and can connect most of them. Now I'm wondering if you know of more Woolseys, by family tradition, etc. who went to California to "see the elephant"?
01. Eburn Haight Woolsey "came to CA around Cape Horn in 1849 with ex-sheriff Jerry Tyrell..."
02. Fethias Woolsey & Brother John "to CA 1851, after John was killed in a mining accident, Fethias returned to Tennesse about 1857."
[brothers, sons of the blacksmith Israel Woolsey]
03. John Woolsey, brother of Fethias.
04. James B[radshaw] Woolsey 28 m miner born Ohio, in 1850 CA census
05. James [Hopkins] Walsey [Woolsey] 25 m miner born NY/KY, in 1850 CA census
[brothers of www's great grandmother Sarah Woolsey Hickerson]
06. William [Andrew] Walsey [Woolsey] 20 m gardner born Iowa, in 1850 CA census
07. James [Warner] Woolsey "began prospecting in CA in 1850" "8 # nugget"
08. Jesse Woolsey 22 m miner born TN, in 1850 CA census [not connected]
09. King Samuel Woolsey, b 1832, "...ship for CA arriving in 1849..."
10. Leander John Woolsey, "Jayhawkers in CA in 1849"
11. Sam'l Woolsey 26 m miner born Maine, in 1850 CA census [not connected]
12. W. Wolsey [Woolsey] 48 m miner born PA, in 1850 CA census [not connected]
It appears these "49'ers" came by most of the routes to California:
A. Overland - northern route
1. to Fort Hall and down Truckee River to Sutters [safest route but longest]
2. to Fort Bridger and down the "Donner/Mormon Trail to Salt Lake
a. South to Muddy River then west through Death Valley
b. South to Muddy River, then down Muddy to desert, to Los Vegas, LA
c. Northwest across Salt desert to Truckee, Donners Pass, to Sutters
B. Overland - southern route
1. to Arkansas river to desert to NM to AZ to Los Angeles, California
C. By Sea
1. From New York and eastern seaboard through Straits of Magellan to San Francisco
2. From New Orleans down east shore of South America to San Francisco
3. New Orleans to Ithmus of Panama, across Ithmus to San Francisco
Anyone of those routes would be very hard and dangerous, but some were more hazardous than others. Any one of these routes, and the Woolseys who traveled them, would be extremely interesting research and reading.
Would anyone like to take on the task of retracing the steps of your Woolsey "Argonaut" ancestor? We could combine them and put them on the Woolsey website.
I would love to hear from all of you who have early Woolseys to California, and the stories that have been told about them in your families.
Sincerely, Wilford W. Whitaker
Contact: Carolyn Woolsey Wilkerson
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Contact: Carolyn Woolsey Wilkerson
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