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The Diary of a Forty-Niner
In August 1906, Chauncey Canfield committed to his publisher a found the diary, ostensibly verified, of one Alfred T. Jackson, a pioneer miner who joined the Gold Rush from his home in Norfolk, Connecticut, migrating to Rock Creek, Nevada County, California, where he cabined and worked. The Diary covers two years of Jackson's life, and provides us with one of the richest documents of a period of perhaps unequaled importance to the expansion of the United States.
220 pages, Paperback
First published October 30, 1906
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
April 13, 2019
I struggled with how to rate this book. When I bought it, it looked for all the world like a primary source. Even the preface gave that viewpoint. I read it believing that hook, line, and sinker, and I loved it. It gave me such a different perspective of the Gold Rush than a book I had read several years ago called "6 Months in the Gold Mines". I was sharing things I "learned" with my students. Part way through, I came across some things and did some research and found out that it is a work of fiction -- although the Library of Congress said it does give a good view of the Gold Rush. If the book had been non-fiction, I would have given it 5 stars. If I had know from the beginning that it was fiction, I still may have gone that way. However, I just wasn't able to get past the paradigm shift -- and the embarrassment of realizing I had been taken in so completely. It's hard to know just which parts WERE actually right and which ones were pure fiction. As a history teacher, I would love to know so I can share the "real" parts with my students.
March 30, 2017
I got this book out of the library with the intention of just reading a few passages here & there and ended up reading and completely enjoying every word. With the exception of the epilogue, it's written in a straighforward and rather charming manner, with satisfying details about the food, personal habits, etiquette, and mind-set of the day plus just enough technical information about how gold mining changed and evolved during the three years the author was there.
There's some speculation on whether these diaries were fabricated. Chauncey Canfield is not the author, he is the editor and purported "discoverer" of the diaries of Alfred Jackson, the 49er, written over a period of about 3 years from 1849-1852. The reason for the speculation, I think, is that there are certain passages where you can't help but think that they were written with too much hindsight to be possible. And also at times it can be hard to believe that one character could have nothing but good habits, good sense, good friends, good luck, good love, good pets, good neighbors, incredibly good fortune and success, plus such a high level of self-awareness and introspection. However, none of that got in the way of my enjoyment of the book, and it was actually a pleasure to read the point of view of someone like that, genuine or not. The descriptions of his growing bond with another miner who eventually became his cabin mate and best friend were the best part of the book for me and were quite moving. It was also delightful to observe his transformation from a rather Puritanical and narrow-minded New Englander into a more enlightened and tolerant individual who was able to explain in an adult way the reasons for deciding to end his engagement to the local girl back home.
The epilogue by Chauncey Canfield is written in a much more flowery and long-winded style - there's one sentence that takes up 3/4 of an entire page - and he's so verbose and pretentious sometimes that it becomes almost unreadable, but I liked everything he was trying to say about the character of Jackson. He also provides very informative footnotes throughout the book about some of the colloquialisms used in the diary. I really loved this book and could see wanting to read it again one day. I ended up with great affection for the three main characters of Jackson, Pard, and the new love, Marie, and wish there were more info available about their destinies.
There's some speculation on whether these diaries were fabricated. Chauncey Canfield is not the author, he is the editor and purported "discoverer" of the diaries of Alfred Jackson, the 49er, written over a period of about 3 years from 1849-1852. The reason for the speculation, I think, is that there are certain passages where you can't help but think that they were written with too much hindsight to be possible. And also at times it can be hard to believe that one character could have nothing but good habits, good sense, good friends, good luck, good love, good pets, good neighbors, incredibly good fortune and success, plus such a high level of self-awareness and introspection. However, none of that got in the way of my enjoyment of the book, and it was actually a pleasure to read the point of view of someone like that, genuine or not. The descriptions of his growing bond with another miner who eventually became his cabin mate and best friend were the best part of the book for me and were quite moving. It was also delightful to observe his transformation from a rather Puritanical and narrow-minded New Englander into a more enlightened and tolerant individual who was able to explain in an adult way the reasons for deciding to end his engagement to the local girl back home.
The epilogue by Chauncey Canfield is written in a much more flowery and long-winded style - there's one sentence that takes up 3/4 of an entire page - and he's so verbose and pretentious sometimes that it becomes almost unreadable, but I liked everything he was trying to say about the character of Jackson. He also provides very informative footnotes throughout the book about some of the colloquialisms used in the diary. I really loved this book and could see wanting to read it again one day. I ended up with great affection for the three main characters of Jackson, Pard, and the new love, Marie, and wish there were more info available about their destinies.
January 24, 2014
What a beautiful, simple, poignant book. I feel like it was a true and accurate snapshot of the life of a California foothill miner. Having grown up in the area, all I had was the remnants in old and dusty museums: pick axes, partial sluice boxes, tin cans. Sometimes we'd find these relics in our yard. This book gave me the quotidian story, as lived by two men, the dog they saved from a dog fight, and the braying jackass that was as regular (and annoying) as a crowing rooster. I loved it. It was just what I needed.
February 7, 2016
Better than expected
I was captivated, and wanted to read more. Historical, and entertaining at the same time. I would recommend to anyone interested in an actual first hand account of the California gold rush.
I was captivated, and wanted to read more. Historical, and entertaining at the same time. I would recommend to anyone interested in an actual first hand account of the California gold rush.
January 1, 2019
Entrancing
A marvelous glimpse into the life and times of a 49er. Left me wondering how the rest of his life went.
A marvelous glimpse into the life and times of a 49er. Left me wondering how the rest of his life went.
May 22, 2023
Initially presented as the “found” diary of a 49er, this book published in 1908 is a surprisingly engaging read that illuminates life as it was in the northern Sierra Nevada foothills among the burgeoning camps and mining claims that dotted the watershed. The purported narrator is a Connecticut transplant seeking his fortune. The diary details his transformation from a conservative minded Protestant of the east coast to a man of the world. This is driven primarily by the friendships in his life. First, that of his “Pard”, a fellow miner with a clouded past. Pard is already a man of higher thinking who observes and comments on the rough world around them and elevates the narrator's perspective. Second is the emerging relationship with a French woman he meets as a dealer of chance in the saloons and comes to love.
My main interest in this book was that it is set in the communities in which I currently live and it is fascinating to catch a glimpse into the history of the area’s growth during the Gold Rush. It must be noted though, that this book is another part of the retelling of that tale that diminishes the negative impact mining and colonialism more widely had on the natural landscape and the people that came before. The history of racism and subjugation, while subtle, is present in this book. In some cases, it is oblique as the diarist details his views on Natives, Mexicans or Chinese miners. In others, the racism manifests in the absence of those peoples’ presence at all.
April 5, 2018
This is an interesting fun read!
June 21, 2022
What a fun book! Some commentary knocks it for very likely being a work of fiction, and a romanticized one at that. To me that's part of the book's strength, it's a very tidy little narrative with interesting character development and circumstances. The whole thing feels truthy and some of the specific events (like the Thanksgiving caper) feel very real, as if they were a remembered story written down just as grandpa told it. All that makes this a very good read.
Oscar Lewis' introduction from 1947 gives a lot more detail on how the book was written and published. It says the stories are mostly the memories of Lewis Hanchett, an actual forty-niner, transcribed to novel form by Canfield. Canfield also apparently did a lot of local research at the office of the Nevada City Transcript newspaper, which may be why the book feels so authoritative in describing local events and places.
In no way would I call this a gay book (although there is one minor genderbending character). But as a gay man I did appreciate its depiction of a loving relationship between two adult men. "As if brothers". Just a sweet moment of intimacy and camaraderie. One of the themes in the book is the oddly temporary nature of the gold camps, men living practically feral without obligation to polite American society. But intense obligation to each other, even as everyone is transient. A sort of temporary autonomous zone.
I live in Grass Valley, CA just a few miles from where this story takes place. It was fun looking up all the little locations, areas that mostly now bear no visible trace of the Forty-Niner area. I was particularly pleased to find that Selby Flat was a real place and really had a hotel; now it's just a bunch of semi-rural houses a few miles out of town.
Oscar Lewis' introduction from 1947 gives a lot more detail on how the book was written and published. It says the stories are mostly the memories of Lewis Hanchett, an actual forty-niner, transcribed to novel form by Canfield. Canfield also apparently did a lot of local research at the office of the Nevada City Transcript newspaper, which may be why the book feels so authoritative in describing local events and places.
In no way would I call this a gay book (although there is one minor genderbending character). But as a gay man I did appreciate its depiction of a loving relationship between two adult men. "As if brothers". Just a sweet moment of intimacy and camaraderie. One of the themes in the book is the oddly temporary nature of the gold camps, men living practically feral without obligation to polite American society. But intense obligation to each other, even as everyone is transient. A sort of temporary autonomous zone.
I live in Grass Valley, CA just a few miles from where this story takes place. It was fun looking up all the little locations, areas that mostly now bear no visible trace of the Forty-Niner area. I was particularly pleased to find that Selby Flat was a real place and really had a hotel; now it's just a bunch of semi-rural houses a few miles out of town.
February 27, 2017
This book is so old . . .
How old is it?
The San Francisco Earthquake delayed its publishing.
I, too, planned to read only a few pages of this book and could not put it down. According to the introduction by Oscar Lewis, Canfield was brought to California from New England at the age of seven. Later, (c.1900) he had an opportunity to share an office with Lewis Hanchett who had been a forty-niner (Not the football team but one of the guys who immigrated to California in search of gold. Mr. Hanchett apparently knew and told many stories about his life in the mining fields.
This book is Canfield's blending of their two experiences into the story of on e Alfred T. Jackson, a young farmer from Norfork, Litchfield County, Connecticut. Coincidentally, (I think not), Litchfield was the county where Canfield was born. (The 1947 edition has Canfield listed as the editor. The Goodreads entry says that it is by Canfield.)
True or not true this is a wonderful story of a young miner from New England who comes to California in the mid 19th century. He luckily acquirers a partner named Anderson who is better educated than he and more worldly wise. Anderson introduces books to his protégé and the idea of investing in lots in the new up and coming San Francisco. By expanding his reading and letting Anderson mold some of his behavior, Jackson and his diary become deeper and more philosophical.
The racist terms by which he refers to the Mexican and Chinese miners is offensive but, unfortunately, historically accurate.
How old is it?
The San Francisco Earthquake delayed its publishing.
I, too, planned to read only a few pages of this book and could not put it down. According to the introduction by Oscar Lewis, Canfield was brought to California from New England at the age of seven. Later, (c.1900) he had an opportunity to share an office with Lewis Hanchett who had been a forty-niner (Not the football team but one of the guys who immigrated to California in search of gold. Mr. Hanchett apparently knew and told many stories about his life in the mining fields.
This book is Canfield's blending of their two experiences into the story of on e Alfred T. Jackson, a young farmer from Norfork, Litchfield County, Connecticut. Coincidentally, (I think not), Litchfield was the county where Canfield was born. (The 1947 edition has Canfield listed as the editor. The Goodreads entry says that it is by Canfield.)
True or not true this is a wonderful story of a young miner from New England who comes to California in the mid 19th century. He luckily acquirers a partner named Anderson who is better educated than he and more worldly wise. Anderson introduces books to his protégé and the idea of investing in lots in the new up and coming San Francisco. By expanding his reading and letting Anderson mold some of his behavior, Jackson and his diary become deeper and more philosophical.
The racist terms by which he refers to the Mexican and Chinese miners is offensive but, unfortunately, historically accurate.
January 26, 2023
I have to say that I was thoroughly mesmerized by this book. My Dad used to take us up into Nevada and El Dorado Counties to gold pan when we were kids and it has always held a particular fascination for me. This is the diary of a young man from Connecticut who chronicled three years of prospecting in California from 1849 -1852, and was one of the rare lucky ones. It is an autobiography and contains adventure, drama and humour. His meeting and partnering with the self-banished lawyer "Pard" Andrews and his life, education and experiences in the trenches gives the reader a distinct feeling of what it was like in California at that time in history and it is, by far, the best account I've read. Of course, my liberal and environmentalist heart was rather appalled at the destruction of the land and the racist mindset of all the miners but having read many books of early America it was a common belief that everyone who wasn't a white, genetically European descendant was barely human. I would recommend this book highly to anyone who loves history particularly that of the early statehood of California and the Great Gold Rush of 1849.
February 25, 2016
Although I am not convinced it's a genuine diary of a forty-niner, I rate it five stars. It's a good, heart-warming narrative in the form of a diary of a young noble miner who makes his ways from rags to reaches in the high of the gold rush in California. At the same time, it's a story of getting mature, friendship and love. The characters' attachement to nature makes it truly unique. The book is a great read and I'm glad I spent 1,22 dollar on that!
November 16, 2023
A very good read about the California gold rush
A gold rush miners diary re written and published in1906, but very authentic and revealing about a couple of miners struggles and hardships, and of course the riches that they found in the cold water streams in the mountains of eastern California in1849 to 1852. Love and romance was found also that definitely made the tale interesting.
A gold rush miners diary re written and published in1906, but very authentic and revealing about a couple of miners struggles and hardships, and of course the riches that they found in the cold water streams in the mountains of eastern California in1849 to 1852. Love and romance was found also that definitely made the tale interesting.
June 29, 2024
I enjoyed this far more than I was expecting. Jackson was an engaging diarist, capturing the specific history of the time and place while also writing of enduring human concerns. I originally picked it up in the hopes of finding something that would slow my brain down without keeping me up all night, but I ended up reading until well into the morning XD
July 29, 2014
Diary of a straight-shooter: no alcohol, no gambling, no taste for prostitution, no violence. A refreshing perspective on life in the Gold Rush era and a particularly touching epilogue by the editor to boot. Read this book!
August 17, 2019
A fine account of life in those harrowing days when gold was
First discovered in California, and of the endless variety of men and nations who responded with fever pitch to gold fever, in hopes of bettering their families lives with their own.
First discovered in California, and of the endless variety of men and nations who responded with fever pitch to gold fever, in hopes of bettering their families lives with their own.
March 5, 2023
Maybe the real story of the Forty-49's!
A well written story. Very interesting and honest. I looked up many of the places on Google Earth and they still exist. Searching the internet I found many photos that brought the places alive!
A well written story. Very interesting and honest. I looked up many of the places on Google Earth and they still exist. Searching the internet I found many photos that brought the places alive!
March 21, 2024
I read it, then gave it to my brother who read it. Then I gave it to my sister who read it. Then I gave it to my neighbor. She read it, then gave it back to me... So, I re-read it... All of us gave it a 5/5.
May 9, 2013
I read this book for work research and it was a fantastic read! I think the book would make a great movie.
July 10, 2014
Fantastic and engagingly positive account of the gold rush in California.
November 14, 2021
Great quick read.
August 30, 2024
Early 49
Interesting read on life in the gold mining claims. More human and organized then one has
Been led to believe. Fun imagine the beginnings of San Francisco .
Interesting read on life in the gold mining claims. More human and organized then one has
Been led to believe. Fun imagine the beginnings of San Francisco .
January 6, 2025
First read of the new year and not a bad one.
The story of miners during the California Gold Rush, this book is taken from an actual diary of a miner and describes his day to day life. Narrated by a young man from out east who leaves his quiet farming community, his family and a girl he expects to marry and sets off to find his fortune. What he finds is more than just gold, as friendship and understanding of the greater world comes with time, hard work and the basic goodness of himself and most of the people he comes into contact with.
Adjusting to the Kindle reading style. In some ways it's hard to beat for convenience and ease of reading at most any angle, and never losing my spot on a page. I do miss the way I can leaf through to find some reference points, most notably after I have completed the book. For example, this book was written in the first person, so the mention of the main character's actual name was seldom written. For this review, haha, I have no idea what his name was. My guess is there's some help for that with highlighting passages, etc., but when I am busy reading who has time for that.
The story of miners during the California Gold Rush, this book is taken from an actual diary of a miner and describes his day to day life. Narrated by a young man from out east who leaves his quiet farming community, his family and a girl he expects to marry and sets off to find his fortune. What he finds is more than just gold, as friendship and understanding of the greater world comes with time, hard work and the basic goodness of himself and most of the people he comes into contact with.
Adjusting to the Kindle reading style. In some ways it's hard to beat for convenience and ease of reading at most any angle, and never losing my spot on a page. I do miss the way I can leaf through to find some reference points, most notably after I have completed the book. For example, this book was written in the first person, so the mention of the main character's actual name was seldom written. For this review, haha, I have no idea what his name was. My guess is there's some help for that with highlighting passages, etc., but when I am busy reading who has time for that.
May 18, 2025
I loved this book!!! i bought a gift copy for an old Army buddy from Vietnam who lives in, and loves San Fransisco. I wondered some that there was no solid provenance regarding how & when it eventually got published and became available to us 21ist century readers on Amazon. The review by the school teacher who says he found out it wasn’t a primary source from the gold camps time was definitely disappointing but had the ring of truth to it. I still believe that there were probably a lot of good people there as he so well describes.[BTW I’m Kathy’s husband who uses her account].
February 19, 2025
Diary Of A FortyNiner
Easy read .. interesting journal. It's hard not to think of the value of gold, about $15 an ounce then to about $2900 an ounce now.
I would have liked more information and a better story of their ending after they left the mining district, but overall, it is a good story that I enjoyed reading.
Easy read .. interesting journal. It's hard not to think of the value of gold, about $15 an ounce then to about $2900 an ounce now.
I would have liked more information and a better story of their ending after they left the mining district, but overall, it is a good story that I enjoyed reading.
February 14, 2019
This book is more like historical fiction than a true history. It is evident that this is written by someone acquainted with the region and with some knowledge of mining but it’s also evident that this is not really a diary. Entertaining but semi-fictional.
September 20, 2020
Plain and simp!e description of gold rush life
For those who like to read about the unvarnished and real experience of those who pioneered this country and its significant events this book is for you. A very pleasant read.
For those who like to read about the unvarnished and real experience of those who pioneered this country and its significant events this book is for you. A very pleasant read.
March 10, 2025
A fun and entertaining book relating many details of the mining experience.
January 2, 2026
very interesting.
Very interesting and a great story. Worth the read, v
,. Certainly makes the gold rush alive in our minds, loved it’s
Very interesting and a great story. Worth the read, v
,. Certainly makes the gold rush alive in our minds, loved it’s
March 3, 2013
Best book I ever read. This will always be my favorite book due to the candid description of everyday life through the eyes of this miner. We are reading his diary, his thoughts. Just such an excellent book. Peter Jackson should make a movie out of it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews