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32

Very early 1851 Special Deposit from stagecoach magnet James Birch at Adams & Co. Express

Currency:USD Category:Western Americana Start Price:25.00 USD Estimated At:50.00 - 100.00 USD
Very early 1851 Special Deposit from stagecoach magnet James Birch at Adams & Co. Express
James Birch has deposited $1,00 dollars in coin. (Placer Gold has been crossed out). Signed by James Birch on reverse. In the spring of 1848 Birch arrived in Sacramento City which was fast becoming the supply center for the mining region, as well as the starting point for the thousands of prospectors heading for the gold fields, most by foot, some by horseback. Prices for land, goods and services were high and climbing daily. Instead of heading for the gold fields Birch determined to start a stagecoach business to provide transportation to the various mining areas, as well as provide mail delivery to the prospectors in these outlying spots. Previously, most mail for the miners had been held in San Francisco until it was personally picked up by the miners. Initially the stagecoach was an old ranch wagon Birch had picked up and drove himself hauling passengers from Sacramento City to Coloma in the rugged foothills of the Sierra Nevada and to points between, including “Sutter's Fort” a resting/relay station near Coloma. For the 50-mile trip at a speed of 10 to 12 miles per hour (16 to 19 km/h), Birch charged 2 ounces of gold (about $32 in 1849) each way. Miners were in a great hurry to reach each new mining area as it opened up, and then claims were staked and one area became saturated, Birch was very adept at forecasting where the next important area would be and at quickly providing service there. For the first several months Birch had a partner, Charles F. Davenport, a close friend and former owner of a stage company in Rhode Island who had made the California trip with Birch, but by August 1849 Birch had bought out Davenport and become sole owner of the enterprise. On August 18, 1849, an advertisement was placed in Sacramento's Placer Times announcing the dissolution of the partnership and presenting James E. Birch as the sole proprietor. By the spring of 1850, Birch was no longer driving stage himself and, leaving the driving to his employees, he turned his full attention to managing the business. With the arrival of a fleet of top-of-the-line stagecoaches which he had ordered from the East, his firm became the envy of all others. Although business was sometimes adversely affected by frequent stagecoach robberies, and periods of terrible weather that sometimes forced the temporary closure of some lines, a rapid expansion followed. Before the end of 1851 he was providing service to all the northern and southern mining areas east of Stockton. [Wikipedia]
Name has been torn off on bottom right.

State: CA
City: Sacramento
County: Sacramento

Date: 1851
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