MS 19 Thomas Rylan Darnall Papers
Table of Contents
Summary Information
- Repository
- San Diego History Center Document Collection
- Creator
- Darnall, Thomas Rylan
- Title
- Thomas Rylan Darnall Papers
- ID
- MS 19
- Date [inclusive]
- 1854-1864
- Extent
- 0.25 Linear feet (1 box)
- Language
- English
- Abstract
- This collection contains correspondence and business papers of Thomas Rylan Darnall, primarily concerning his mining partnership with E.W. Morse and the Jesus Maria mine near San Antonio, Baja California, in the mid-1800s.
Preferred Citation
Thomas Rylan Darnall Papers, MS 19, San Diego History Center Document Archives, San Diego, CA.
Biographical / Historical Notes
Thomas Rylan Darnall was born in Clark County, Kentucky in 1828. In 1850 Darnall Came to California to hunt for gold. Failing as a gold seeker he tried unsuccessfully to run a small farm near Sacramento. He moved to San Diego in 1853 and opened a store. He was appointed a deputy sheriff in 1855 and twice ran unsuccessfully for sheriff. Darnall served on the County Board of Supervisors from 1855-1857. In 1857, he entered a business partnership with E. W. Morse. The two purchased a copper mine in Baja California. After a troublesome incident with Mexican officials, Darnall sold his interest in the mine for $400. He returned east to his family in 1859 and settled finally in Platte, Missouri. Darnall died in Platte in 1906.
Scope and Content
This collection contains correspondence and business papers of Thomas Rylan Darnall, primarily concerning his mining partnership with E.W. Morse and the Jesus Maria mine near San Antonio, Baja California, in the mid-1800s. These papers include legal documents, receipts, and payroll. This collection also includes transcripts of letters written to Darnall’s brother, which provide first-hand descriptions of early San Diego.
Arrangement
Folders are arranged by material type.
Administrative Information
Publication Information
San Diego History Center Document Collection December 29, 2016
1649 El Prado, Suite 3
San Diego, CA, 92101
619-232-6203
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
The San Diego History Center (SDHC) holds the copyright to any unpublished materials. SDHC Library regulations do apply.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Samantha Mills in December 2016.
Related Materials
Related Archival Materials
MS 144 E.W. Morse Collection.
Controlled Access Headings
Corporate Name(s)
- San Diego County (Calif.). Board of Supervisors.
Geographic Name(s)
- Baja California (Mexico : Peninsula)
- Jesus Maria mine
Personal Name(s)
- Morse, Ephraim W.
Subject(s)
- Mines and mineral resources
Collection Inventory
| Box-folder | ||||
| Correspondence 1857-1864
Scope and Content: Many letters include a transcript. |
1:1 | |||
| Correspondence (excerpts from publications) 1855-1857 | 1:2 | |||
| Legal Documents 1854-1855
Includes: Primarily sheriff’s auctions of land, as well as a power of attorney and a document in Spanish regarding the Jesus Maria mine. |
1:3 | |||
| Financial Documents 1857-1858 | 1:4 | |||
| Receipts for Supplies 1857-1858 | 1:5 | |||
Return to Archival Collections.
