Elisha Cotton Winchell (1826-1913) moved to California from Missouri during the gold rush to establish his law practice while others were seeking riches in the gold fields. Most of these 64 letters were written during his first years in the brand new state and describe the citizens, society, and culture of Sacramento as well as the climate and scenery of the Sacramento Valley. For more information about his manuscript collection in Pickler Memorial Library's Special Collections and University Archives, see the Elisha Cotton Winchell Letters at https://manuscripts.truman.edu/repositories/2/resources/137.
