Restrictions to Access

No restrictions. Open for research.

Restrictions to Use

Original volumes may not be photocopied.

Copyright Notice

Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], in the Joseph Milner Papers, #1449-z, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Alternate Form of Material

Typed transcriptions of the diary and the account book are also available.

Acquisitions Information

Received from Josie Milner of Florence, Ala., April 1948.

Additional Descriptive Resources

A copy of the original finding aid for this collection is filed in folder 1.

Sensitive Materials Statement

Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assumes no responsibility.

The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.

Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.

• Alabama--Social life and customs.
• California--Gold discoveries.
• Diaries.
• Gold mines and mining--California--History--19th century.
• Milner, Joseph, 1827-1894.
• Mountain Fluming Company (Calif.)
• Overland journeys to the Pacific--History--19th century.
• Travelers--United States--Diaries.
• United States--Description and travel.

Joseph Milner (1827-1894) was an English immigrant to Alabama, who went to California to seek gold with the 49ers and later returned to Florence, Ala.

The collection includes Joseph Milner's diary, 1849-1852; a small account book, 1851-1854, of the Mountain Fluming Company in California; and scattered family letters, 1827-1888. The diary is headed "California Tour" and spans the period 18 March 1849-5 June 1852. Most entries are brief and deal largely with the trip to California and the return home, but there is some discussion of life in California. Some entries are recollections rather than contemporary accounts. The diary volume also includes some accounts, records of correspondence, weather records, and other kinds of entries. The account book includes some diary entries and accounts for 1853 as well as accounts for the California period. The correspondence includes one letter to Milner in California, 1852, but consists chiefly of letters to Margaret Woodell of Alabama dealing with family matters.