A Gold Rush Tragedy: The George Hollingsworth Letters

by Lee E. Hollingsworth

"A Gold Rush Tragedy" - A never before published firsthand account of gold rush life. Going to California in the 1850's was as dangerous as standing bare-assed in a nest of rattlers! Many travelers turned back, many only stayed a short time and went home... and some died. Most were sore disappointed to the outcomes. When George Hollingsworth and his brother B.S. set out from Missouri in 1850, leaving his wife and four children behind, he promised his time away would be worth it. His letters to Elizabeth describe dreams of a comfortable life -- if he could just endure the journey and stake his claim. George's story is one of many who sought to ease their suffering back home by striking gold in California. But why did they do it? What was the experience of crossing those rugged plains and mountains? And why did so many people return from California empty-handed, if they returned at all? This never before published account gives us a glimpse into the heart and mind of America in the 1800s -- into the brutal realities and the strength of character it took to face them head-on. "A Gold Rush Tragedy" will have you laugh, shake your head, and question life's decisions. George spent four years in California - mining, starting a ranchero, dabbling in commerce, carpentry, logging, and homesteading 100 acres in San Francisco trying to make a go of it. The author, Lee Hollingsworth, gives an entertaining and rich look at life through the eyes of George and numerous other diarists complete with over 140 pictures and images from an era long gone. "A Gold Rush Tragedy" is a must read for one of the largest migration of people across our country that set the stage for California and the nation's greatness.

372 pages, Paperback

Published February 6, 2020

Reviews

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclosure: I'm the author's daughter, and edited this book for him. BUT! It was really cool to read about some Hollingsworths living through circumstances so drastically different from our own today. Some of the conditions are hard to even imagine, but there's so much research and context here it really paints a vivid picture (the old timey illustrations help do that too). There are also lots of funny "Leeisms" as they've come to be known, that provide a real human glimpse into the day-to-day lives of Americans back then, with ponderances upon* their thoughts and emotions. Plus, of course, the actual thoughts and feelings of George himself, as written in his letters. A fascinating and entertaining mix of sources and prose.

*"ponderances upon" is a total Leeism.