Albert Gallatin Correspondence 1875 – 1894

Gallatin Letters & Maps Of California Properties

After trying his hand at mining when he came to California in 1860, Albert Gallatin landed a job at Huntington and Hopkins in 1861. He had previous experience in the hardware business back in New York. Gallatin left Huntington and Hopkins in 1864 to open a hardware store in Nevada, but returned to the firm in 1868. Upon his return he was made a managing partner and remained in that position until 1888, when the company was incorporated and he became the president, serving until 1894.

Gallatin was involved in several other Sacramento businesses including Citizens Gas Light and Heat Company, California State Bank, Sacramento Electric Power and Light Company, Central Electric Railway Company, and the Folsom Water and Power Company. He also acquired large tracts of land in Tehama and Lassen counties where he established ranching operations. He died at his San Francisco home on October 14, 1905.

Below is a summary of the information contained in the documents that are images free to download. Hopefully, these little bits of correspondence will help future biographers of Gallatin and his associates. Some of the documents are undated. I listed the year of the document, if undated, relative to correspondence on either side of it. Some of the documents may not pertain directly to a Gallatin purchase or investment.

Correspondence By Date

Titles below and brief outline are of the contents of the file of the same name. The files can be downloaded below and are jpeg images at the end of the post

1875 Gallatin Tax Receipt: County of Sacramento, Lot 4 in block H and I, 18^th and 19^th streets.

1884 Gallatin Red Bluff 1 – 2: Huntington and Hopkins letterhead, inquiry about property in Red Bluff, reference Mr. Barley and Mr. Boggs land owners, and offer to purchase property by Gallatin.

1884 Gallatin Tehama Bank 1 -5: Letters from W. B. Cahoone of the Bank of Tehama County about property purchase.

1884 Gallatin Telegram: Instructions regarding Barley agreement to purchase property.

1885 Matlock CPRR: Central Pacific Railroad Land Department Mr. Matlock of Red Bluff interest payment received.

1886 Gallatin Alvord Tehama: C. T. Alvord, Tehama County Clerk, informing Gallatin that property in Red Bluff, originally purchased from the CPRR, is current with county assessments.

1886 Gallatin Jones Map 1 – 2: Henry Jones letter and map to Gallatin about property southwest of Red Bluff with question about Native American Indian reservation boundary. Mention of Mr. Bell and Mr. Mills.

1887 CPRR Hatch Mills: Letter to Mr. Hatch from Mr. Mills of the Central Pacific Railroad Land Department regarding contract payment.

1887 Gallatin Kimball Champlin: Letter to Gallatin regarding patent on from George Champlin on property section 32 of Township 26 Range 5.

1887 Gallatin Lee Goodrich 1 – 3: Letter to Gallatin from Bruce Lee regarding title abstract to sections of land in Townships 25, 26 North, Range 4 West.

1887 Gallatin Steffens: Letter noting the sale from Gallatin to Joseph Steffens, E ½ of Lot 5 between I and J streets and 18 and 19 streets. Gallatin sold his Victorian mansion to Steffens that later became the California Governor’s Mansion.

1887 Gallatin Steffens Johnson: Letter to Gallatin from Albert Johnson noting delay in getting title abstract for property purchase.

1887 Gallatin Tehama Bank 1 – 2: Letter to Gallatin from W. B. Cahoone of the Bank of Tehama County regarding charges to the sale of property involved with Champlin and Boggs.

1887 Gallatin US Land Office 1 -2: Letter to Gallatin, including map of property, from the United States Land Office regarding property section 34, Township 34 North, Range 10 East. The lake on the map is known as Summit Lake in Lassen County.

1888 Folsom Water Rights Horatio Livermore 1 – 2: Two pages of a document that assigns water rights to the South Fork of the American River. Unclear who wrote the document. It may have been a draft for the transfer of water rights from the Natoma Water and Mining Company to the Folsom Water Power Company.

1888 Gallatin Bell Red Bluff Letter 1 – 7: From Gallatin to Mr. Bell discussing Mr. Gooch’s letter describing property in Lassen County. Gallatin poses numerous questions he would like answered about the property. Responses to the questions are written by hand and may be that of the reply from Mr. Bell. The questions surround the type of land, how many cattle can be grazed, roads, fences, swamp land, lumber, saw mills, and other parties who might be interesting in selling their property in the area.

1888 Gallatin CPRR: Letter from the Central Pacific Railroad Land Department to Gallatin about the balance on a contract issued to John Goe.

1888 Gallatin Franklin Estate Tehama: Letter from C. T. Alvord Tehama County Clerk, by S. P. Freeman, Deputy, on the property acreage of the estate of Ben Franklin.

1888 Gallatin Franklin Property Request: Letter from Gallatin to Tehama County Recorder’s Office requesting description of property section 6, Township 25 North, Range 7 West, of Ben Franklin’s property Gallatin purchased, but he misplaced the deed. Hand written notes on bottom of letter about acreage.

1888 Gallatin Ingram Sac Property 1 – 2: Telegram to Gallatin regarding abstract title information for property at 16^th and K Streets. From H. H. Ingram, Mr. Leonard contact person with purchasers of lot. Memorandum 54 K, 54 K Street was the original location of Huntington Hopkins Hardware and became known as the 54K company.

1888 Gallatin Ingram Steffens Sacramento Property: Letter from Gallatin regarding the sale of the property to Steffens at 16^th and K. Purchased from Josiah Hausman.

1888 Gallatin Ranch Letter 1 – 5: Letter from Mr. Bell to Gallatin about the ranch operations on the property in Tehama County and Lassen County. Discusses potential farming and orchard operations.

1888 Gallatin Wilson Map: map of Township 25 North, Range 4 West, sections 27 and 26 and the lots owned by H. C. Wilson and A. Gallatin.

1888 Huntington Hopkins Memorandum: looks to be a note written by Gallatin about getting an original copy of a contract. Perhaps in connection to the Wilson map or other property Gallatin had purchased.

1888 Map T25N R5 4 W Elder Thomes Creek: map showing parcels, possibly purchased by Gallatin and referenced in previous letter from Bell. Other creeks noted are Government Gulch and Hooper Creek.

1894 Gallatin Sacramento Electric Letter 1 – 3: To Robert Hawley, dated December 7, 1894, presumably from Gallatin who was president of the Sacramento Electric Power and Light Company, headquartered in San Francisco. Discussion of property title involving the Small property, Josiah Hausman, the Ellsworth lot, Mr. Goethe and Mr. Steffens.

Albert Gallatin Download Files

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