Beschreibung:

Title: Archive of material relating to William McGarrahan’s Panoche Grande claim and the New Idria quicksilver mining company Author: ** Place: Various places Publisher: Date: 1868-1892 Description: Includes: [McGarrahan, William] The History of the McGarrahan Claim. As Written by Himself. xxviii, 411 pp. 3 maps, 2 of them folding, 1 with hand-coloring. Printed wrappers. [S.F.: 1875]. * In the Matter of the Panoche Grande Rancho… Memorial of the New Idria Mining Company of California. 60, [8] pp. Printed wrappers. S.F.: 1875. * McGarrahan. Evidence to show that Beale’s Survey is Correct. 18 pp. Printed wrappers with later plain outer wrappers. [Wash.: 1868]. * Brief Narrative of the Facts in the McGarrahan Case, as shown by the Papers on File with the Committee. [4], 24 pp. Printed wrappers with later plain outer wrappers. Wash.: 1869. * Letter of the Attorney General… relative to the case of the United States vs. Vicente P. Gomez, involving the claims to the land called “Panoche Grande.” [& related documents] 32, 2, 196 pp. Removed. Wash.: 1869. * Judiciary Committee… In the Case of Wm. McGarrahan. Argument of Mr. Wm. M. Evarts in behalf of the New Idria Mining Company. 29 pp. Printed wrappers. Wash.: 1870. * Supreme Court District of Columbia. Bill in Equity between William McGarrahan and the New Idria Mining Company and others. 28 pp. Printed wrappers. Wash.: 1870. * The McGarrahan Claim: Argument of J.S. Black, before the Senate Committee on Public Lands, May 14th, 1878. 36 pp. Printed wrappers. Wash: 1878. * Brief in the Case of Wm. McGarrahan, Claimant before Congress, for a Confirmation of His Claim to the “Rancho Panoche Grande,” May 6th, 1878. 134 pp. Printed wrappers. Wash: 1878. * Argument of D.S. Wilson against the McGarrahan Claim, before the Senate Committee on Public Lands, May 3d, 1878. 179 pp. Printed wrappers. [Wash]: 1878. * Argument of S.S. Burdett, against the McGarrahan Claim, delivered before the Senate Committee on Public Lands, May 9, 1878. 110, 4, 4 pp. Printed Wrappers. Wash.” 1878. * Claim of William McGarrahan… for a certain tract of land in California called the Rancho “Panoche Grande”… 159 pp. House Report 951, 45th Congress, 2d Session. Disbound. Wash: 1878. * Plus 10 other documents. Together, 22 items. Some in original wrappers, some disbound, others in later plain wrappers. Important archive documenting one of the major land claim cases in California during the latter half of the 19th century. William McGarrahan, an Irish merchant, arrived in California in 1849, and soon established himself in business. After a visit home to Ireland, he returned to California in 1854, resumed his business and purchased a ranch in San Jose valley, which he stocked with the first improved herd in the state. In 1857 he purchased from Vicente P. Gomez the Mexican title to the Rancho Panoche Grande. However, the courts did not confirm this, and he was thus rendered legally incapable of expelling from his property the New Idria Mining Company, which was in reality squatting on his land. The case went on for decades, and was not resolved until 1892, when the then septuagenarian McGarrahan found himself suddenly a multi-millionaire. Lot Amendments Condition: Varying amounts of wear, good or better condition. Item number: 232139