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G. P. Johnson’s Express – Jul, 1858 to May, 1859
George P. Johnson was the proprietor of this express. Johnson had been awarded the mail contract from Crescent City to Jacksonville O.T., via Sailor Diggings and Kerbyville, beginning Jul 1, 1858 and shortly thereafter began advertising his express in conjunction with his passenger and mail line. He connected with Dugan & Wall’s at Crescent City, and with Beekman’s at Jacksonville. In May, 1859, Dugan & Wall abandoned their ocean route between Crescent City and San Francisco, and established a land route over the same route as Johnson’s. It is presumed that Dugan & Wall either purchased Johnson’s Express, or Johnson simply retired.
By Dugan & Wall Express Forwarders & Commission Merchants Crescent City, Cal to Crescent City; by G. P. Johnson’s Inland Express to Jacksonville O.T.; by Beekman’s Express from Jacksonville to Yreka (Johnson’s route did not extend to Yreka, but we know he connected with Beekman at Jacksonville, and while this cover is not marked as having been carried by Beekman, another nearly identical cover does have a Beekman’s Jacksonville, O.T. handstamp for carriage to Yreka). One of three examples of the Dugan & Wall’s franks: two handstamps and one printed; and one of only three examples of any kind of usage from G. P. Johnson’s Express.
Aug 11, 1858 Crescent City Herald ad for “Geo. P. Johnson’s Mountain Express.”
Western Expresses
Jones & Co. Express – late, 1851 to Jan 1853
There were three partnerships in the lineage of the J. W. Jones’ Expresses: Jones & Co.’s Express (late 1851 to Aug, 1852), Jones & Haskins’ Weekly Express (Aug 1852 to Oct, 1852), and Jones & Co.’s Feather River Express (Oct, 1852 to Jan, 1853). The Jones expresses served the mining camps on the North Fork of the Feather River via Marysville, connecting with Adams & Co. at first at Sacramento and then later, at Marysville. The last mention of Jones & Co.’s Feather River Express was in the Jan 21, 1853 issue of the San Francisco Pacific, after which B. F. Cheeseman is shown as proprietor of the express.
Farmington, Iowa June 11 (1852) and manuscript 10 rate to Sacramento City; Forwarded by Jones & Co. Express F. R. [Feather River] with Rush Creek Jones directive and $2.00 pencil rate notations both erased and barely visible. Enclosed letter transcribed in part as follows from Drummond’s wife, Dolly: Salubria June 9th 1852…I have never received your February letter and don’t know whether you are in the mountains or not. I wish you would write what part of the state you are in and what the name of the mines are…I don’t know why you don’t get my letters. I have always directed them alike. It is possible you could not send for them often enough and they have been sent off for dead letters, but I read in a late paper that if you write to be preserved on the back of the letter it will remain in the Post Office until it is taken out by the one it is directed to…Ever remaining your devoted wife, D. R. Drummond.
Earliest known ad for Jones & Co.’s Express, Jan 13, 1852 Sacramento Daily Union
Western Expresses
Jones & Co. Express – late, 1851 to Jan 1853
Farmington, Iowa Aug 11 (1852) and manuscript 10 rate to Sacramento City; with manuscript directive “Jones, keep this until he sends his order or comes for it him self”; by Jones & Co.’s Express to Rush Creek with $2.00 pencil express rate notation. Enclosed business letter transcribed, in part, as follows: Farmington, Van Buren Co., Iowa, August 10th, 1852…your letter came to hand the 8th of this month [August] dated May 16th 1852, and you say you have not had any letter for one year last April…Your old friend Silas Smith died on Plat River with Cholera on his way to Origon.…This County went all Whig. Thomas Benton is elected to Congress from Missouri.…B. F. Tower started home with one thousand dollars and died in Pannama Bay with Thy- [typhoid] fever…
Earliest known ad (at left) for Jones & & Haskin’s Weekly Express, Aug 2, 1852 (through Oct 27, 1852) Sacramento Daily Union
Earliest known ad for Jones & Co. Feather River Express, Nov 19, 1852 (through Jan 21, 1853) San Francisco Pacific. Same ad with B. F. Cheeseman as proprietor beginning Feb 4, 1853.
Western Expresses Alphabetically