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Taggart’s Express – 1866 to 1871
Grant Taggart, who had been a hotel operator, entered the stage business by purchasing the equipment of the California Stage Company in 1866. The Apr 30, 1866 Sacramento Daily Union reported that Taggart had acquired the U.S. mail contract between Shasta and Weaverville. Taggart took over Greenhood & Newbauer’s express business in August, 1867 when their banking operation failed, taking the express business with it.
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Taylor’s Express – Apr, 1851 to Apr, 1852
Lewis Wilson Taylor operated a semi-monthly express from Shasta, via Hamilton City, Yuba City and Marysville to Sacramento. He operated prior to the date of his advertisement of June 1851. His last ad appeared on Apr 28, 1852. Taylor advertised a connection with Henkle’s Express for areas north of Shasta and with Gregory’s for areas south of Sacramento.
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Thomes & Skaden’s Express – Aug, 1870 to Mar, 1874
E. B. Thompson ran this small express from Petaluma to Santa Rosa and on to Healdsburg, CA. He connected with Wells Fargo at Petaluma and acted as a feeder for them.
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Thompson & Co.’s Express – 1857
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Tickner’s Express – 1862 to 1872
H. C Tickner operated an express from Yreka that ran to the mining camps along the Klamath River, later expanding into the Scott River Valley. Tickner’s Express connected with Wells Fargo at Yreka and Fort Jones. The operation was sold to A. B. Carlock and Ward in late 1872.
Western Expresses
Tinnin & Owen’s Express – 1867 to 1868
W. J. Tinnin and John W. Owens offered customers an express service from their general merchandise store in Weaverville. The opening of a Wells Fargo office in Weaverville on Nov 14, 1868 most likely ended their foray in the express business.
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Todd & Co’s Express – Jul 13, 1850 to Oct 9, 1851
Alexander H. Todd and E. W. Colt formed Todd and Company’s Express following Benjamin L. Bryan’s departure from Todd & Bryan’s Express on Jul 13, 1850. E. W. Colt operated out of Stockton and served the southern mines through merchant agents, while A. H. Todd anchored the operation in San Francisco. They connected in San Francisco with Adams & Company and in Sacramento with Hawley & Company. Later, they also connected with both Freeman and Reynolds & Company in Sacramento. They extended a line, by steamer, to Portland and Oregon City and brought L. W. Newell into the partnership to work out of Sonora. The partnership disbanded in Oct, 1851 with Colt and Newell taking the Oregon California express operation, as Newell & Company. Todd then combined the remaining California operation with Reynolds & Company to form Reynolds, Todd & Co.’s Express.
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Todd & Co’s Express – Jul 13, 1850 to Oct 9, 1851
Todd & Co.’s Express Stockton to San Francisco; by Adams Express letter carry for delivery within San Francisco.
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Todd & Co’s Express – Jul 13, 1850 to Oct 9, 1851
Western Expresses
Todd & Co’s Express – Jul 13, 1850 to Oct 9, 1851
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Todd’s Express – Apr 22, 1852 to Sep 1, 1853
Charles A. Todd purchased all the assets of Reynolds, Todd & Company and continued to operate from San Francisco and Stockton serving the southern mines. Todd made inroads along the Sacramento River to points above Sacramento, but faced tough competition from Adams & Co. in that area. At first, Todd connected with Gregory’s Express, but later shared an office in San Francisco with Wells Fargo and connected with them for services to the Eastern States. Todd sold his operation to Wells Fargo in Sep, 1853, giving them control of the routes to the southern mines, where they began to compete with Adams.
Henry H. Haight
…
P.S. May 5. Mail steamer arrived this morning shall probably get my letters this afternoon.
[The “New York and San Francisco Steamship Company Pacific Line’s” steamer Cortes arrived San Francisco from Panama May 5, 1853]
Western Expresses
Todd & Bryans Express – Early 1850 to Jul 13, 1850
Alexander H. Todd began operating as a one man express service in late July 1849, operating between San Francisco and Stockton and into the southern mines. He formed a partnership with Benjamin L. Bryan in late February or early March 1850, adding E. W. Colt shortly thereafter. Todd & Bryans shared an office in Stockton and had a working relationship with Adams & Company. They connected with Berford for correspondence to San Jose. Bryan sold out to his partners in July of 1850, at which time Todd and Colt formed Todd and Company, operating over the same route.
Todd & Bryan’s Express from Stockton to San Francisco on folded letter datelined Stockton April 11, 1850; by post office San Francisco Apr 20 40 integral rate handstamp and Paid to Nauvoo, Illinois.
Western Expresses
Tracy & Company – 1859 to Nov, 1863
Thirty-two year old Edward W. (Ned) Tracy arrived in Portland on July 8, 1859, as Wells Fargo’s General Agent for the Washington and Oregon Territories. While establishing the Wells Fargo offices at the main coastal cities, he also began to form a partnership with E. Norton and E. L. James, operating an express service throughout the interior. The partnership with Norton and James was dissolved in March of 1862. Wells Fargo started buying out the express operations that serviced the Boise Basin in the fall of 1863 and in November of that year Tracy sold the last of his express service to them.
Western Expresses
Truman & Co.’s Express – 1865 to 1868
James C. Truman began his J. C. Truman Express in January 1864 soon after arriving in San Francisco. He took Chapman as a partner on February 16, 1864 and after Chapman withdrew in 1865, he formed Truman & Co’s Express. It operated until 1868 from San Francisco to San Jose by rail and to Watsonville and Santa Cruz.
By Truman & Co.’s Express Feb 16, likely from San Francisco, to San Jose in their printed frank envelope. One of only about ten known examples of the Truman’s handstamp marking.
The Sacramento Daily Union of Oct 25, 1867 lists the addressee, Wm. A. January of San Jose as an arrival at the Orleans Hotel in Sacramento.
Western Expresses
Tucker’s Siskiyou Express – 1868
Tucker’s Siskiyou Express was probably operated by Louis Tucker. This shortlived express ran from Shasta to the mining camps in the Siskiyou area on the California – Oregon border in 1868.
By Tucker’s Siskiyou Express from Jacksonville, Oregon to Southside Siskiyou Mountain, Oregon. Enclosed letter, datelined Aug 3, 1868, transcribed below:
Mr Byron Cole
Dear Sir:
I send you One hundred & forty two 50/100 dollars which with bill of Cans makes $150 for which I received your note this morning. We will make the cans in a day or two and forward them as directed. We will have to make a cage or house for the mouse as we can find nothing to send in town.
Yours truly
Wm Hoffman
[on verso of letter, written as follows:]
I can get you a canary cage for $3.50, a regular squirrel cage with a rolling cylinder will cost four or five dollars. Let me know if you wish either of them.
Hoffman
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