Fleming, George

Col. Simon S. Alter: California Gold Rush ‘49er

Image of Main Street, Placerville, El Dorado County from the Library of Congress

“Ho! For California” headlined an item in the March 21, 1849 issue of the Carlisle Herald. “A party of enterprising adventurers, from Carlisle, consisting of Messrs. Geo. Fleming, Esq., Col. Simon Alter, Samuel F. Gaenslen, Geo. Keller, Wm. Keller, John C. Williams, and William Humer, left this place on Monday morning last for California. The party proceeds via Pittsburgh to the rendezvous at Independence, Missouri, where they will probably join one of the large expeditions on the overland route to California.”

Letter: B. Duffield to Joseph A. Murray, 1833

Letter: B. Duffield to Joseph A. Murray, 1833. The letter is from 12-year-old Divie Bethune Duffield (1821-1891) the son of Rev. George Duffield of the First Presbyterian Church of Carlisle to his friend 18-year-old Joseph Murray. Joseph was brought up a Presbyterian and received his academic training at Henry Duffield’s Carlisle Institute. Joseph went to Pittsburgh to stay with his Denny relatives and to study at the University of Western Pennsylvania.