Scope and Contents This collection contains correspondence, a property indenture, and a store ledger relating to California history from various sources, assembled under one collection for ease of access and use in USC Libraries Special Collections instruction. The earliest item in the collection is an 1850 letter written by T. R. Billings, a California gold seeker, to his wife, Elizabeth Billings, back home in New York. Billings' letter describes the hardships and financial troubles experienced by many who...