1840's
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1841
Henry Wells, along with George Pomeroy and Crawford Livingston, formed the express firm, Livingston, Wells & Pomeroy Company, to operate routes between Albany and Buffalo, New York. Henry Wells, a former cobbler, dwelled from Auburn, New York and owned an express business.
1845
Henry Wells organized another firm, Wells & Company, which operated west of Buffalo to out of state cities like Cincinnati, St. Louis, and Chicago.
Jan. 24, 1848
The discovery of gold in California near Sutter's Mill (photo of James Marshall), by James Marshall. Approximately, 75,000 men left everything behind to tempt fate at the dig sites. The news of the discovery was delayed due to the abandonment of daily jobs; no one was there to print it. The manpower behind the printing machines swarmed to the dig sites seeking their fortune. The Gold Rush changed San Francisco from the quiet little Spanish seaport on the sand dunes beside the Golden Gate to a seething, hectic, money mad city.
Dec. 5, 1848
President Polk extols his reaction to the Gold Rush: "The accounts of the abundance of gold in that territory are of such extraordinary character as would scarcely command belief were they no corroborated by the authentic reports of officers in the public service, who have visited the mineral district, and derived the facts which they detail from personal observation."(1) James K. Polk (Admin.1845-1849) was President of the United States at the time gold was discovered in California. It would be presidents Zachary Taylor (Admin. 1849-1850), Millard Fillmore (Admin. 1850-1853) and Franklin Pierce (Admin. 1853-1857), who would witness the migration of many urban and rural dwellers into the western frontier.
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