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Letter of Introduction for John Dement [159452]

Currency:USD Category:Artifacts / Shipwreck Artifacts Start Price:250.00 USD Estimated At:500.00 USD and UP
Letter of Introduction for John Dement [159452]
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Two-page introduction letter for John Dement with another letter addressed to Dement recovered from the Dement trunk found at the S.S. Central America shipwreck. The letter is addressed to J.H.(?) Lancaster, Esquire, in Baltimore urging any assistance Dement may need while there on business. It is signed by J.A. Simms, and datelined The Dalles (Oregon), July 20, 1857. Simms was a director of the Citizen's bank in Baltimore in 1860. His presence in Oregon may have been to try to garner some of the gold business, which came in through Oregon City and the Dalles. This letter was a key discovery for Evans and crew. It is from one of two trunks recovered from the ocean floor 7,200 feet deep. It was intact, and as such, a target to look for gold contained within. Instead, a treasure trove of clothing and other articles awaited discovery, including a new pair of miner's pants probably purchased in San Francisco. The discovery of the owner also sent researchers on a wild ride through another important part of Gold Rush history involving Oregon, with many stories published here.

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Provenance: SS Central America Collection