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Union Mill & Mining Co. Promissory Note to William Sharon, Signed by Sharon & Fry [164496]

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Mining Start Price:200.00 USD Estimated At:400.00 - 600.00 USD
Union Mill & Mining Co. Promissory Note to William Sharon, Signed by Sharon & Fry [164496]
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Bank of California promissory note for $100,000, issued to William Sharon by the Union Mill and Mining Company, Nov. 1st, 1871, San Francisco. Signed by JD Fry as president. Pen cancelled. Reverse is endorsed by William Sharon twice! The Union Mill & Mining Co. was the organization that managed the Bank of California's large number of Comstock mines and mills. (Fair, Flood, Mackay, & O'Brien later organized the Pacific Mill & Mining Co. to do the same for their properties). Here, Sharon is loaning the company a large sum, about the same time that Fair & Mackay were becoming a force to be reckoned with. JD Fry was a close friend of Sharon and also related to William Ralston's wife (either her father or uncle). Fry came with Sharon to California during the Gold Rush. He lobbied for Sharon to be the Bank of California's representative in Virginia City. Fry was also one of the founding members of the Virginia & Truckee Railroad, serving as a director. Sharon was one of the most powerful men on the Comstock, running the Bank of California for William Ralston. The bank made a fortune by loaning to mining companies and then seizing their properties when they defaulted. Sharon was instrumental in the creation of the Virginia and Truckee Railroad, which he wanted to connect the Comstock with the ore mills he owned along the Carson River (with Ralston). Later in life, he also served as a U.S. senator. 4 x 8" Folds, creases. An important Comstock document with key signatures.

Date: 1871
Country (if not USA):
State: Nevada
City: Virginia City
Provenance: