- A short retelling of events while heading to the gold fields.
- 11 Pages
Parkinson, John B. – Memories of Early Wisconsin and the Gold Mines
Patterson, E. H. – My Impressions of the Overland Route to Califonia 1850
- Published in the Oquawka Spectator, 1850
- An overland journey from Missouri to Placerville (Hangtown), CA
- 28 Pages
Peabody, Sylvania – Diary
- A 1906 recollection from Sylvania Peabody to her granddaughter, Ethel Peabody, regarding her journey to California
- 30 Pages
Pearce, William Edmund – Letter to William Baker Pearce 1851
- Letter to William Baker Pearce from his sister, 1851
- 5 Pages
Peck, Washington – Diary 1850
- “Copied from the Tarkio Avalanche Article written by Dick Altman, Thursday, March 18, 1965, “Canadian-Born Pioneer Keeps a Frontier Diary.”
- Washington Peck traveled with his family from Eastern Canada to California.
- 40 Pages
Pettijohn, Isaac – Diary 1847-1848
- The diary excerpt begins on April 30, 1847, at Caples Landing on the Missouri River, just North of St. Joseph, MO., to Oregon City, OR
- This diary also contains the entries of the 1848 Eastbound trip ending in Missouri
- 29 Pages
Phelps, Edwin – Letter to His Father, August 11, 1850
- Article from the Pontiac Jacksonian (Pontiac, Michigan) October 16, 1850 v. 13, #13, p. 1
- A letter sent from Hanysville, California, telling Edwin’s father about his trip west.
- 3 Pages
Pickett, Belinda Cooley – Journal 1853
- The travels of Belinda Cooley, her husband and three sons, leaving Van Buren County, Iowa on April 12, 1853, and arriving in Union City, California on September 14, 1853.
- 20 Pages
Plummer, Craig Samuel -Letters Written Between 1821-1900
- Letters written by Samuel C. Plummer, of Pennsylvania, in 1850, as he traveled west to California.
- He left Muscatine, Iowa on March 16, 1850, headed for Placerville, California.
- 11 Pages
Pomeroy, Henry Martyn – Daily Journal 1859
- Henry Martyn Pomeroy left from Nebraska, headed for Placerville, California, in 1859.
- Partially transcribed, as noted at the end of page 28.
- 28 Pages
Pond, Ananias Rogers – 1849 Diary
- This diary contains the route taken.
- 18 Pages
Porter, Joseph E. – Journal of the Route from Council Bluffs to California
- The Gazette, Waukegan, Lake CO., Illinois, November 30 and December 7, 1850.
- Excerpts from the the journal of Joseph Porter regarding his trip from Council Bluffs, Iowa, to California.
- 13 Pages
Powell, M. – Overland Journal 1849
- Excerpts from Overland Journey to California
- 5 Pages
Prickett, George W. – Letters 1849
- Two letters (two pages each) describing Prickett’s journey to California.
- 5 Pages
Prime, Edwin M. – 1850 Journal
- This journal describes the route taken from Council Bluffs, Iowa, to California, heading to the gold fields.
- On March 18, 1850, Edwin Prime headed to Council Bluffs from Walworth Co., Wisconsin, with the intention of traveling to the California gold fields.
- The last entry ends on October 12, 1850.
- 28 Pages