Gold fields and Cholera

Early in the year 1849, the news of the discovery of gold in California became known to the country, and great excitement was the result. Among others who determined to go to the land of gold were scores of men in Clay County. Cholera, the deadly contagion, was prevailing in certain parts of Missouri, in Clay and Jackson counties, and reports that the disease was killing hundreds of men, on the plains bound for California gold fields, did not deter a great many men of Clay County to make the journey westward to the land of promises.

Among others who started for California that year were:

A much greater emigration left the county in 1850. The California fever in 1849 and 1850 was so intense that reports as to the hardships to be endured in reaching the gold mines; the numerous deaths from cholera and other diseases; the over-rated richness of the mines; the high cost of living in California, did not abate the fever; but hundreds from the county rushed to the new Eldorado; there to find that reports sent them before they left home were not exaggerations. This exodus of men from Clay County resulted in riches in experience, but little in the accumulation of the precious metal for the Clay Countians, who made the long journey across the plains.

Necrology of Clay County men in California, 1850

Abel King, at Weber, in January
Randolph King, at Hangtown, in February
Daniel Mosby, at Sacramento, in June
Ben Keyser, at Hangtown, in July
Ben Clark, at Sacramento, In August
Rev. Robert James (father of Frank and Jesse),
Thomas Pence, Albright, and Maxwell, at Rough and Ready, in August
John Brock, killed at Hangtown, in August
McCrorey, at Weber, in November
James A. Walker, at Weber, in October
James Ellet, at Weber, in November
George W. Wallis and Samuel M. Gant, at Nevada, in November
Benj. Carpenter, at Hangtown, in October
William Morton, at Greenwood, in November
John H. Mosby, near Sacramento, of cholera
John McCrorey, at Weber, in August
Henry Gill, at Johnson's ranch, in September
Anderson Estes, at Nevada, in August
George Estes, at Hangtown, in August
William Homer, Samuel McKneiss, Sanford Bell, George W. Huffaker, Washington Huffaker, two Ellises, and three Graggs, at other places and times.

Aid to Proslavery Cause

During the entire troubles in Kansas until it was admitted as a state into the Union, Clay County furnished men and means to aid the proslavery cause whenever called upon. On one occasion when the young men of the county were preparing to go to Kansas in aid of the pro-slavery cause the following subscriptions were obtained to pay their expenses:

Clay County| AHGP Missouri

Source: History of Clay County, Missouri, by W. H. Woodson, Historical Publishing Company, Topeka, 1920.