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Letter to Mother (Ann E. Fine) from son George Washington 15 April 1855
Scotts Valley, California

Letter is addressed to Mrs. Ann E. Fine, Sylva P.O. Washington Co. AR
From my (Bev's)  other notes--. This community at that time was called Sylvia, but a big packing
crate from Cincinnati, Ohio, had been shipped in, then tumbled off from a store under the shade of
trees. The card players began to gather around that old crate to use it for a card table. The lettering
"Cincinnati" was so plain upon it, the fellows when they wanted to gather for a game would say to
each other, "Let's head over to Cincinnati & set in on a game." It wasn't long until farmers from miles
around were calling the place Cincinnati, & Cincinnati it remains today

People & places mentioned in letter
Mother (Ann E. Fine)
Rogure River Valley (that's in Oregon)
Sisy (Loretta)j
Mr. Fine (Ann's 3rd husband & stepfather of George)
Prodigal Son (means George)
homeward bound
Old Cal (maybe means old Calif.?)
Small clumps of chapparal, mountains covered with snow,songsters, fir trees (that all fits in with where Scott's Bar is
George weighs 165 pounds
Scott's Bar (in northern Calif. off Hwy 96 west of Yreka. Another letter to David Fine from stepson
George Washington written 27 Oct 1855 from Oro Fino, CA and that is near Scott's Bar also). Oro Fino is off Hwy 3 S.W. of Yreka.
Bill Shores
Mines
miner's life--never had liquor & doesn't freqent gambling houses
Widow Washington's son (meaning George)


Dear Mother
It is with the utmost pleasure imaginable that I now sit down to write you a few lines which will
inform you that I am well and hope you and family are enjoying a similar blessing. I landed in
Rogue River Valley the 30th of Oct. and wrote to you immediately and I wrote several letters
since to Sisy and Mr. Fine but cannot succeed in arousing their sleeping? faculties to the
remembrance of one who often and family thinks of him. Can it be possible that you have
ceased to think of me? or have you been careless & delayed writing from mere neglect?
No Mother, I cannot for one forgetful moment charge you with having ceased to think of
your "Prodigal Son" but would rather think that you never received my letters. I often
think of "Home" and all my young friends and am often forced to exclaim in the
language of "Byron"
"Oh would it ___my lot"
"For be forgetful as I am forgot"
How long it will be before I can once more have the pleasure of holding sweet converse
with those I love. I know not but hope that in long I can come to the conclusion to bid a
fond and final adieu to this "amifmous region" and with excited hopes and joyous
anticipation start homeward bound.

I often think that if you and the family was here, I would never think of going back to the
states for as "old Cal" says "this is certainly one of the best countries to live in on the
face of "God Almighty's green earth" and of all the pretty countries in the world this is
one of the most beautiful to look upon. Even now as I write I can look out upon one of
the loveliest prospects that ever charmed the eye of man--for before me lays a beautiful
soft and imulating? plain dotted here and there by small clumps of "Chaparral" growing
over the beautiful mountain streams which meander through the Valley and I can turn my
eye to the rear of the house and behold the beautiful songsters of the air in all their
innocence and purity dwelling in the wanton hixaniance? of the fir boughs and am
forced to exclaim to the God of Nature in the language of one of old. "So high as the
heavens are above as so high are they ways above ____?. The mountains here in front
of the house are covered with snow the year around. Where do you think I am now" Whose
lands do you think I have been descending" nobody else's but "Old "Bill Shores". I came
down here 4 weeks ago--stayed with the boys 2 days and went to work in the Mines 4
miles below at $3 per day. I am very with my present situation as a MINER'S life is
just the life for me. but If you would see me now you would not recognize me as I am
one of the hardest looking boys in the country, but I enjoy good health and am at peace
with every body not having any difficulty since I left home. I have grown considerable.
I weigh 165 pounds, have never tasted a drop of "ardent? spirits" since I came into
the country and never frequent Gambling Houses--so you need never have any
uneasiness about me for if I am in a strange land and among men of all nations in the
habitable globe wherever temptation attests me I think of the kind advice and timely
admonitions of a fond Mother, the remembrance of which will act as a balm to the
scratches received in the thorny path of life and a talisman from all ill. I expect to
commence keeping books for a man down out "Scotts Bar" in f few weeks. Bill
Shores procured a situation for me. When I first came to Shores I did not make myself
known until "old Cal" raised up and asked me If I was not the widow Washington's
son. I stayed all night and next morning "old Bill" asked me what I was going to.
I told him I was expected to make my fortune in this country by hard work. He told
me he would want a Bookkeeper this fall and I would stay at his home. He would try
--he would get me a situation in a few weeks, but I thought I could in the meantime
make a few dollars. You must write to me as soon as you receive this
Yours Forever
George