Mixed Materials

English

The Appleton family papers consist of journals, letters, photograph albums, photographs, and printed material documenting the history of the Appleton family in Whitby, England, and Northern California (1873-1919). Notable items from the collection include Frank Appleton's diaries documenting his family's immigration to the United States and life in Northern California (1889); a railroad timetable and notes from John Appleton's travel across Canada (1888); excerpts from John Appleton's letters written on his Klondike expedition (1898-1899); photographs of the construction of sheds along the Central Pacific Railroad over Donner Pass (1890); views of San Francisco, Sacramento, and the Northern Sierras (ca. 1900); and an embroidered sampler created by Mary Appleton (1877).

The Appleton family originally resided in Whitby, a coastal town in North Yorkshire, England. William Appleton, a miller and farmer, and his wife, Jane, had four children: John (b. 1859), Jane A. (b. 1862), Mary A. (b. 1865), and Francis W. (Frank, b. 1867). William Appleton died in 1873 from a heart condition. John Appleton immigrated to the U.S. in 1888, settling in Sacramento, and his mother and siblings joined him in 1889 and settled in Florin, later moving to 1112 D Street in Sacramento. John was employed as a carpenter for many years, while Frank operated a photographic studio in the city. In the summer of 1890, Frank and John temporarily moved to Cisco, California, and worked constructing snow sheds along the Central Pacific Railway over Donner Pass. In 1898, John embarked on a mining expedition to the Klondike gold fields in Alaska. By 1900, Frank and John had moved to San Jose, and in 1904 Frank married. Jane Appleton and her daughters returned to England by 1905. Jane A. Appleton died in 1913 in Glaisdale, England. John Appleton died November 30, 1931, in San Jose, California.

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