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As It Was: Samuel Musgrave Survives Panama Crossing to Reach California

Before settling in Little Shasta, Ore., in 1855, Samuel Musgrave struggled to get to America from Northern England.
Musgrave was born at Grinton, Yorkshire, the son of Mark and Elizabeth (Spence) Musgrave.  The family moved to Kessick, Cumberland, when Musgrave spent his early childhood working in the mines.
He had first tried to attend school, but lasted only two days after being whipped for knocking down another boy who had stuck him with pins.

In 1845, Musgrave sailed to America on a steamer, the Queen of the West.  It was a 30-day journey and, after landing, Musgrave ended up in Pennsylvania until February of 1852.  Then he set sail for the California gold mines via Panama.  The journey across the Isthmus and by ship took 26 days to reach San Francisco.  Twenty-seven men died crossing the Isthmus.

Musgrave headed to the mines on the American River before becoming a farmer in Scott Valley in Siskiyou County.  His claim was jumped in 1852-53 and he moved to Yreka to mine and then settled permanently in Little Shasta, where he and his wife had four children, Mark, MaryAnn, Elizabeth Jane, and George.

Source: Samuel Musgrave https://archive.org/stream/historyofsiskiyo00well/historyofsiskiyo00well_djvu.txt

Gail Fiorini-Jenner is a writer and teacher. Her first novel "Across the Sweet Grass Hills", won the 2002 WILLA Literary Award. She co-authored four histories with Arcadia Publishing: Western Siskiyou County: Gold & Dreams, Images of the State of Jefferson, The State of Jefferson: Then & Now, which placed in the 2008 Next Generation Awards for Nonfiction and Postcards from the State of Jefferson.