Octavo bifolium ca. 24,2x18 cm (7 ½ x 9 ½ in). 2 pp. Brown ink on bluish wove paper. Docketed and stamped on the last page. Fold marks, age-toned, some chipping and spotting, but overall a very good interesting letter, written in a legible hand.

Historically important original autograph letter, documenting California’s faltering economy and the overland migration to Oregon in the 1850s. Between the 1840s and 1860s, declining opportunities in post-Gold Rush California and the lure of fertile land drew over 300,000 pioneers westward along the Oregon Trail, paving the way for Oregon’s statehood in 1859.

The author, John Watson Monteith (ca. 1825-1888), born in Pennsylvania, was a pioneer farmer of Oquawka, Illinois. The 1870 United States Federal Census records Monteith, then about 45, living in Henderson, Illinois, with his wife, Lucinda (c. 1833–1900), and eleven children. Among those mentioned in the letter is their first son, a farm laborer William Hamilton Monteith (ca. 1848-1940).

In the letter dated 3 March 1851, John Monteith urgently informs James W. Allen (ca. 1817-?), an early carpenter in West Lancaster, Iowa, about his delayed plans to move to Oregon. He describes the dire situation in the country, including plummeting wages, a collapsing job market, and a wave of disillusioned California gold seekers flooding the region. The author predicts that the influx of emigrants will create unprecedented hardships in Oregon, making conditions even worse than those in California.

Overall, historically important original letter, documenting the overland migration to Oregon Territory.

Excerpts from the text:

Sir. I received your letter of Feb 4h with pleasure to hear that you are all well and getting along well toward getting ready to start the trip to Oregon. It appears in your last letter that you have not received any of my letters. I rote one in Dec 9, one in January for the reason of my not coming over there was on account of business being sick.

It was utterly out of my power to go. Lucinda took the fever about the middle of Dec and had a very severe attack for 4 weeks before she was able to be out of bed and is not yet very stout now. William Hamilton is fat, saucy & hearty. I have had good health ever since I came here and have had work day and night. Still sickness in the family prevented me from work and spent all I have made to get me square here again and am no better fixt to go than I was last fall, although we would like to go this spring, but we are not a going to give it up till next spring as I have been advised by men that has returned from Oregon to go but not spring as it will be worse in Oregon for one or 2 years now then it ever will be again. The reason they give is that there is such a vast emigration from Californy [sic] to Oregon on purpose to make enough to bring them back to the states again that wages is down low and times is as hard as in Californy and will be so until all the transient emigration returns from there and time will be as good or better than before and there will be a greater emigration from the states this season than formerly. This is the information that I got from men that went last season to California and said there was no chance for making anything there and done damned well to get out of there. They then went to Oregon to look at the country and have returned and like the country very well and there is some in Oregon from this neighborhood that is now on their way from Calcuka [?] to move with their families next spring. You rote that the old man Miller was going to Oregon. You did not rite whether he was going to move or going to see the country and returning again. I calculate to be over and see you before you start away if I possibly can which will be in April and if you all start before I get there I will see you probably some day again…