#thomasgilman

In honor of Juneteenth, we at the State Library would like to draw your attention to a collection of documents that we particularly value, the Thomas Gilman papers. Thomas Gilman came to California as a slave during the Gold Rush. He worked as a gold miner and was able to buy his freedom in 1852. Gilman settled in Shaw’s Flat, a community in Tuolumne County and was known for his hospitality to passersby, so much so that the expansive book, Historic Spots in California, mentions his house, which has sadly ceased to exist. The State Library has recently digitized and is in the process of transcribing his papers, which include everything from his manumission papers to a receipt for the purchase of some milk. You can see the ongoing progress on our From the Page transcription site at https://fromthepage.com/castatelibrary/thomas-gilman-collection/jpgs-from-the-page?page=1