Wells Fargo has a bustling tradition of both "communities of practice"  and resource groups for Team Members. People of diverse ethnicities and lines of business gather to share experiences and network, though sometimes they just socialize and build relationships. One of these Team Member groups is for Military Veterans and their families.

Through the years, Wells Fargo has employed veterans of the armed forces, and has long recognized military service by its Team Members and their families as well.  Christopher William Hugo Solinsky served in the Mexican-American War  in the 1840s before becoming Wells Fargo’s agent in Chinese Camp, California in 1857.  He remained at his post for forty years.

Navy veteran Louis McLane was President of Wells Fargo when the Company consolidated a vast stagecoaching network across Western states. Trustim Connell was Agent in Kansas City, Los Angeles and Phoenix after he won the Congressional Medal of Honor  for his courage at the Battle of Sailor's Creek .

When American troops entered World War I, people went out of their way to "do their bit."  Wells Fargo committed scores of pages in the Messenger, the internal newsletter for employees, to Company participation in the war effort. When soldiers marched off to do battle in the Second World War, Wells Fargo made sure they had jobs waiting when they returned.

Wells Fargo has appreciated the service and sacrifice by armed forces employees and their families since the very beginning!

Posted by Charles at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Found in Misc, Perspective, Remember, Wells Fargo Bank

The short bio on Felix Tracy that I began the other day told of his background and how he became Agent for Wells Fargo in Sacramento. Of the Wells Fargo Agents who served in the Sacramento express office, Tracy had the longest career of them all — 32 years.

When Tracy came to Sacramento in 1868, he was already one of the most experienced express men in California and proceeded to take over operations at one of the most prestigious positions in the Company—the Sacramento office opened only three weeks after the first office in San Francisco when Wells Fargo began in 1852.

Tracy ran the Sacramento office from 1868 until his retirement in 1900. By 1883, Tracy had added another title, becoming the Assistant Superintendent of Sacramento County for Wells Fargo.

But Tracy's story is one of service, not only to Wells Fargo but also to the community as well. During his 32 years of service to Sacramento, Tracy was involved in a number of public activities: He was a member of the Sacramento school board in the 1870s and 1880s, fighting against separate facilities for African Americans students, and he was also active in the Sacramento Pioneer Foundation , the Westminster Presbyterian Church  of Sacramento, and the Fourteenth Street Presbyterian Church.

Felix Tracy died in 1902 at the age of 73. In 2007, Wells Fargo celebrated his memory by opening The Felix Tracy Learning Center. The Tracy Center works to support business customer service operations and educates Wells Fargo team members in the Company's 155-year history. The Center helps recognize Felix Tracy's long career with Wells Fargo, but it also recognizes his work toward growth and positive change in Sacramento.

Posted by Greg at 03:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in At Work, Misc, Perspective, Remember, Sacramento, Wells Fargo Bank

In Wells Fargo's Sacramento history, the one name that stands out is Felix Tracy. Tracy was widely known for his reliability as an express agent, but that position was only one he held during a life full of accomplishments. He served in public office, was appointed to expand education, worked for civil rights, and was active in community groups. Tracy's life was productive — for himself, his Company and his community.

Tracy was born in Moscow, New York and emigrated to California when he was 20 years old. Working first as a merchandiser in San Francisco, he then moved to the gold fields to take his chances . Soon after, he gave up prospecting and began his career as express agent.

Tracy began with Adams and Company Express  in 1855, opening an office in Salt Lake City. But later that year, Adams and Company went out of business; Felix Tracy was unemployed. Two years later, Tracy started as Wells Fargo's agent in Shasta, California . He was elected Shasta County Treasurer in 1861 and held that position for four years.

One year after his tenure as Treasurer, Tracy was selected to serve on the board that established a location for the University of California. After looking at several places, the board decided on Alameda County. By 1873, classes were being held at the University of California, Berkeley , because of Tracy's efforts.

But his brightest years were yet to come…in Part II, that is! Stay tuned!

Posted by Greg at 03:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in At Work, Experts, Misc, Museums, Perspective, Remember, Sacramento, Wells Fargo Bank

In my Monday post about Kate Buick, I related a story from her niece, Veva Buick Poorman regarding Kate's use of Morse code.

Here's another one about Kate from Ms. Poorman that describes how her aunt safeguarded Wells Fargo gold.

In Roseburg, Oregon , gold sometimes arrived on the evening train after the local bank was closed. Armed with a small pistol in her handbag, Kate Buick carried Wells Fargo gold home in a satchel. If it was too heavy for the satchel, Kate lugged the gold in Veva's lunchbox. The next morning, Buick would deposit the gold in the bank.

In December 1912, George Sewell replaced Kate Buick as Agent. Roseburg's newspaper, the Daily Review, declared:

In relieving Miss Buick as its local agent, the company was merely following out its newly adopted policy of placing all of its branch agencies in the hands of men. Many of its offices besides the one in this city are affected. Miss Buick, on account of her long experience and thorough efficiency, will be retained by the company as an assistant to Mr. Sewell.

Kate Buick had the last word when she married George Sewell seven months later.

In 1918, the federal government consolidated all express businesses, including Wells Fargo's, under a government-run corporation called American Railway Express . Mrs. Sewell continued work as an agent for Railway Express until 1939, and sporadically thereafter into the 1950s.

Today, nearly two-thirds of Wells Fargo employees are women.

As a tribute to women in the workforce, the Wells Fargo History Museum is collaborating with the Portland Police Museum  and Portland State University's Friends of History  to showcase a free presentation entitled Lola Baldwin, America's First Policewoman.

Posted by Steve at 02:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in At Work, Experts, First-hand Accounts, Gold, Misc, Remember, Wells Fargo Bank, Women's History

Wells Fargo has a good history of employing women. Between 1873 and 1918, Wells Fargo hired over 350 women as agents, whose duties included handling shipments of money, delivering mail, loading gold aboard trains and stagecoaches, selling money orders, and transferring funds by telegraph. Hundreds more women worked at Wells Fargo as auditors, clerks, copywriters, stenographers, and telephone operators.

One agent of note was Oregonian Kate Buick, employed by Wells Fargo & Co.'s Express in the Roseburg office from 1898 to 1912. Ms. Buick learned Morse code from her father, who was one of the first telegraph operators on the Southern Pacific Railroad line  between Roseburg and San Francisco.

In 1880, President Rutherford B. Hayes  made a trip across the West  and visited Oregon. A newspaper reporter covering the President’s visit came to the telegraph office to wire his report back East. Her father was overwhelmed with work at that moment, so Kate volunteered to send the telegram.

As Kate started to tap the message, the reporter said that he preferred an adult send the message—Kate was only thirteen years old at the time!

Immediately, the reporter penciled an addition to the story and announced to the nation that a young girl from Oregon sent the telegram. Kate's niece, Veva Buick Poorman, further recalled in a later interview that Kate Buick contributed to the war effort by using her knowledge of Morse code  to instruct over fifty people during World War I.

Posted by Steve at 10:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Found in Artifacts, At Work, Experts, Misc, Museums, Perspective, Railroads, Remember, Transportation, Wells Fargo Bank, Women's History

When Henry Wells established Wells College for women in 1869, his purpose was clear: "Give her the opportunity!" he thundered.

Wells Fargo has a long history of hiring women, echoing founder Henry Wells' words. The Company's first female agent was Mary Taggart, who ran the Wells Fargo office in Palmyra, Nebraska, in 1873.

Many of Wells Fargo's 350 female agents across the nation held other jobs as well. In Roseville, California, Cassie Hill had three: Wells Fargo agent, railroad agent and telegrapher at the busy rail junction. All the while, she raised five children on her own. Julia Jones, agent at Mariposa, California, was elected county superintendent of schools — although she herself was not allowed vote!

Hundreds more women worked at Wells Fargo's headquarters as auditors, clerks, advertising copywriters, stenographers and telephone operators. Anchoring its modern-day commitment to women and minority-owned businesses, Wells Fargo historically partnered with woman-owned businesses and counted many women among its valued customers as well.

Today, two-thirds of bank employees are women.

"Here's to the Wells Fargo woman on the job. May she sustain all the fine traditions of our honorable company!"

Wells Fargo agent in Roseville, California, from 1884 to 1908, Cassie Hill became agent after her husband’s sudden death. She invested in the Roseville businesses and real estate, and enjoyed driving one of Roseville’s first automobiles.

Marie F. Putnam was the only woman among 300 employees of the Abbot-Downing Co., makers of the famous Concord Stagecoaches. From 1865 to 1895, Putnam stitched leather for every stagecoach that rolled out of the Concord, New Hampshire factory—including those bought by Wells Fargo & Company.

At the age of 14, Delia Haskett Rawson was the first girl stage driver—and maybe the youngest—ever to carry the U.S. mail in California. She was the only woman to ever belong to the Pioneer Stage Drivers of California and served as its vice president.

Tilla Patterson was Wells Fargo Agent at Winchester, California from 1892 to 1910. From the depot, Patterson also served as Santa Fe Railroad agent and the Western Union telegraph operator. Agent Patterson used her business connections to help build the collection of the county library where she volunteered.

Florence Scott earned her medical degree from the University of California, and in 1922 was asked to provide medical exams and emergency care for the Wells Fargo Nevada National Bank in downtown San Francisco. This began the Bank's program of company-paid health care.

Julia Lois Jones succeeded her sister, Lucy Jones Miller, as agent at Mariposa, California. The two sisters ran that Wells Fargo office for over 25 years. Lucy was also postmaster while Julia served three terms as Superintendent of Schools.

When Uncle Sam called Wells Fargo's Winona, Minnesota Agent to serve in World War I, Mrs. Evangeline Sawyer patriotically filled in until he returned. Sawyer's efforts earned high praise from the regional superintendent.

A preacher’s daughter whose family settled in southern Minnesota, Lillie Predmore served as Wells Fargo’s express agent in the town that bore her family’s name. Her younger sister, Mrs. Freda Kester, succeeded her in 1914.

In the mid-1970s, Audrey Strand became Wells Fargo's first woman "special agent" — a designation bestowed on the likes of James B. Hume, the one who brought Black Bart to justice. Her responsibility was to report "embezzlement, irregularities and mysterious disappearances" to the FBI, Controller of Currency and the U.S. Attorney.

In 1960, Wells Fargo expanded from to a network of bank branches throughout Northern California. New computer technologies were introduced to handle the booming business: Janet Wright managed the engineers and technicians. For her effective work, Wright ecame the first woman Assistant Vice President at Wells Fargo in 1964.

A rancher in Livermore, California, Virginia Fellingham drove stagecoaches for Wells Fargo Bank for over thirty years in the 20th Century. She and her family have appeared in hundreds of parades and civic events.

Posted by Charles at 01:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Found in Misc, Perspective, Railroads, Remember, Stagecoach, Wells Fargo Bank, Women's History

In September of 1858, stagecoaches left St. Louis and San Francisco on their way to San Francisco and St. Louis, respectively. The Overland Mail Company  was on the road.

Here's the story of the OMC in a nutshell.

John Butterfield wanted to land the government contract to carry the US Mail to the untamed West. The government was offering 600,000 bucks to whoever could get mail from the Missouri frontier to California, across all the deserts and mountains and lack of facilities, and guarantee its safety and efficiency. Butterfield figured the best method was to carry passengers as well, whose fares would help offset costs.

Anybody who was intelligent in those days knew that the undertaking was crazy. The route took a southerly arc to avoid mountains, but got deserts in exchange. The route had unpredictable weather and geographic hazards, was unpaved and even uncharted in some places. All this meant that the person who wanted to try to get that fat contract had to be a little crazy themselves. In other words, an entrepreneur.

And that was Butterfield , to be sure.

Entrepreneurs  with big vision and willing to risk everything need the sort of backers who are intelligent and willing to risk some. Butterfield was able to gather several Directors for his Company, including Henry Wells and William G. Fargo, whose Express Company in the West was growing fast. The two operations would complement each other, on paper at least, as long as things went smoothly.

Things did go smoothly, albeit at great expense, for about three years. But that's another story...

So the Stagecoaches rolled and regular overland business commenced. The three-week (or so) journey shortened the time it had formerly taken between Missouri and California terminals. By ship , or the lumbering routes by wagon train , it had taken as long as six months. Of course, it cost a lot to ride: $300 in those days is equivalent to thousands  now.

But what a view!

Posted by Charles at 04:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Found in Branding, Gold, Misc, Remember, Ride sharing, Stagecoach, Transportation, Travel, Wells Fargo Bank

The other day a family came in to visit the Old Sacramento Museum, led by the matriarch. I had a nice conversation with the woman, the subject of which prompted me to write this post. We were discussing Black Bart, and we got on the subject of James Hume, Wells Fargo's Special Detective who brought Black Bart to justice after years of investigation.

She told me that she and her husband were caretakers of Hume Castle in Berkeley, California  back in the 1970s. I had no idea there was such a thing as Hume Castle in Berkeley — I wondered if it had anything to do with Wells Fargo's legendary Detective. I know Hume died in Berkeley in 1908, at age 77, after his retirement from Wells Fargo. But again, I never knew of a Hume Castle.

I started researching the castle and discovered there was a relation between Wells Fargo's Hume, and this castle in Berkeley. I discovered the castle was built in 1927, long after Hume's death. The original owners of the castle were Samuel James Hume and his wife Portia Hume. Samuel was James Hume's only son, born in 1885.

Samuel Hume was educated at Harvard and earned a degree in theater. He created the first exhibition of stagecraft   in the United States. By 1918, Samuel had returned to Berkeley as an assistant professor at the University of California , eventually becoming the head of the Greek Theater Department there. His wife, Portia Bell Hume , was a pioneer in the field of Psychiatry and lent her name to the modern Portia Bell Hume Behavioral Health and Training Center .

In 1927 the Humes engaged architect John Hudson Thomas  to build a replica of a 13th-century French Monastery . This became their home, known alternately as Hume Cloister or Hume Castle. The building still stands at 2900 Buena Vista Way in Berkeley, and has been listed as a historic landmark of Berkeley  since 1985.

There it is! Wells Fargo had a role in the history of this landmark! James Hume was headquartered in San Francisco, grounded in the area. The Humes resided across San Francisco Bay in Berkeley, home to the great new University of the West.

You can imagine conversations at dinner, with the elder Hume encouraging his creative child to go to college and holding UC as the model. The younger Hume took the advice and brought his talents back to Berkeley and established a monument to the family name.

Cool!

Posted by Greg at 04:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Found in Artifacts, James Hume, Misc, Remember, San Francisco, Wells Fargo Bank

Our Museum was visited recently by 18 professors from Peking University  students, in Minneapolis as adult ESL  students. On the same day, a Minnesota man visited the Museum with his three cousins from Sweden. While these two groups may live half a world apart (literally!), their visits to the Museum coordinate the history and diversity that are such major features of Wells Fargo.

The professors from Beijing were touring downtown Minneapolis, looking to test and improve their English skills. In the museum, they were surprised that I had Chinese-language brochures for their convenience. Their second reaction was curiosity at the connections between Wells Fargo and the Chinese population of California in the mid-1800s.

When gold was discovered in California in 1848, the Chinese population was fewer than 100 people. But the Gold Rush radically increased all segments, and by 1860, the Chinese population  had jumped to 110,000. While many businesses in California excluded other nationality and language groups, Wells, Fargo & Co. opened their business to all customers.

To aid transactions with Chinese-speaking customers, Wells Fargo hired Chinese language interpreters and advertised in Chinese-language newspapers. By the 1870 s, Chinese patrons made up one-quarter of the customer base at some locations. Wells Fargo distributed a "Chinese Business Houses Directory" to promote bilingual locations. Indeed, a man named Wong Sam created a Chinese-American phrase book in 1875 that included a list of Wells Fargo offices.

In a similar history, the Swedish visitors to our museum were curious about their ancestors who founded a community in central Minnesota and, they believe, worked for Wells Fargo. Swedish , Norwegian , German , Polish  and other European populations came to the Midwest , hoping to prosper as farmers. Wells Fargo arrived in Minnesota in1885 but only stayed one year. So what were the odds that Swedish visitors had ancestors in Minnesota who worked for California-based Wells Fargo inside a single year? The odds were actually pretty good.

Consider: Wells Fargo returned to Minnesota in 1897. Offices cropped up in cities, towns and whistle stops, bringing express and banking services to the area's businesses and farm families . For our Swedish visitors' ancestors, it was only natural for them to conduct business in Swedish  -- just as other immigrant populations did business in their native languages. These communities were embraced by Wells Fargo, who advertised and did business in many languages.

Wells Fargo's history shows our 155-year success is, in part, tied to the open-minded business practices originating since the very beginning. Wells Fargo's commitment to serving every customer was as strong in Minnesota 100 years ago as it was in California in 1852. And it is as strong today as it was then.

Posted by Heidi Berg at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Found in Farmers, Gold, Minneapolis, Misc, Museums, Perspective, Remember, Wells Fargo Bank

So Guided By History marks its second anniversary today. That's right, two years of bringing History to The People!

Frankly, I deserve all the credit, but I want to share it because that's just the kind of guy I am — a sharer.  I choose to share credit with:

• Valerie, our best buddy in Minneapolis.

• Joel and Ed, who do more things for the production of this blog than they're actually allowed to do.

• Henrik, who pushes 3 accurate buttons for every 12 wrong ones I push. (And who really oughta consider a safer sport...)

• Tim, who thought it was a pretty good idea and probably wonders if he made the right decision.

• All my colleagues in the History world of Wells Fargo who write so well.

And of course I share credit with all of you who drop by every day and check in with us. No YOU, no Guided By History. Period.

Thanks, Everyone!!

Posted by Charles at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Found in Experts, Get Involved, Holidays, Misc, Participate, Remember, Wells Fargo Bank

Guided By History is a blog that I and my colleagues produce as a resource for you readers. There's a couple people who help out behind the scenes to make sure that this blog and a couple others get out there for you all. One of these was Vincent, the tech genius who made this blog actually appear. When you access this blog, you read my stuff but the presentation is all by Vincent.

We learned yesterday that Vincent passed away over the weekend. This news took us all totally by surprise.

Vincent was one of those guys who you really want as a friend. He was always level-headed and never lost his cool. Indeed, Vincent was always in a good mood. Now when I say "always," I really mean it. I never had a discussion with him that was not fun, that didn't have about a dozen good laughs.

And when we finished our talk, the issue that brought us to the table was resolved. He had this talent for changing big problems into minor issues that got fixed. See, I'd call him and tell him what the trouble was, and he'd listen and say "Mm hmm" a lot. As I started giving him the details, I'd hear his keyboard clacking away on the other end ("Mm hmm...Mm hm..," he'd say as I droned on). Then the keyboard would go silent and I'd finish my monologue and he'd say, "It's all taken care of."

It was, too. I swear, I never called him about the same issue twice.

Vincent was a fun guy. He liked gadgets and was connected by wireless, chat, email and web all at the same time. Not so much because he was a techie, though he was, but more because he liked being connected. The guy could maintain half a dozen live conversations. A real "people person," that Vincent. And he was into it — you hang with him for only 10 minutes, it was like you had known him for years. Like I said, too, he liked to laugh so everything was pretty easy going, even meetings about troublesome upgrades to what-the-heck-do-I-care 2.1

Vincent did great work and was proud of his work. He was fun and funny. He was in a good mood and put everyone else at ease. He was really, really a great guy. I miss him.

Posted by Charles at 03:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
Found in Perspective, Remember, Wells Fargo Bank

Here's a video piece about George Monroe, the celebrated stagecoach driver we wrote about the other day! It's from a video Wells Fargo made a few years ago on our history, "Since 1852: The Universal Friend and Agent."

The piece is short, but it's vid which is über  hip. Welcome to Guided By History, progressive in all ways...

Share your story with us!

Posted by Charles at 12:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in African American History, Misc, Remember, Stagecoach, Transportation, Travel, Wells Fargo Bank

The story of Colonel George S.Roberts is one of our faves here at Wells Fargo History. There's a great addition to the story his wife told at a recent event honoring the Tuskegee Airmen.

When Col. Roberts retired from duty with the U.S. Army, he was job hunting and dropped into a Wells Fargo office to discuss opportunities. Roberts got to talking with the Branch Manager who, like Roberts, had served in the Second World War.

When the Manager learned Roberts was part of the famed flying squadron that had protected so many lives, he hired him on the spot. The Branch Manager understood that anyone who had accomplished what Roberts had was capable of handling the pressures of banking. Without a doubt.

Check out the short video piece below. It's from our production, a few years back, on Wells Fargo's 150-year (plus) history.

Share your story with us!

Posted by Charles at 11:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in African American History, At Work, First-hand Accounts, Misc, Remember, Sacramento, Wells Fargo Bank

In Stagecoach days, drivers carried Wells Fargo treasure shipments and passengers across the frontier. It took skill to drive a coach and Wells Fargo added rigorous standards of its own: superior reinsmanship, self-reliance and upstanding character.

(FYI, it still takes driving talent and good character to drive Wells Fargo stagecoaches today.)

In 1855, 11-year old George Monroe came west from Georgia. When Monroe had grown, he came to exemplify the greatness of fact and legend of the best stagecoach drivers. He was described by his employers as "the best all-round reinsman in the West."

Early on, George Monroe exhibited a knack for training and driving horses. At age 22, he took a job driving for the A.H. Washburn and Company stage line into Yosemite . That stage line carried passengers and Wells, Fargo & Co.'s Express into Yosemite Valley. Monroe expertly navigated the treacherous cliff-side roads into the Valley and became the best driver around.

One time, the brakes of Monroe's coach failed between Mariposa  and Merced  while full of passengers. Monroe stayed cool, and at an opportune moment drove his team into a clump of brush, bringing the stage to a safe halt. Grateful passengers passed the hat and presented Monroe with $70.

In 1879, the celebrated Monroe was asked to carry a fellow celebrity into Yosemite — Ulysses S. Grant , 18th President of the United States. Grant's schedule took him and Mrs. Grant down the dangerous, 26-mile route into Yosemite Valley, with hairpin turns and fallen rocks and chuckholes. There was a stretch so narrow, the stagecoach's wheels brushed against the granite walls of the cliff. Inches from the other wheels was a thousand-foot gorge.

The crusty General chose to sit next to the driver, a place of honor in those days. An expert horseman in his own right, Grant's assessment of Monroe's skills would make or break his reputation as a stagecoach driver. Monroe did his magic and Grant was duly impressed: "He would throw those six animals from one side to the other," the President marveled, "to avoid a stone or a chuckhole as if they were a single horse."

By 1885, Monroe had driven two more Presidents to Yosemite: James A. Garfield and Rutherford B. Hayes, as well as General William T. Sherman. George Monroe died in 1886 when a stage overturned and mortally injured him. Ironically, Monroe was not the driver, but a passenger — it's a good bet he'd have avoided the accident entirely if he had been "in the box" as driver.

Posted by Charles at 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in African American History, Animals, At Work, Branding, Events, Experts, Misc, Remember, Transportation, Wells Fargo Bank

As we celebrate the significant contributions of famous African Americans this month, I think it's important to introduce our collective memory to the often forgotten local heroes and pioneers of African American history. In the 1880 census, 31 African Americans lived in the area of Julian, California . That number, small as it was, constituted 60% of the entire African American population in San Diego County. The town of Julian, located in the back mountainous country of San Diego County and long known for its gold (and more recently for its apples ) is also where early African American pioneers made their mark on San Diego.

One of those pioneers was A.E. "Fred" Coleman . A former slave, Coleman had spent some time in the gold fields of northern California during the '49 gold rush. In 1869, Coleman was a cattle herder living in the area of Julian. One day, after leading his horse to a small creek, Coleman looked into the stream and discovered the unmistakable glitter of gold...and the Julian Gold Rush  was on!

Coleman was soon elected Recorder of the newly formed Coleman Mining District. Between 1870 and 1875, the Julian mines produced about $2 million in gold. The creek where Coleman made his discovery was renamed Coleman Creek . And a nearby street, Coleman Circle , was also named in his honor.

Another pioneer, Albert Robinson, originally came to California as a slave. Robinson won his freedom and moved to Julian around 1880. With his wife Margret, he opened the Robinson Restaurant and Bakery. Margret's reputation for good cooking and hospitality brought in so many customers that Albert soon added rooms to the restaurant. The new Robinson Hotel became very popular during the Julian boom times and beyond. The Robinson's owned and operated the hotel for 28 years. The Robinson Hotel, (presently known as the Julian Gold Rush Hotel ) has been in operation for over a hundred years and is the "oldest continuously operated hotel in southern California" according to the National Register of Historic Places .

These are just three of the African American pioneers who helped shape San Diego County. I invite everyone to do a little digging and learn more about little-known African American pioneers in your own town. For more on Black pioneers in San Diego, check out this article  from the Journal of San Diego History.

Posted by Casey at 02:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Found in African American History, Gold, Misc, Museums, Perspective, Remember, San Diego, Wells Fargo Bank

Here's a video piece that works nicely with our story about William M. Robison, from the other day. It's from a video Wells Fargo made a few years ago on our history, "Since 1852: The Universal Friend and Agent."

The piece is short, but it gives a little more detail for your Robison files. Which, I assume, you are accumulating?

Share your story with us!

Posted by Charles at 09:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in African American History, Misc, Remember, Wells Fargo Bank

For forty years, William Robison was the Express Messenger who carried Wells, Fargo & Co.'s Express between Stockton, California   and the Sierra Nevada gold mines . He was active in community affairs and worked forcefully to protect the civil rights of African Americans in California. What distinguishes Robison's accomplishments is the fact that he was active in an era when African Americans faced the hardest attitudes against them: the era of slavery and Jim Crow , 1850-1899.

Born into slavery in Virginia, Robison gained his freedom in 1836 after serving with the U.S. Army in the "Seminole War ." Robison came to California during the Mexican War  and settled in Stockton in 1850. Following a stint at mining (like just about everyone in those years!), he worked for Page, Bacon & Co. , California's largest bank. Robison then hired on with Adams & Co.'s  express business. His route was from Stockton to the mines, carrying mail and newspapers to be first with the news. Adams & Co. crashed in the financial panic of 1855 and Wells Fargo happily hired Robison. He worked for Wells Fargo for another forty years.

Robison actively fought for civil rights. He was a delegate to the State Convention of Colored Citizens in 1856 , which circulated petitions to allow non-Whites to testify in court cases. In the early 1870s, Robison worked to integrate Stockton's schools.

In pre-Civil War years, California was a Free State  and Robison was not quiet about reminding people of that fact. Robison took action as well: According to Stockton historian Virginia L. Struhsaker, Robison was one of an armed band that liberated slaves held illegally in San Joaquin County. An African American man took a huge risk by participating in such an act because negative attitudes were everywhere, even in Free States.

In 1861, for instance, a business agent along Robison's Messenger route protested the employment of a black wagon driver. George Tighlman, Wells Fargo's cashier in the Stockton office, sarcastically replied, "we are obliged to you for your advice...We get along very well with ours; have never had any trouble."

Robison was a respected man in his community. Even the pro-slavery San Joaquin Republican  praised him as "a worthy and noticeable man," noted for "his remarkable kindnesses." Robison was a member of the Stockton Pioneer Society, one of many such organizations formed in that era by "Forty-niners"  and other early-comers to the Golden State. At his death in 1899, other Pioneers wrote of Robison's trustworthiness and the positions of responsibility he held.

In sum: Robison had a military career and claimed his freedom, stayed in one job for decades, was active in civic affairs, joined community organizations, risked his life for justice — and leaves a primary legend as being a great guy. Robison is THE model of citizenship. It's an honor to work with him.

Posted by Charles at 12:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in African American History, At Work, Gold, Misc, Perspective, Protests, Remember, Transportation, Wells Fargo Bank

Guided By History is pleased to feature this guest post by Cheryl L. McDonald. Cheryl is Wells Fargo's vice president of Diverse Growth Segments specializing in the African American segment. This team develops initiatives to address the financial needs of diverse and emerging customer groups nationwide. She is responsible for planning business strategies and marketing programs for the African American market — then making them happen. (CR)

I always look forward to Black History Month  because invariably I learn something new about the historical achievements of African Americans. One of my favorite little-known "jewels of history" is the Pattersons of Greenfield, Ohio . They were an African American family who manufactured cars, trucks and buses.

The patriarch of the family was Charles Richard Patterson , a blacksmith who escaped from slavery in Virginia by running away to freedom. In Ohio, Patterson took over a blacksmith business and founded the Charles R. Patterson Carriage Company , which built horse-drawn vehicles in the 1860s. When Patterson died, his son Frederick Douglass Patterson  took over and produced the new "horseless carriage." The Patterson family manufactured their first car in 1915 and called their line the Patterson-Greenfield .

The Patterson Company produced cars until they could no longer compete with larger companies. Apparently there was a better market for custom-bodied vehicles, and the company decided to cease production of cars and concentrate efforts on such products as buses, hearses, moving vans, and trucks for hauling ice, milk and baked goods.

Only in recent years have we learned about the remarkable history of the Patterson family's manufacture of motorized vehicles well into the late 1930s.

Please share some of the little-known "jewels" of African American history that you run across this month. Use the "Feedback" button at the bottom of the page, or send it to "Ask the Expert" to your right. Or just send a comment to us!

Posted by Charles at 03:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Found in African American History, Misc, Perspective, Remember, Transportation, Wells Fargo Bank

It's February (already?!) and that means Black History Month . Black History Month acknowledges the contributions to American life made by African Americans: yesterday, today and in days to come. Wells Fargo History.com has a series of short videos that give a brief overview of Wells Fargo's heritage and the part diversity plays  in that heritage.

Throughout Black History Month , Guided By History will feature stories of African American contributions to this heritage, in the past and today.

Posted by Charles at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Found in African American History, At Work, Holidays, Misc, Participate, Perspective, Remember, Wells Fargo Bank

A couple of months ago (October 21, 2007), Wells Fargo helped celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Sacramento Public Library . A Wells Fargo Stagecoach made an appearance and the Old Sacramento Museum staff presented a gold panning exhibition. The festivities attracted many visitors, young and old, who enjoyed gold panning   and the other activities. The most important part, however, was the celebration of the 150th anniversary  of the Public Library.

Five years after the creation of Wells Fargo in 1852, the Sacramento Public Library was created. By 1857, Sacramento was developing rapidly . The city had a railroad, city hall, newspaper, steamboat service, ten churches, brothels, theaters and a Wells Fargo Express Office. The citizenry felt it necessary to fulfill their intellectual requirements as well – so in October, prominent residents formed the Capital Library Association.

The Association sold stock at 25 dollars per share and raised $25,000 to buy books, furnish the library and purchase land for the building. The Library opened in November 1857 to subscribing members who paid five dollars initially, then two dollars and fifty cents quarterly. The first building was located at 5th and J Streets and housed a collection of 800 books.

The following year, another 800 books sailed from New York , around Cape Horn , and through the Delta  to Sacramento. By September 1873, the library had 260 subscribing members and an annual circulation of 4,234 books. Unfortunately, membership started to decline after that.

The Association offered the property to the City of Sacramento to be used as a free public library. In June 1879, the Sacramento Free Library opened with over 6,000 books. Within six months, the number of daily visitors had grown to over 100. Since then library service has continued to expand, with the opening of branch sites throughout the city's communities.

The main branch  of Sacramento's modern Public Library opened in 1992 on 9th and I Streets in a beautiful six-story building. The Library today offers so much more with exhibits, programs, book readings and events. But the 150-year history of the Library is not forgotten: those 800 books that sailed 'round the Horn  in 1858 are still a part of the Library's rare book collection.

Posted by Martha at 10:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in Get Involved, Gold, Misc, Museums, Perspective, Remember, Sacramento, Transportation, Wells Fargo Bank

Whenever visitors enter a Wells Fargo History Museum, they are inevitably drawn the Concord Stagecoach. Most are disbelieving when they hear that 18 passengers were packed in and on top of the coach, and their curiosity only grows when they hear about the dangers of the untamed West: no paved roads and the closest thing to a fast food restaurant being a pot of slumgullion  boiling over a smoky fire...

In today's society, travel is all about speed and comfort. Nine times out of ten, you will see travelers in an airport wearing ensembles more closely resembling pajamas than day wear. Although this seems like quite a leap from the attire donned by travelers 150 years ago , taking a look back reveals that there were a few brave souls who attempted to make the arduous journey westward a bit more comfortable.

There were many ways to travel across the western territories and all of them were uncomfortable. They were even more difficult for women, who were hampered by layers of petticoats and full-length dresses. Most travelers were poor enough that walking was their only option. Imagine arriving in California wearing the same clothes in which you left home a year before. Even if you were part of a wagon train and had room for clothes in your luggage, you would have spent most of your time walking alongside the wagons. Fording streams, hiking muddy trails, and climbing through mountain passes in a full skirt would be frustrating and slow.

In response, Elizabeth Smith Miller