Wells Fargo launched the Someday Stories^SM contest recently — it's a chance to win $1,000, $10,000…even $100,000!

It's easy: Tell your story in a paragraph or two. A Someday Stories entry is a 250-words or less expression of your true financial dreams that Wells Fargo can help you achieve. Make sure you submit your dream  before July 25th.

From June 9th to August 25th, Wells Fargo is awarding $1,000 for the "Story of the Week." In July and August, five finalists will each receive $10,000 toward fulfilling their "Someday" goal. The prizes will be announced on September 17th, and a team of Wells Fargo financial professionals will help winners develop the plan to achieve their goals.

The prize delivery, financial consultation and winners telling their individual "Story" will be filmed and a two-minute clip posted online. Everyone is welcome to visit the site and vote for their favorite of the Someday Stories entries. The top vote-getter becomes the grand prize winner, and gets $100,000 on November 17th.

But wait — there's more!

When people go online to cast votes for their favorite video, they can also vote for one of three great causes: Junior Achievement , Boys & Girls Clubs of America  and Habitat for Humanity . The charity that receives the most votes gets $250,000! The second- and third-most vote-getters receive $150,000 and $50,000, respectively.

It's a pretty generous contest. So many can win money they need and deserve: organizations that help people, and individual people who dream of a brighter tomorrow — all great causes. Enter! 

Posted by Charles at 04:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in At Home, At Work, Branding, Experts, First-hand Accounts, Get Involved, Misc, Participate, Wells Fargo Bank

A couple months ago, Charles wrote about the Ada Hancock explosion, the truth of which has been skewed by legend. While he gave the corrected side of the story, there's a more practical piece of history that resulted from that incident — it's legal and meant something to lawyers at the time, which is probably why people changed the story and focused on treasure instead!

On the evening of April 27, 1863, the shallow draft  steam tug left the Los Angeles harbor wharf and headed to the coastal steamer Senator. Aboard were Phineas Banning , the mercantile and transportation entrepreneur who owned the town of Wilmington  and who also represented Wells Fargo; his brother-in-law William T.B. Sanford, company accountant and assistant Wells Fargo agent; and Wells Fargo messenger William C. Ritchie, in charge of an iron treasure box containing $10,755 in gold dust and bullion from the Colorado River mines. There were 50 other passengers and the crew.

A sudden squall struck the Ada Hancock, heeling her over. Cold water contacted hot iron and the boilers exploded, killing 26 people outright. Among the dead were Sanford and Ritchie, while the force blew an injured Banning clear of the boat. Only seven persons aboard escaped injury from an accident the Coroner's Jury declared to be "entirely attributable to the overpowering force of the elements."

A Fort Yuma  merchant named George F. Hooper  lost his gold and sued Wells Fargo, though the Company denied culpability. In fact, California Supreme Court Justice Lorenzo Sawyer  affirmed: "There was evidence tending to prove, that the explosion was caused by the carelessness of the engineer, and other officers."

But in March, 1865, the Court upheld Hooper's claim. (Hooper v. Wells Fargo, 27 Cal. 11-49.) Thereafter, Wells Fargo's receipts added a disclaimer: The Company, "not owning or being interested in the means or vehicles of transportation," would not be liable for accidents caused by "the negligence or misconduct" of carriers.

Within 18 months, that would change when Wells Fargo established its Great Overland Mail Stagecoach line across the country.

Posted by Bob at 03:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in At Work, Gold, Misc, Remember, Steamers, Transportation, Wells Fargo Bank

A couple weeks ago, the Olaf Wieghorst  Western Heritage Day's Festival took place in El Cajon, California. It's always great to be able to get out and interact with the public in that type of environment. After 6 years, I'm still amazed at the reaction people have when they see the stagecoach, whether it's the memories it conjures, the curiosity it piques or the awe it inspires. Men and women, young and old — so many people are drawn to it.

And because I love to educate and tell stories, it was a great time.

After spending the weekend dressed in an 1870s costume, complete with waist coat and pocket watch, answering questions and telling stories about stagecoaches and Wells Fargo history in the hot El Cajon Valley sun, I decided to take a day off.

So, here I sit with my road atlas, a well-warn copy of The Butterfield Overland Mail  by Waterman L. Ormsby, Post-it Notes  in three colors, and of course, my laptop with internet at the ready. What could I possibly be doing?

Well, if all goes as planned, I will have the unique opportunity to travel the old Butterfield mail route  from St. Louis to San Francisco. What's the occasion you ask? As many of you may know, this year is the 150th anniversary of the first overland mail trip  via the Butterfield Route .

As part of our celebration of this anniversary — which will include new interactive exhibits in our museums! — I'm hoping to recreate the trip in the same amount of time as the historic journey .

Launching from St. Louis on September 16 and arriving in San Francisco on October 10 (to what I imagine will be a ticker tape parade!), I'll spend 26 days on the road. I plan to blog, video, photograph and interview interesting people and places I see along the way.

As you can imagine, this is no small undertaking: which brings me back to the atlas, book, post it notes, etc.

Right now, I'm in the process of working out the logistics, budget, research and all else that goes into planning a trip of this kind. I can only imagine what planning, anxiety and excitement must have gone into the pioneers' and 49ers' preparations. It's been a lot of work so far, but I think it will be incredibly rewarding in the end.

I can't wait to share this experience with you! So keep your fingers crossed and I'll keep you posted....

Posted by Casey at 04:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in Agriculture, Animals, At Work, Barbecue, Baseball, Branding, Coffee, Disco, Dogs, Environment, Experts, First-hand Accounts, Get Involved, Hollywood, Misc, Movies, Museums, Music, Perspective, Remember, San Diego, Stagecoach, Transportation, Travel, Wells Fargo Bank, Westerns

Saturday was the 50th anniversary, to the day, of Wells Fargo's Stagecoach Appearance Program. It was a big hoo ha in Hayward, California. 

Here's some vid! We hope you enjoy it. (You can Ignore the guy in red... )

Posted by Charles at 04:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in At Work, Branding, Events, First-hand Accounts, Holidays, Misc, Music, Participate, Perspective, Ride sharing, Stagecoach, Wells Fargo Bank

We promised to reduce Loss and Damage. Therefore, we must handle shipments "The Fargo Way."

Issues of the Wells Fargo Messenger in 1913 and 1916 focused on the matter of "Loss and Damage."  And the little things meant a lot — attention to details was the answer.

On March 25, 1915, a traveling inspector in Albuquerque, New Mexico wrote to Elmer R. Jones, General Superintendent of Wells Fargo & Co.'s Express. "Looking over overland waybills carried by messenger D.A. Wetherbee for shipments of perishables," the inspector wrote, "I notice that he writes on the face of the waybill, 'ICED' with date and name."

Rushing refrigerated carloads of fresh produce was a huge Wells Fargo business, and the inspector saw how precious time could be saved during stops. Wells Fargo messengers along the route, he recommended to Jones, "should be furnished with a regulation re-ice stamp." This would save them the time of writing the icing schedule on waybills, or having to decide whether a shipment needed ice when the train stopped.

Jones got the letter in two days (by Wells Fargo Express, of course), and very quickly the re-ice stamps were disbursed!

Posted by Bob at 01:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Found in Agriculture, At Work, First-hand Accounts, Misc, Perspective, Prepare, Railroads, Remember, Transportation, 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

In January, tornadoes bombarded the South , taking more than fifty lives — at least thirty of those in my native state of Tennessee. Stories of survival in this tragedy include a man who managed to protect himself by pulling a couch over his head, bank employees who sought protection in their bank vault, and a woman who huddled in her bathroom as the twister roared through her neighborhood.

The far-reaching path  of the tornado and its accompanying storms extended from Texas to Ohio and the damage was bluntly described by Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen when he said, "It looks like the Lord took a Brillo pad and scrubbed the ground." Tornado experts say this round of tornadoes is the worst they have witnessed  in about twenty-three years.

The swath of area  that tornadoes frequently go through every year is called Tornado Alley . But the untold story is that tornadoes don't just occur in Tornado Alley — they appear in some of the most unlikely places in the United States.

For instance, I had just gotten off the MAX  about a month ago, and as I headed to my son's school in Vancouver (across the Columbia River from Portland), I learned that a tornado  had come within a half mile of the school.

Here in the Pacific Northwest, earthquakes, flooding, and forest fires are the disasters we expect, not tornadoes. This small tornado had wind speeds of 90-110 mph, was 440 yards wide, and had a two mile path that touched down several times. Damage was not nearly as severe as in the South, because the Pacific Ocean and mountain terrain of the Pacific Northwest helped to limit the damage.

After hearing with relief that my kids were safe, I was interested in how often twisters went through Southwest Washington.

The last tornado that swept through Vancouver took place on April 5, 1972 , taking six lives and injuring 300. It ranks as the deadliest tornado in the state and was ranked the 7th worst weather-related event  of the 20th century in Washington State. It destroyed a grocery, a store, a bowling alley, and an elementary school, causing over five million dollars in damage. On the same day, tornadoes touched down near Spokane and in Stevens County, Washington.

All this stresses the fact that tornadoes can happen anytime, anywhere. As the year unfolds — and the traditional tornado season looms nearer — it's time to update your disaster plan, keeping in mind that tornadoes touch down  in unlikely places.

Posted by Steve at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in At Home, At Work, Environment, Misc, Museums, Natural Disasters, Perspective, Prepare, Tornadoes, 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

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

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

Robberies of treasure carried by Wells Fargo Express aboard stagecoaches, unfortunately did take place. But Wells Fargo's crack detective force pursued the bandits with cold calculation and didn't stop pursuing till they netted the bad guys and locked them away. The legend "Wells Fargo Never Forgets" is the single best artifact from those years.

The town of Umatilla, Oregon  is nestled on the Columbia River  about three hours east of Portland. On October 21st, 1875, six miles outside of Umatilla, two men robbed the stagecoach from Boise City  and made off with gold from the Idaho mines .

Wells Fargo's detective force immediately sprang into action. Portland's Special Agent H. C. Paige sent a telegram to John J. Valentine, General Superintendent of Wells Fargo, to inform him that the extent of loss was unknown — but agents were in pursuit of the robbers. On October 29th, Paige wrote a letter to Valentine from Baker City , reporting a loss of up to $4,000, based upon the value of the gold listed on the manifest. Once the loss was known, Paige distributed a reward poster .

At first, Paige went after a red-headed fellow he had been suspicious of, based on a comb with red hairs found at the crime scene. A nearby hotel keeper confirmed the comb belonged to the suspect. On November 5th, Paige wrote Valentine from Pendleton . Two other suspects had confessed to the robbery and were in custody.

Paige had solved the case.

There is more about Wells Fargo's detective force at the Portland Museum. Our new exhibit, "Crime Scene Investigation: Officers in Pursuit," officially opened on January 16th. Check it out!

Posted by Steve at 09:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Found in Artifacts, At Work, Crime, Experts, First-hand Accounts, Misc, Museums, Perspective, Remember, Stagecoach, Wells Fargo Bank

Thinking about Wells Fargo's beginnings, a few pivotal events come to mind: Henry Wells hiring William Fargo as an express messenger for the Pomeroy Company in 1842 , and the resistance other Directors of the American Express Company had to venturing into California, pushing fellow Directors Wells and Fargo to create their own company. These events are crucial enough that Wells Fargo & Company might not ever have been created without them.

Another key event was the discovery of gold in Coloma, California  by James Marshall. His discovery led to the Gold Rush  — the migration of thousands of people to California in a short time. These events sparked the interests of express pioneers Wells and Fargo to found the Company. Again, it's feasible to say that this may not have happened if Marshall  had not discovered gold that cold morning in 1848.

Marshall was a carpenter and sawmill operator by trade who came to California in 1845. He started working at Sutter's Fort , putting into motion the events that led to the discovery of gold. In 1848, John Sutter  and Marshall started construction of a sawmill on the American River in Coloma.

On the morning of January 24, 1848 , Marshall discovered a small nugget of gold in the millrace. Henry Bigler was working for Marshall that day and left an account of the discovery: "This day some kind of mettle was found in the trail race that looks like gold."

For a short time the discovery remained a secret. Laborers on the project were the first to prospect after the completion of the sawmill. The secret was soon leaked, and word of gold in California began to get out. News of the strike on the American River  was doubted for months, however, until May 12, when merchant Sam Brannan  raced around the streets of San Francisco shouting, "Gold! Gold from the American River!"

Local excitement brought the first influx of prospectors, and the news quickly spread to the East and then around the globe. Christopher "Kit" Carson  brought the first news of gold to Washington D.C., and on December 5th, President James K. Polk  reported to Congress about the discovery of Gold in California. The finding was official and the Gold Rush was on.

Henry Wells and William Fargo established Wells Fargo in San Francisco in 1852. Over the 156 years since, Wells Fargo has continued a tradition of dependable financial service. We at Wells Fargo are proud of our history and our Company, but we also marvel at how James Marshall's tiny piece of gold at a construction site changed the course of U.S. and California history, and also began Wells Fargo's own history.

Posted by Greg at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in At Work, Gold, Misc, Museums, Perspective, Psychology, Remember, Sacramento, Wells Fargo Bank

As I wrote last week, and as you see here, I got a new banker's uniform. Here at the Wells Fargo Museum in Old Sacramento, we give tours and dress in the style of the era. My pocket watch gave my get-up a classic finish. It also got me thinking about watches Wells Fargo presented in recognition of heroic work. I told the story of Aaron Y. Ross, but another man comes to mind.

James Wales Miller was a stagecoach driver. While on his route one day he outran would-be stagecoach robbers and saved the Wells Fargo treasure box. Miller was asked what he wanted for his valor. He responded, "A dame big bullion watch."

And that’s what Miller got. Wells Fargo presented Miller a silver watch and chain that together weighed approximately two and one-half pounds. The watch alone was approximately three inches in circumference, and one inch wide.

Although such watches as Ross's and Miller's were presented for valor, heroism was not the only reason to Wells Fargo bestowed watches. Non-employees who helped the company were presented with these exclusive watches on occasion. Thomas W. Davies was one such man. A treasure box was dropped from a stagecoach near San Diego, "carrying 10,000 worth in gold from the Golden Chariot Mine ." Davies found and returned the treasure box to Wells Fargo—intact. Superintendent John J. Valentine sent Davies a presentation watch with an inscription that read:

As recognition of his integrity in protecting and restoring the Treasure Box, with valuable contents, lost from the Julian City Stage , near San Diego, October 1, 1873.

The loyalty, courage and honesty these men showed paid off for them in the end. Wells Fargo appreciated their integrity, and presented them with some of the finest watches of the time.

Posted by Greg at 03:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Found in Artifacts, At Work, Crime, Gold, Misc, Museums, Perspective, Photographs, Remember, Sacramento, Stagecoach, Wells Fargo Bank

I just got a new period costume for my work here at the Old Sacramento History Museum. I added a pocket watch to finish off the the banker's uniform and give it a classic feel. It is a nice but humble watch, and goes well with the 1860s garb, but it is positively shabby compared to the watches some people received in recognition for valor while working for Wells Fargo.

The first person that comes to my mind when I think about these presentation watches is an agent named Aaron Y. Ross. Ross received the watch for defending an express rail car January 23, 1883 in Montello, Nevada . It was a winter night when bandits accosted the train on the Central Pacific Railroad  line. Ross was holed up in the Wells Fargo express car as the thieves attempted to rob the train. The men ordered Ross out of the car but he refused

The bad men opened fire on Ross. He was wounded three times in the crossfire, but he remained defending the car. Ross returned fire and killed one of the bandits. The others attempted to burn Ross out of the car but were unable to set the car ablaze. The gang eventually gave up and Ross was victorious in defending Wells Fargo's treasure.

Ross defended a Wells Fargo shipment of only $600.00, "but next door in the postal car was $500,000 in currency," which was also saved thanks to Ross's valor. The gang escaped but was arrested five days later in Utah.

For his courage, Wells Fargo presented Ross a gold watch and chain valued at 650 dollars, along with 1000 dollars in cash. All his medical bills were paid, too. The presentation watch read:

From Wells, Fargo & Company to MESSENGER Aaron Y. Ross. In token of his courageous and successful defence of the EXPRESS CAR against Highway Robbers at Montello, Nev. JANUARY 23, 1883.

Next week, I'll tell you about another fine watch or two, presented by Wells Fargo to its bravest defenders.

Happy New Year!

Posted by Greg at 01:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in Artifacts, At Work, Crime, Misc, Museums, New Year's Day, Perspective, Prepare, Railroads, Remember, Sacramento, Transportation, Wells Fargo Bank

Posted by Charles at 09:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in Artifacts, At Work, Events, Holidays, Misc, New Year's Day, Participate, Perspective, Remember, San Francisco, Wells Fargo Bank

Last weekend, Wells Fargo Historians "horsed around" in the San Francisco History Museum, decorating the premises for the Season. Holiday decorations included a stagecoach full of horses—especially Maggies. Maggie is the eighth limited edition Wells Fargo Plush Pony since 2003. Her real life counterpart represented Wells Fargo in San Francisco's Work Horse Parade in 1909. Now, there are Maggies all over, and inside, the stagecoach.

(And check out the "Make Maggie a Happy Pony!" game. There's also Maggie's pdf Activity book, in spanish as well as english.)

In the Days of Old and the Days of Gold, Wells Fargo moved by horsepower: Wells Fargo stagecoaches were pulled by four or six horses."Horses are the pride of Wells Fargo service," the company declared. "Our most faithful employee and friend"—nicely groomed, harnesses oiled, brass fittings polished, and hitched in matched pairs—was Wells Fargo's best advertisement.

Driving the authentic Concord coach in the Museum is Trixie, originally a paint  from Ardmore, Oklahoma , who prefers to get where she is going sooner rather than later. By her side is an equally large Trixie, riding shotgun. She arrived inWells Fargo's stable of Plush Ponies for the 2005 holiday season.

"Wheelers,"  the big muscular horses closest to the coach, are real Princes. The collectible Plush Pony named for Prince, also from Ardmore, appeared in 2006. Our wheelers are a pair of matched grays , 5 and a half feet long and 11 hands high  in horse talk.

This year, the two Princes got hitched. The blushing brides are two agile Maggies, 5 feet long and 10 and a half hands high. Being smart, they are the pair of leader horses. And yes, the hitching is proper. Just like on Wells Fargo's Overland Stagecoaches of the 1860s, the ribbons go where they should, allowing Trixie to turn Prince and Maggie to the left or right as needed.

(If you're wondering if you can purchase these and how much they cost, the answer is—sorry, you can't. They are not available for sale.)

If you are in downtown San Francisco, come by to see an authentic 4-horse hitch. Say "Hi" to Trixie, Prince, and Maggie—and as a memento, take home a little Maggie from the Museum Store!

Posted by Bob at 11:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Found in Animals, At Work, Christmas, Holidays, Misc, Museums