H. C. St. Clair, of Rochester, Illinois, kept a journal of his 1849 overland wagon trip from Springfield to the Sacramento River Valley. The diary (98 p.) describes the route, life on the trail, other wagon trains, and landmarks, such as Independence Rock. St. Clair's last entry is for January 1850. The last page of the journal consists of an 1853 letter by G. Henry Bell in Nevada City to St. Clair returning the journal. The journal also contains an 1853 letter (found between the pages) from St. Clair in Mt. Pulaski, Illinois, to his daughter regarding a possible return to California.
