Daniel Knower

Enterprising physician Daniel Knower of Albany, New York, set sail for California early in 1849 with twelve prefabricated houses to sell in San Francisco. After his arrival in August of that year, Knower sold the houses at a handsome profit, and later entered into the real estate speculation market.

Although he had no intent of mining himself, Knower did venture to the gold fields near Coloma to witness the lives of the miners there. He eventually published both his observations of the mine country and his experiences in the San Francisco area in his memoirThe Adventures of a Forty-Niner. In the following excerpt, Knower relates the story of a miner who was attacked by a grizzly bear.

One warm afternoon my friend Mc and myself thought we would take a walk over to Pesedeo; that was about three miles...