[CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH]. Manuscript diary of gold miner John Johnston. Oblong 8vo. Original handwritten manuscript diary of John Johnston of New York City dated 1 January–22 September 1850 and numbering approximately 114 pages with detailed descriptions of daily life in the Auburn–region of California including accounts of conflicts with Indigenous peoples, legal disputes, the first Auburn election, daily weather, fights between miners, and other significant events; specific mention is made of Johnson’s Ranch, onto which survivors of the ill-fated Donner Party staggered in search of help. Chipping along extremities, toning, closed tears, small losses. The California Gold Rush officially began on 24 January 1848 when James W. Marshall discovered gold at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma. Over the next seven years over 300,000 people came to California from all over the world in the hopes of striking it rich. As a result of this rapid influx of settlers afflicted with “gold fever” conflicts with Indigenous tribes were frequent and violent, with environmental changes wrought by panning and blasting leading to mass starvation and disease of the native population, in turn fueling raids and other skirmishes between settlers and natives. Prospective miners arrived primarily through San Francisco, the author of this diary among them, which transformed what had been a small settlement of about 200 people in 1846 into a boomtown of 36,000 only six years later. A state constitution was written in 1849 and California was admitted into the Union as the 31st state the following year. AN INVALUABLE DAILY RECORD OF CALIFORNIA DURING ONE OF ITS MOST EXCITING PERIODS. Includes a partial transcription upon request.