PBA Galleries

Archive of approximately 100 letters and 28 postcards, most with original envelopes.

A remarkable archive of letters from a devoted wife, living alone in San Francisco, to her husband, Zoeth Skinner Eldredge, in Virginia City, Nevada. Written during a period of separation due to business in the mining regions of Nevada Mrs. Eldredge writes of her daily activities, struggles and joys of raising a young child, caring for her invalid mother-in-law, and the heartache of separation. The archive covers a period of approximately 8 months from February though September of 1881. Mrs. Eldredge would pass away 11 months later, in August of 1882. Rosa "Balley" Ellis Eldredge was the first wife of Zoeth Skinner Eldredge (1846-1915), a noted banker and author of several volumes on California history including: "The March of Portola and the Discovery of the San Francisco Bay" (1909), "The Beginnings of San Francisco" (1912) and editor of "History of California" (1915).