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California Pioneer profiles

Do you have a California Pioneer? Did they go to the Gold Country? Did they live in California in 1850? Did they survive the San Francisco Earthquake? If they did, then you can honor your pioneer by submitting a bio about them and we will post it here. If you can prove your lineage you can apply for one of our certificates and display it on your wall! 

Below you can find a few profiles of some California Pioneers. Check back with us often to watch our wall grow! We are adding bios as we receive them.

If you have questions or like to submit a bio of your California Pioneer please contact us at pioneercertificateprogram@gmail.com.

Watch this video for more information about the program.  Pioneer Program video.

Read about this program here.  Guide to California Pioneer Certificate Program

Early California History



1850 Census page from San Diego County, Calif
Agoston Haraszthy, a California Pioneer
Calif Gold panner during the Gold Rush
California Pioneer Certificate from SDGS
Juan Bandini, a California Pioneer
Bio of Frances Hurley Cameron
Mission Indians
San Luis Rey de Francia, California
San Diego de Alcala, California
Old map of San Diego, California
Street view of San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake.
California Pioneer Biography Index



California Pioneer Certificate Program
California Residence Pioneer

Earthquake Pioneers 

Gold Rush Pioneer
California Missions Pioneers

California Pioneer Profiles

Bandini, Juan I

1800 - 1859

1850 Census San Diego County, Dwelling 33


Bailey, Boanerges R.

1827 - 1883

1850 Census Nevada County

Gold Rush


Bailey, Doctor Bowling "D.B"

1831 - 1888

1850 Census Nevada County

Gold Rush


Begole, William

1826 - 1901


Briones, Juana

1802 - 1889


Bubb, William and wife Mary Ann (nee Gibson)

1788 - 1864

1850 Census, Yolo County, Dwelling 16


Cameron, Frances Hurley

1833 - 1908

San Francisco Earthquake of 1906


Estudillo, Jose Antonio

1803 - 1852

1850 Census San Diego County, Dwelling 7


Frink, Daniel Benjamin

1827 - 1891

1850 Census, Marin County, Dwelling 27


Haraszthy, Agoston  

1812 - 1869

1850 Census San Diego County, Dwelling 31


Lindsay, John Charles and wife Susanna (nee McClain)

1790 - 1851

1850 Census Sonoma County, Dwelling 24


Robinson, James W.

1790 - 1857

1850 Census San Diego County, Dwelling 82


Warner, John 

1807 - 1895

1850 Census San Diego County, Dwelling 4


Resources

Sources for profiles of California pioneers

Early Settlers of Old Los Altos/Mountain View   ( a project of the Los Altos Chapter of the DAR 2020-2021)

Guide to the The Society of California Pioneers Collection of Autobiographies and Reminiscences of Early Pioneers (cdlib.org) (153 autobiographies and reminiscences of those who migrated west prior to 1850)

California pioneer register and index, 1542-1848 : including Inhabitants of California, 1769-1800, and list of pioneers : Bancroft, Hubert Howe, 1832-1918) (More than 1,700 searchable names of men living in California 1769-1800 with some biographical information and Pioneer index)

Sources for Earthquake Pioneers

1906 Earthquake Eyewitness Accounts (sfmuseum.org) (32 digital eyewitness accounts, sorted alphabetically by the author-witness surname, from The Museum of the City of San Francisco collection “Eyewitnesses to the Earthquake and Fire”)

The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire (Biographies, narratives, maps and photographs from the Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley)

Sources for Gold Rush Pioneers

Gold Rush Pioneer

Sources for Mission Pioneers

California Missions Pioneers 
(Connect to Huntington Library)

Maps

Maps at Cyndi's list

Maps at David Rumsey Map Collection

Maps at Library of Congress

US Census on Family Search

More resources....

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San Diego, CA 92163

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