L. H. (Lell Hawley) Woolley

Born on September 23, 1825, Lell Hawley Woolley was an American pioneer and memoirist best known for California, 1849-1913; or, The Rambling Sketches and Experiences of Sixty-four Years' Residence in that State. He left Vermont in 1849 and crossed the plains to California by mule train, part of the great movement of fortune-seekers during the Gold Rush.

Woolley’s life in California took him through several roles: he tried gold mining in places including Weaverville and Beal's Bar, kept a hotel in Grass Valley, and later settled into business life in San Francisco. Accounts connected with his book also note his involvement in the San Francisco Vigilance Committee of 1856, placing him close to some of the most dramatic conflicts of the era.

What makes Woolley interesting as an author is the long span of memory behind his writing. Published in 1913, his book looks back over more than sixty years in California and preserves the voice of someone who witnessed the state’s rough early years firsthand. For listeners interested in frontier travel, Gold Rush history, and everyday life in early California, his work has the feel of an eyewitness record rather than a polished literary memoir.