Series I: Diaries
Scope and Content Note
Series I consists of 42 diaries belonging to Paine, and one diary belonging to his wife, Catherine J. Paine.
Paine's diaries document both his professional and private life. His early diaries (1848-1860) document his travel from New Hampsire to Sheboygan, Wisconsin and from Wisconsin to California during the Gold Rush. His diaries documenting his experiences while traveling to and in California during the Gold Rush are particularly detailed. In these entries, Paine records his observances of several mining regions in California paying particular attention to sites in El Dorado, California including Placerville, Sutter's Creek and Spanish Flat. Paine documents the towns specifically as well as mining engineering and prospecting in general. Paine also documents his travel back to Sheboygan by boat with stops in Mexico, Panama, San Juan, the West Indies, Havana and New York City; completing the route by railroad through Michigan and Illinois.
Paine's 1860-1865 diaries detail his work as a topographical engineer for the Army of the Potomac. These entries are largely written during his time in Washington D.C. and Virginia. Additionally, Paine has diaries from this time period that consist of departmental orders, headquarter notes and accounts related to his military work.
Paine's later diaries (1865-1890) are largely written while he was living in Brooklyn, N.Y. and consist mostly of personal entires. There are only two diaries from Paine's time working on the Brookyln Bridge, with little mention of his specific work. Throughout his diaries, Paine talks frequently of religion, often citing sermons he attended.
The diary of Catherine J. Paine has very few entries, and appears to be largely written after William Paine's death in 1890.