These are the stories of my family who came west for the Gold Rush - and stayed. Provided with simple items as photos, a little memorabilia and tidbits of information from my parents, years of in-depth research have provided the tales described in this book. There were hardships on arrival in California, gunfights, a stagecoach robbery, devastating fires, murders, a hanging, and the deaths and triumphs over depression and alcohol. Digging through research also revealed the effect the Civil War had on my relatives, their involvement in construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, and the toll pandemics and disease brought to the family. This book looks at events that shaped the lives of a family who came to California by wagon and ship and their children born in the 19th century.