News & Tall Tales. 1800s.

Unclaimed Goods in San Francisco

Many ships were abandoned when their sailors ran off to try their luck in the gold fields. It was impossible to find crews, and quite a few rotted and sunk. However, wise entrepreneurs used them for other purposes, boarding houses and storeships being the most common.

The following is a list from the store ship Panama. The listing of unclaimed goods seems sad testimony of the fate of the people who left their few precious belongings in the hands of someone and then didn't or couldn't get back to claim them. 

July 8, 1851, Daily Alta California, San Francisco

Miscellaneous

THE FOLLOWING CHESTS, TRUNKS, &c. on board store shipPanama, having been unclaimed for upwards of one year, the owners thereof are hereby notified that they will be sold at auction on the 10th day of July next, unless previously called for (Editor's Note: The following is a partial list): 

Unclaimed Goods
J. Morton, 1 chest	Unknown, 1 chest
J.L. McDurmot, 1 chest	Porter " Co., 1 chest
E. Loyd, (H.V.), 1 quadrant	S.N. Martin, 1 chest
Capt. W. Taylor, 2 chests	Joseph Gam, 1 box tobacco
P.B.R., 1 chest	J.A. Chambers, 1 chest
Dr. S.S. Seyna, 1 chest	Gibbs, 1 chest
J.L.T.K., 1 trunk	S. Babbett, 1 trunk, 1 bag
Traok, 1 box, 1 bag	J.O., 1 bag
Lewes, J., 1 trunk	Danl Perry, 1 chest
Ths. Scott, 1 chest	J.B. Chase, 3 boxes
G.E. Delere, 1 chest	G.W. Blanchard, 1 bx bedding
Jno Shreave, 1 chest	No mark, 1 bag
W. Holdredge, 1 chest	H. Shalmon, 1 bag, 1 keg sugar
Jas Angie, 1 chest	Jos Perkins, 1 chest
Jas Burns, 1 chest	Celestine Barnsuce, 1 trunk
Hiram Weeks, 1 chest	Francis Denny, 1 chest
A.A. Co., 1 bx tobacco, 1 bx soap	Holley, 4 chests
Eddy, 1 gun	H.P.C., 1 bag
S.R. Eddy, 1 trunk	Capt. J. Bowers,, 1 chest, 1 violin
HR.H. Chesley, RHC, 1 chest, 1 brl pork	J.J. Newman, 1 box, 1 mortar
W. Tucker, 1 gold washer	Geo. Smith, 1 brl beef
Holyhoke Co., 1 box clothing	Dr. Houp, 1 brl crucibles

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