97:," a resting/relay station near Coloma. For the 50-mile trip at a speed of 10 to 12 miles per hour (16 to 19 km/h), Birch charged 2 ounces of gold (about $ 32 in 1849) each way. Miners hurried to reach each new mining area as it opened up, in order to stake their claims before an area became saturated. Birch was very adept at forecasting where the next important area would be and at quickly providing service there. For the first several months, Birch had a partner, Charles F. Davenport, a close friend and former owner of a stage company in Rhode Island, who had traveled with him to California. By August 1849 Birch had bought out Davenport and become sole owner of the enterprise.
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newspapers both in
California and on the East Coast. He sold off stage lines to areas which were about to become played out, and used the profits to start new, more promising lines. In the face of increased competition, he lowered fares effectively. By the end of 1853, he was so successful that he and others formed the California Stage Company. Birch served as president, and his good friend Frank Shaw Stevens as vice-president. Incorporated with a value of $ 1 million at $ 1000 per share, the California Stage Company had about 80 per cent of the stage business in the state, and paid frequent dividends.
196:, the ship was caught in a hurricane. Damaged, it floundered for several days and sank on September 12, 1857. Many passengers reached lifeboats and were later rescued, but James Birch was not among them. Birch was one of a number of survivors who clung to a piece of the ship's wreckage, tossed in stormy seas for days. Most died of exposure or, like Birch, were swept away to their deaths. Three men survived, aided by Birch's having held on to a silver cup. It was a gift from his superintendent, John Andrews, for his son and was engraved with "John to Frank".
109:, who became known as Six-Horse Charley, one of the top drivers and, only after his death in 1879, as a woman who had passed as a man. Although business was sometimes adversely affected by frequent stagecoach robberies, and periods of terrible weather, forcing temporary closure of some lines, Birch rapidly expanded. Before the end of 1851, Birch's company was providing service to all the northern and southern mining areas east of
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In March 1854 his business was going so well, that Birch took a brief trip back East. By the fall of 1854, the
California Stage Company provided service to almost all northern and central California, including non-mining areas, as well as to Los Angeles in the south. In February 1855 Birch withdrew
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announcing himself as the sole proprietor. By the spring of 1850, he hired drivers for his stages, and turned his full attention to managing the business. With the arrival of a fleet of top-of-the-line stagecoaches which he had ordered from the East, his firm became the envy of all others. Among
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Birch gave the cup to George Dawson, a sailor who used it to collect rain water for drinking, and survived until rescue nine days later. After return to land, he gave the cup to Birch's widow, who gave him a reward. An inscribed monument to Birch was erected near the
Stevens family tomb in the
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In March 1853, James Birch returned to
California. He had frequently advertised in the two Sacramento newspapers and elsewhere, and, with his outgoing personality and obvious business acumen, he became a very popular figure of the time. He received many glowingly favorable editorial mentions in
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heading for the gold fields, most by foot, some by horseback. Prices for land, goods and services were high and climbing daily. Instead of heading for the gold fields, Birch determined to start a stagecoach business to provide transportation to the various mining areas, as well as provide mail
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as president of the company, though remaining its largest stockholder. He returned to the East for a nearly two-year stay. In 1856 a son, Frank
Stevens Birch, named after Birch's best friend, was born to the Birches.
141:, one of the first two U.S. Senators from California, trying to obtain the contract for coast-to-coast mail service. Although the largest contracts were given to a southern Democrat by the newly elected President
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delivery to the prospectors. Previously, most mail for the miners had been held in San
Francisco until they personally picked it up.
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September/October 1992 (Volume XXV, Number V) pp. 20–25 and was reprinted with the permission of Silver
Magazine.
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During this period, Birch divided his time between
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153:. Returning to California in the summer of 1857, Birch worked to consolidate his interests and set up the
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Birch first used an old ranch wagon which he drove himself, hauling passengers from
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On August 18, 1849, Birch advertised the changes in his business in
Sacramento's
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U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Birch (historical)
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Volume 24, The History Company, 1890. pp. 151–152 and notes 46,47,48]
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Mary E. Nottingham, "A Remarkable Man"; and "The Swansea Stagecoach"
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In the capital, he lobbied certain legislators, such as his friend
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to set up a national office, Birch sailed from San Francisco to
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268:"James E. Birch (1827 - 1857) - Find A Grave Memorial"
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Birch is the namesake to the now-extinct community of
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200:cemetery in Swansea Village. It reads:
404:American transportation businesspeople
73:In the spring of 1849, he arrived in
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419:19th-century American businesspeople
399:People of the California Gold Rush
227:My fate, O stranger, was to drown;
93:and to points between, including "
37:line entrepreneur, founder of the
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310:, This article first appeared in
177:On August 20, 1857, traveling to
301:James E. Birch Silver Collection
113:. Birch returned for a time to
57:, Birch moved as a young man to
27:American businessman (1827–1857)
414:San Antonio–San Diego Mail Line
155:San Antonio-San Diego Mail Line
129:San Antonio-San Diego Mail Line
89:in the rugged foothills of the
43:San Antonio-San Diego Mail Line
105:those he hired as drivers was
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233:Is what the sea-birds know."
223:My tomb is this unending sea,
341:, Swansea Historical Society
270:. Findagrave.com. 2009-11-28
219:"No dust have I to cover me
53:James E. Birch was born in
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409:People from South Carolina
229:And where it was the ship
221:My grave no man may show;
163:San Antonio-El Paso Mail
69:California Stage Company
59:Providence, Rhode Island
39:California Stage Company
18:California Stage Company
356:Hubert Howe Bancroft,
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115:Swansea, Massachusetts
358:History of California
159:George Henry Giddings
151:San Diego, California
65:to make his fortune.
225:And I lie far below.
157:in partnership with
111:Stockton, California
306:2010-06-10 at the
207:Born Nov. 30, 1827
188:SS Central America
147:San Antonio, Texas
107:Charley Parkhurst
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79:prospectors
383:Categories
274:2015-12-31
251:References
231:Went down,
63:California
49:Early life
35:stagecoach
213:Steamship
304:Archived
239:Legacy
194:Havana
183:Panama
87:Coloma
149:to
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