Thomas Gilman (miner)

Thomas Gilman
Gilman (c. 1900) in front of his cabin in at Shaw's Flat, California
Born1830
Tennessee, United States
DiedDecember 15, 1911
Shaw's Flat, Tuolumne County, California, United States
Burial placeShaw's Flat Cemetery
Other namesUncle Tom Gilman
Occupation(s)Miner, farmer, businessperson
Known forFreedman, and his contribution to Black history in California

Thomas Gilman (1830–1911), nicknamed Uncle Tom Gilman,[1] was an American freedman, miner, farmer, and businessperson. He was an enslaved African American who self–purchased his freedom from mining during the mid-19th-century, and notably contributed to African American history in California.

Biography

Thomas Gilman was Black and born enslaved in 1830, in Tennessee, U.S..[2] He was owned and enslaved by Joseph B. Gilman of Greene County, Tennessee.[1] Thomas was brought to California by his enslaver in 1850, during the California gold rush in order to work in the mines in Dragoon Gulch.[3][1] After two years of mining, he was able to purchase his freedom,[2][4] however Joseph B. Gilman tried to continuously delay the purchase of freedom, until the self–purchase was recorded by the state court on August 1852.[1][5][6]

Gilman spent the remainder of his life in Tuolumne County in his small cabin located on the Sonora–Shaws Flat Road, mining, and farming.[1] He never learned to read or write. When he reached an age in which he could no longer farm, his local friends supported him.[1] Not all freedman in California were able to live such long, and peaceful lives.

Gilman died at age 85 on December 15, 1911, in Shaw's Flat,[7] and he is buried at the Shaw's Flat Cemetery.

Legacy

The California State Library holds the Thomas Gilman Papers, 1853–1907.[8][2] "Uncle Toms Drive" in Sonora, California was named in his honor.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "The History of Dragoon Gulch" (PDF). City of Sonora. February 2017.
  2. ^ a b c "Thomas Gilman Freedom Papers (Thomas Gilman Collection)". FromThePage. California State Library. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  3. ^ Breed, Olive (November 25, 1962). "Legend of Mother Lode Kindness". Press-Telegram. p. 113. Retrieved 2024-10-13 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Johnson, Susan Lee (1993). "The Gold She Gathered": Difference, Domination, and California's Southern Mines, 1848-1853. Yale University. p. 298 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ Johnson, Susan Lee (2000). Roaring Camp: The Social World of the California Gold Rush. W. W. Norton & Company. pp. 190–191. ISBN 978-0-393-32099-2 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ California State Library Foundation Bulletin, Issues 62-67. The Foundation. 1998. p. 38 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ "Died (obituaries)". Stockton Evening and Sunday Record. December 18, 1911. p. 5. Retrieved 2024-10-13 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Guide to the Thomas Gilman Papers, 1853-1907". Online Archive of California (OAC). Retrieved 2024-10-13.