Download or read book Gold, Silk, Pioneers & Mail written by Robert Joseph Chandler and published by Friends of San Francisco Maritime Museum Library. This book was released on 2007 with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The California Gold Rush of 1849 assured the fortunes of the Pacific Mail Steamship Co. Based in San Francisco, its wooden steamers carried gold, passengers, mail and high-value freight, forever changing the city, the Pacific Coast and the nation.