Col. Perrin V. Fox was a farmer, teacher, architect, Civil War engineer, and insurance agent of Grand Rapids, Michigan. According to his death certificate, he was the son of Connecticut native Bryan Fox and Hannah Shepherd, originally from Vermont. In 1846, he married Louisa M. Newton, eldest daughter of Philo Newton, and settled in Medina, New York.
He went to California, setting sail 20 February 1852 from New York on board the El Dorado. The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University holds his original diary cataloged as "Voyage to California by Way of Panama." He portaged across the Isthmus of Panama before sailing on to San Francisco, arriving there 15 April 1852.
Fox spent over a year digging gold with moderate success. He put up a quartz-mill and other buildings for the Agua Fria Quartz Mining Company. He also designed and built a courthouse for Mariposa County which still stands and is the oldest county courthouse in continuous use west of the Rockies.
Before returning home, he was one of a party of nine to spend a week in the Yosemite Valley, the second party to visit it after its discovery. He returned home in January 1856, after an absence of four years. The Bancroft Library at U.C. Berkeley holds three original letters to his wife written during his time in the California goldfields.
Other letters written by Fox are held at private and university libraries. Several, including "P.V. Fox to wife, April 13, 1862" are held by the private collection of John Gelderloos, Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Bentley Library at the University of Michigan holds three 1863 letters to his wife. The Stevenson Railroad Museum Depot, Stevenson, Alabama, holds "Letter P.V. Fox to wife, May 29, 1894."
"Diary of Captain Perrin V. Fox, original volume dating 1 January 1862 to 10 January 1863" is held by the Ray Smith Manuscript Collection, Special Collections and Archives, Seymour Library, Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois.
During the Civil War Fox was a principal organizer of the 1st Michigan Engineers & Mechanics, serving as captain of Company D. He was major in the First U. S. Veteran Volunteer Engineers, then promoted to lieutenant colonel and brevet colonel for faithful and efficient service.
Fox filed a notarized affidavit 25 May 1880 "In the matter of the application of Hannah Fox widow of Bryan Fox, dec'd, for a pension" in support of his mother's War of 1812 pension application.
Perrin and Louisa Fox were the parents of Philo Newton Fox.
—KMD
He went to California, setting sail 20 February 1852 from New York on board the El Dorado. The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University holds his original diary cataloged as "Voyage to California by Way of Panama." He portaged across the Isthmus of Panama before sailing on to San Francisco, arriving there 15 April 1852.
Fox spent over a year digging gold with moderate success. He put up a quartz-mill and other buildings for the Agua Fria Quartz Mining Company. He also designed and built a courthouse for Mariposa County which still stands and is the oldest county courthouse in continuous use west of the Rockies.
Before returning home, he was one of a party of nine to spend a week in the Yosemite Valley, the second party to visit it after its discovery. He returned home in January 1856, after an absence of four years. The Bancroft Library at U.C. Berkeley holds three original letters to his wife written during his time in the California goldfields.
Other letters written by Fox are held at private and university libraries. Several, including "P.V. Fox to wife, April 13, 1862" are held by the private collection of John Gelderloos, Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Bentley Library at the University of Michigan holds three 1863 letters to his wife. The Stevenson Railroad Museum Depot, Stevenson, Alabama, holds "Letter P.V. Fox to wife, May 29, 1894."
"Diary of Captain Perrin V. Fox, original volume dating 1 January 1862 to 10 January 1863" is held by the Ray Smith Manuscript Collection, Special Collections and Archives, Seymour Library, Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois.
During the Civil War Fox was a principal organizer of the 1st Michigan Engineers & Mechanics, serving as captain of Company D. He was major in the First U. S. Veteran Volunteer Engineers, then promoted to lieutenant colonel and brevet colonel for faithful and efficient service.
Fox filed a notarized affidavit 25 May 1880 "In the matter of the application of Hannah Fox widow of Bryan Fox, dec'd, for a pension" in support of his mother's War of 1812 pension application.
Perrin and Louisa Fox were the parents of Philo Newton Fox.
—KMD
Col. Perrin V. Fox was a farmer, teacher, architect, Civil War engineer, and insurance agent of Grand Rapids, Michigan. According to his death certificate, he was the son of Connecticut native Bryan Fox and Hannah Shepherd, originally from Vermont. In 1846, he married Louisa M. Newton, eldest daughter of Philo Newton, and settled in Medina, New York.
He went to California, setting sail 20 February 1852 from New York on board the El Dorado. The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University holds his original diary cataloged as "Voyage to California by Way of Panama." He portaged across the Isthmus of Panama before sailing on to San Francisco, arriving there 15 April 1852.
Fox spent over a year digging gold with moderate success. He put up a quartz-mill and other buildings for the Agua Fria Quartz Mining Company. He also designed and built a courthouse for Mariposa County which still stands and is the oldest county courthouse in continuous use west of the Rockies.
Before returning home, he was one of a party of nine to spend a week in the Yosemite Valley, the second party to visit it after its discovery. He returned home in January 1856, after an absence of four years. The Bancroft Library at U.C. Berkeley holds three original letters to his wife written during his time in the California goldfields.
Other letters written by Fox are held at private and university libraries. Several, including "P.V. Fox to wife, April 13, 1862" are held by the private collection of John Gelderloos, Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Bentley Library at the University of Michigan holds three 1863 letters to his wife. The Stevenson Railroad Museum Depot, Stevenson, Alabama, holds "Letter P.V. Fox to wife, May 29, 1894."
"Diary of Captain Perrin V. Fox, original volume dating 1 January 1862 to 10 January 1863" is held by the Ray Smith Manuscript Collection, Special Collections and Archives, Seymour Library, Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois.
During the Civil War Fox was a principal organizer of the 1st Michigan Engineers & Mechanics, serving as captain of Company D. He was major in the First U. S. Veteran Volunteer Engineers, then promoted to lieutenant colonel and brevet colonel for faithful and efficient service.
Fox filed a notarized affidavit 25 May 1880 "In the matter of the application of Hannah Fox widow of Bryan Fox, dec'd, for a pension" in support of his mother's War of 1812 pension application.
Perrin and Louisa Fox were the parents of Philo Newton Fox.
—KMD
He went to California, setting sail 20 February 1852 from New York on board the El Dorado. The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University holds his original diary cataloged as "Voyage to California by Way of Panama." He portaged across the Isthmus of Panama before sailing on to San Francisco, arriving there 15 April 1852.
Fox spent over a year digging gold with moderate success. He put up a quartz-mill and other buildings for the Agua Fria Quartz Mining Company. He also designed and built a courthouse for Mariposa County which still stands and is the oldest county courthouse in continuous use west of the Rockies.
Before returning home, he was one of a party of nine to spend a week in the Yosemite Valley, the second party to visit it after its discovery. He returned home in January 1856, after an absence of four years. The Bancroft Library at U.C. Berkeley holds three original letters to his wife written during his time in the California goldfields.
Other letters written by Fox are held at private and university libraries. Several, including "P.V. Fox to wife, April 13, 1862" are held by the private collection of John Gelderloos, Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Bentley Library at the University of Michigan holds three 1863 letters to his wife. The Stevenson Railroad Museum Depot, Stevenson, Alabama, holds "Letter P.V. Fox to wife, May 29, 1894."
"Diary of Captain Perrin V. Fox, original volume dating 1 January 1862 to 10 January 1863" is held by the Ray Smith Manuscript Collection, Special Collections and Archives, Seymour Library, Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois.
During the Civil War Fox was a principal organizer of the 1st Michigan Engineers & Mechanics, serving as captain of Company D. He was major in the First U. S. Veteran Volunteer Engineers, then promoted to lieutenant colonel and brevet colonel for faithful and efficient service.
Fox filed a notarized affidavit 25 May 1880 "In the matter of the application of Hannah Fox widow of Bryan Fox, dec'd, for a pension" in support of his mother's War of 1812 pension application.
Perrin and Louisa Fox were the parents of Philo Newton Fox.
—KMD
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