Full Name: Thaddeus Hildreth
Parents: Michael and Patience (Knox) Hildreth
Thaddeus attended Gardiner Lyceum High School and Bowdoin College in 1849 studying to be a Physician. When gold was discovered in California mid-1848, Thaddeus and a group of friends and relatives decided to "go to see the elephant"! They left New York City in the newly-launched Pacific Mail Steamship Co.'s 'SS Oregon' to travel by way of Cape Horn and Panama on April 1, 1849. They left El Morro, Isle Taboga, Panama on August 18, 1849 and arrived in San Francisco on the SS Oregon on November 27, 1849.
They went immediately to the mines and struck a rich claim one day after watching the successful results of some Mexican miners. This was March 27, 1850, and the area came to be known as Hildreth's Diggings or Hildreth Diggins and drew over 6000 miners to the area. The locale changed names several times including calling it American Camp before it finally received its name, Columbia, the restored Gold Rush mining town now a California State Historical Park.
Thaddeus was part of the committee that laid out the new town in 1851 and named Kennebec Hill and Maine Gulch. Although prosperous, he, unlike many who came to California, returned home to continue his life about 1854 leaving his California experiences a small chapter. Perhaps leaving her behind, Thaddeus married Ann M. Seavey in Hallowell August 18, 1855. He received his M.D. from Bowdoin College the same year and continued at Dartmouth University. He took up practice in Bath until 1858 when he returned to Gardiner to serve as physician until his death.
The Civil War caused him to enlist as an Asst. Surgeon in Company S of the Maine 3rd Infantry Regiment at Gardiner October 31, 1861. He was immediately promoted to Surgeon and had charge of the Third Corps Hospital at Gettysburg in July-August 1863. He was mustered out at Augusta June 28, 1864.
After the war, their one child, Willie Osgood, was born November 15, 1865. Dr. Hildreth suffered an accidental death in 1880 after being ill.
from The Kennebec Daily Journal, August 19, 1880:
"A sad accident took place here yesterday, resulting in the death of one of our most esteemed physicians, Dr Thaddeus Hildreth. The Dr. was not in good health, and yesterday morning took what he supposed to be a dose of gentian, but which it appears was tincture of aconite root, a deadly poison. After taking the dose he got into his carriage and rode two or three miles, when feeling the effects of the poison he turned about and made for home, which he reached. He then had other physicians in the place immediately called in, but they could do nothing to relieve him and death soon ensued. He was about 55 years of age, and respected by everybody. His death is a great loss to the city."
Note: gentian is better known to us as "Bitter Root".
From contributor
Brad Reinhardt #47216814
Parents: Michael and Patience (Knox) Hildreth
Thaddeus attended Gardiner Lyceum High School and Bowdoin College in 1849 studying to be a Physician. When gold was discovered in California mid-1848, Thaddeus and a group of friends and relatives decided to "go to see the elephant"! They left New York City in the newly-launched Pacific Mail Steamship Co.'s 'SS Oregon' to travel by way of Cape Horn and Panama on April 1, 1849. They left El Morro, Isle Taboga, Panama on August 18, 1849 and arrived in San Francisco on the SS Oregon on November 27, 1849.
They went immediately to the mines and struck a rich claim one day after watching the successful results of some Mexican miners. This was March 27, 1850, and the area came to be known as Hildreth's Diggings or Hildreth Diggins and drew over 6000 miners to the area. The locale changed names several times including calling it American Camp before it finally received its name, Columbia, the restored Gold Rush mining town now a California State Historical Park.
Thaddeus was part of the committee that laid out the new town in 1851 and named Kennebec Hill and Maine Gulch. Although prosperous, he, unlike many who came to California, returned home to continue his life about 1854 leaving his California experiences a small chapter. Perhaps leaving her behind, Thaddeus married Ann M. Seavey in Hallowell August 18, 1855. He received his M.D. from Bowdoin College the same year and continued at Dartmouth University. He took up practice in Bath until 1858 when he returned to Gardiner to serve as physician until his death.
The Civil War caused him to enlist as an Asst. Surgeon in Company S of the Maine 3rd Infantry Regiment at Gardiner October 31, 1861. He was immediately promoted to Surgeon and had charge of the Third Corps Hospital at Gettysburg in July-August 1863. He was mustered out at Augusta June 28, 1864.
After the war, their one child, Willie Osgood, was born November 15, 1865. Dr. Hildreth suffered an accidental death in 1880 after being ill.
from The Kennebec Daily Journal, August 19, 1880:
"A sad accident took place here yesterday, resulting in the death of one of our most esteemed physicians, Dr Thaddeus Hildreth. The Dr. was not in good health, and yesterday morning took what he supposed to be a dose of gentian, but which it appears was tincture of aconite root, a deadly poison. After taking the dose he got into his carriage and rode two or three miles, when feeling the effects of the poison he turned about and made for home, which he reached. He then had other physicians in the place immediately called in, but they could do nothing to relieve him and death soon ensued. He was about 55 years of age, and respected by everybody. His death is a great loss to the city."
Note: gentian is better known to us as "Bitter Root".
From contributor
Brad Reinhardt #47216814
Full Name: Thaddeus Hildreth
Parents: Michael and Patience (Knox) Hildreth
Thaddeus attended Gardiner Lyceum High School and Bowdoin College in 1849 studying to be a Physician. When gold was discovered in California mid-1848, Thaddeus and a group of friends and relatives decided to "go to see the elephant"! They left New York City in the newly-launched Pacific Mail Steamship Co.'s 'SS Oregon' to travel by way of Cape Horn and Panama on April 1, 1849. They left El Morro, Isle Taboga, Panama on August 18, 1849 and arrived in San Francisco on the SS Oregon on November 27, 1849.
They went immediately to the mines and struck a rich claim one day after watching the successful results of some Mexican miners. This was March 27, 1850, and the area came to be known as Hildreth's Diggings or Hildreth Diggins and drew over 6000 miners to the area. The locale changed names several times including calling it American Camp before it finally received its name, Columbia, the restored Gold Rush mining town now a California State Historical Park.
Thaddeus was part of the committee that laid out the new town in 1851 and named Kennebec Hill and Maine Gulch. Although prosperous, he, unlike many who came to California, returned home to continue his life about 1854 leaving his California experiences a small chapter. Perhaps leaving her behind, Thaddeus married Ann M. Seavey in Hallowell August 18, 1855. He received his M.D. from Bowdoin College the same year and continued at Dartmouth University. He took up practice in Bath until 1858 when he returned to Gardiner to serve as physician until his death.
The Civil War caused him to enlist as an Asst. Surgeon in Company S of the Maine 3rd Infantry Regiment at Gardiner October 31, 1861. He was immediately promoted to Surgeon and had charge of the Third Corps Hospital at Gettysburg in July-August 1863. He was mustered out at Augusta June 28, 1864.
After the war, their one child, Willie Osgood, was born November 15, 1865. Dr. Hildreth suffered an accidental death in 1880 after being ill.
from The Kennebec Daily Journal, August 19, 1880:
"A sad accident took place here yesterday, resulting in the death of one of our most esteemed physicians, Dr Thaddeus Hildreth. The Dr. was not in good health, and yesterday morning took what he supposed to be a dose of gentian, but which it appears was tincture of aconite root, a deadly poison. After taking the dose he got into his carriage and rode two or three miles, when feeling the effects of the poison he turned about and made for home, which he reached. He then had other physicians in the place immediately called in, but they could do nothing to relieve him and death soon ensued. He was about 55 years of age, and respected by everybody. His death is a great loss to the city."
Note: gentian is better known to us as "Bitter Root".
From contributor
Brad Reinhardt #47216814
Parents: Michael and Patience (Knox) Hildreth
Thaddeus attended Gardiner Lyceum High School and Bowdoin College in 1849 studying to be a Physician. When gold was discovered in California mid-1848, Thaddeus and a group of friends and relatives decided to "go to see the elephant"! They left New York City in the newly-launched Pacific Mail Steamship Co.'s 'SS Oregon' to travel by way of Cape Horn and Panama on April 1, 1849. They left El Morro, Isle Taboga, Panama on August 18, 1849 and arrived in San Francisco on the SS Oregon on November 27, 1849.
They went immediately to the mines and struck a rich claim one day after watching the successful results of some Mexican miners. This was March 27, 1850, and the area came to be known as Hildreth's Diggings or Hildreth Diggins and drew over 6000 miners to the area. The locale changed names several times including calling it American Camp before it finally received its name, Columbia, the restored Gold Rush mining town now a California State Historical Park.
Thaddeus was part of the committee that laid out the new town in 1851 and named Kennebec Hill and Maine Gulch. Although prosperous, he, unlike many who came to California, returned home to continue his life about 1854 leaving his California experiences a small chapter. Perhaps leaving her behind, Thaddeus married Ann M. Seavey in Hallowell August 18, 1855. He received his M.D. from Bowdoin College the same year and continued at Dartmouth University. He took up practice in Bath until 1858 when he returned to Gardiner to serve as physician until his death.
The Civil War caused him to enlist as an Asst. Surgeon in Company S of the Maine 3rd Infantry Regiment at Gardiner October 31, 1861. He was immediately promoted to Surgeon and had charge of the Third Corps Hospital at Gettysburg in July-August 1863. He was mustered out at Augusta June 28, 1864.
After the war, their one child, Willie Osgood, was born November 15, 1865. Dr. Hildreth suffered an accidental death in 1880 after being ill.
from The Kennebec Daily Journal, August 19, 1880:
"A sad accident took place here yesterday, resulting in the death of one of our most esteemed physicians, Dr Thaddeus Hildreth. The Dr. was not in good health, and yesterday morning took what he supposed to be a dose of gentian, but which it appears was tincture of aconite root, a deadly poison. After taking the dose he got into his carriage and rode two or three miles, when feeling the effects of the poison he turned about and made for home, which he reached. He then had other physicians in the place immediately called in, but they could do nothing to relieve him and death soon ensued. He was about 55 years of age, and respected by everybody. His death is a great loss to the city."
Note: gentian is better known to us as "Bitter Root".
From contributor
Brad Reinhardt #47216814
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