Conclusion
In all, 16 letters from Skelton’s time in the gold fields survive. They span two major periods - the beginning of his gold rush experience from late 1851 through mid-1853 and between mid-1856 through mid-1857. Most from the middle years have been lost to history. Although the scarcity of his writings during this time permits only speculation about his life, the continuity shown in his surviving letters indicates he lived much the same existence during his entire period in California.
Though few in number, Skelton’s letters provide a great deal of evidence about his life as a gold miner. He relates the routines and events of his life and provides a rich picture of his world in and out of the gold fields between 1852 and 1857. From them, we learn that he was a literate, resourceful man who did whatever work was available to him, met fascinating strangers, traveled, and appreciated the different aspects and characteristics of his temporary home – in short, living the special experience of a California gold miner.
Skelton returned to Burlington in 1857 and resumed farming. We know little of his life after returning home. He married Almira Shedd in 1868, fathered four sons, and built a house on Francis Wyman road that still survives. He died in 1885 and now rests in the burial ground behind the Historical Museum.
Without these letters, we would know little of his life as one of the thousands of treasure seekers who uprooted themselves in search of riches in the halcyon days of the gold rush. His story was typical of many who went to California. They left homes in search of riches they endured long journeys, worked hard, and either stayed to make new lives, or returned from whence they came. Whatever their eventual destinations, and whether they were conscious of it, they were played significant roles in the development of the new nation.