Joseph Libbey Folsom
Joseph Libbey Folsom (May 19, 1817 – July 19, 1855) was a U.S. Army officer and real estate investor in the early days of California's statehood. He is the founder of what is now
Early life
Joseph Folsom was born on Monday, May 19, 1817 in Meredith, New Hampshire. He was the fourth child of Abraham Folsom and Mary Libbey. Descendants of a family that first arrived at Hingham, Massachusetts in the seventeenth century, and subsequently moved on to Exeter, New Hampshire, Abraham Folsom and his wife lived in a home near the northwest corner of Lake Winnipesaukee. Joseph had 5 siblings: Sally T. Folsom, George C. Folsom, Decatur A. Folsom, Charles P. Folsom, and Frank C. Folsom. Abraham Folsom died on Saturday, February 28, 1824, at the age of 46. Joseph was only 6 years old at the time of his father's death. Shortly after, the family moved 27 miles (43 km) southwest to Northfield, New Hampshire.
Early military career
In June 1836, at the age of eighteen, Joseph became a cadet at the Military Academy at West Point. Four years later, in June 1840, he graduated with honors. On November 3, 1840, he held the rank of Second Lieutenant in the 5th infantry of the U.S. Army. He served under the command of General William J. Worth in Florida during the Second Seminole War. In 1844, he returned to the Academy at West Point where he served as an Instructor of infantry tactics for two years.
California
In the Autumn of 1846,
Folsom invested in real estate by purchasing land owned by
Footnotes
- ISBN 1-4116-4625-8
References
- Genealogy of the Folsom Family, Rev. Jacob Chapman
- A History of Folsom, Daniel Da Vigo
- Captain Folsom: Soldier of Misfortune by Debi Drake-Maurer
- Folsom Historical Society
- California State Library
- Stevenson's Regiment: First Regiment of New York Volunteers by Captain Jim Balance
- Sacramento County History and Information, My California Genealogy
External links
- Guide to the Joseph Libbey Folsom Collection, 1848–1859, Archive of California, California State Library
- Joseph Libbey Folsom Collection. Yale Collection of Western Americana, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.