John Doble chronicled his journey from Indiana through Central America, up the coast to San Francisco, and finally to the gold diggings of Volcano. His daily journal and letters to Miss Lizze E. Lucas provide an unprecedented look at the life and times of a pioneer in Volcano and what would become Amador County. Although the camps and gulches where he prospected are gone, his descriptions and maps of the area keep them alive for future explorers of Gold Rush history.