The California Trail to Gold in American History


Book Description

Examines the thrills and disappointments of the nineteenth-century rush for gold in California, during which people abandoned their jobs and homes and headed west in hopes of becoming rich.




The California Trail


Book Description

In 1841 and 1842 small groups of emigrants tried to discover a route to California passable by wagons. Without reliable maps or guides, they pushed ahead, retreated, detoured, split up, and regrouped, reaching their destination only at great cost of property and life. But they had found a trail, or cleared one, and by their mistakes had shown others how to take wagon trains across half a continent. By 1844 a great migration was in progress. Each successive party learned from those who went before where to cross rivers and mountains, when to rest, when to forge ahead, and how to find food and water. Increased experience was translated into better wagon designs, improved understanding of climate and terrain, and better-supplied and -organized caravans. George R. Stewart's California Trail describes the trail's year-by-year changes as weather conditions, new exploration, and the changing character of emigrants affected it. Successes and disasters (like the Donner party's fate) are presented in nearly personal detail. More than a history of the trail, this book tells how to travel it, what it felt like, what was feared and hoped for.




The Opening of the California Trail


Book Description

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1953.




The Oregon Trail


Book Description




The Emigrant's Guide to Oregon and California


Book Description

Published in 1845, this guidebook for pioneers is a reproduction of one of the most collectible books about California and the Western movement. It was the guidebook used by the Donner Party on their fateful journey. In addition, because Hastings' shortcut route through the Rockies produced such tragedy, the War Department commissioned The Prairie Traveler.




Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail: Southern California


Book Description

The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (PCT) traces a 2,650-mile route from the California-Mexico border north to the border of Washington and Canada. While many hikers attempt a “thru-hike” every year, beginning in Campo, California and connecting their footsteps all the way to Manning Park, B.C., even more people enjoy “section hiking” – tackling the trail in bits and pieces. This guidebook serves as a road map to section hiking the Southern California portion of the PCT, beginning at its southern terminus in Campo and ending 942.5 miles north at Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park. From the magical cactus gardens of the Mojave Desert to the snowy peaks of the High Sierra, this book covers one of the most biologically and geologically diverse portions of the PCT. Author Shawnté Salabert serves as your personal trail guide along the way, offering informative route descriptions, interesting sidebars, and colorful stories that will deepen your experience on this iconic trail, whether you’re headed out for a weekend, a week, or a month. Each volume of this new series focuses on section-by-section pieces of the PCT and includes the following features: • Inspirational full-color guides with over 150 color photographs in each • Trail sections of 4- to 10-night trips • Detailed camp-to-camp route descriptions • Easy-to-understand route maps and elevation profiles • Details on specific campsites and most-reliable water sources • Road access to and from various trail sections • Info on permits, hazards, restrictions, and more • Alternate routes and connecting trails • Clear references to the PCT’s established system of section letters, designating trail segments from Mexico to Canada—so you can easily cross-reference the guides with other PCT resources • Key wilderness sights along the way • Suggested itineraries *Download an errata for Hiking the PCT: Southern California for a profile fix here*




Martha of California


Book Description

The story of westward migration as told for children describing the route, places, peoples, and events.







Siskiyou Trail


Book Description




Graves and Sites on the Oregon and California Trails


Book Description

This popular guide describes the markers installed by the Oregon-California Trails Association's Graves and Sites Committee, providing a comprehensive compilation and description of the trail's fading remnants. For each sign, the book contains directions, the exact text, general background, and access ownership, arranged in sequence from east to west.