19th CENTURY WHALING TALES. by James Temple Brown and Gustav Kobbe.
Pursuing the world's largest mammal in boats powered only by sail and oar.
Perhaps the sea's highest adventure was the whaling chase, as great or greater than exploring uncharted waters. Why else would men risk their lives and their families' securities? The money could be good, too, and for some, there was the chance at freedom, for the industry was mainly blind as to skin color at a time when opportunities for non-whites were scarce. The whaling industry flourished for two centuries, and its traditions are recounted in seaport museums and the stories here:
"Stray Leaves from a Whaleman's Log" is reprinted from Century Magazine, 1893. It tells about chasing of whales on a cruise from the standpoint of the individual whaleman.
"The Perils and Romance of Whaling" came out in Century Magazine in 1890. It gives more of the detail of the subject and also includes anecdotes of episodes from the early days.
A final section "Cutting in and Trying Out" explains the butchering process. Period illustrations. 48 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock. ISBN-10: 0-89646-089-4. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-089-8. Order #: VIST0089 paper$5.95.
Parks and museums now tell of this period of history, for instance at New Bedford Whaling National Historic Park in Massachusetts and Mystic Seaport Museum in Connecticut.

ACROSS ARIZONA IN 1883--Yuma, Tombstone, Tucson. by Anonymous.
Reprinted from Harper's Monthly, here is an eyewitness account--gathered via train, stage, horse, and on foot--of southern Arizona. The Indians are described, the wild element at Tombstone is reported, and the mission church of San Xavier del Bac is depicted. It was a time of cowboys, City Marshall Wyatt Earp and gambler "Doc" Holliday, and Apaches--the wild frontier days of Arizona long before it became a state. Period engravings. 16 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock. ISBN-10: 0-89646-011-8. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-011-9. Order #: VIST0011 paper$4.95.

 

 

 

ACROSS THE PLAINS IN THE DONNER PARTY: a personal narrative of the overland trip to California, 1846-47. by Virginia Reed Murphy.
Virginia was 12 years old when her family left Springfield, Illinois to trek across the plains to California, their intended new home, along with 25 fellow emigrants. Along the way, her grandmother died, her pony had to be left, her family lost their oxen and had to abandon a wagon with their possessions, her stepfather killed a man and was banished from the train, and then she and her group were trapped in snows at the eastern foot of the Sierra Nevada crest at and near what is now Donner Lake and Truckee, California. As a result, 13 of those who started with her in Springfield, and 29 more who joined her along the way, never did cross those mountains. Here is the little girl's story, written by her later as an adult, now a part of the American epic of winning the West. Reprinted from Century Magazine with illustrations added from Frederic Remington and others. 64 pages.
Inventory = in stock. ISBN: 978-0-89646-099-7. Order #: VIST0099 paper$8.95. See sample pages, illustrations.
National and state parks and museums today tell the story of emigrant travel, such as at Donner Lake (CA), Fort Laramie (WY), Scotts Bluff (NE), Elko (NV), Baker City (OR), Montpelier (ID), and elsewhere.

 

 

THE ASCENT OF MOUNT HAYDEN, GRAND TETON, 1872: a new chapter of Western discovery (WY). by Nathaniel Pitt Langford.
Trials and triumphs of the first party to climb the Grand Tetons of Wyoming, July 29, 1872. Author Langford was among the early explorers of the Yellowstone/Teton region and was first superintendent of Yellowstone National Park. His claim to a first ascent of the Grand Teton has been challenged by later parties, and former park naturalist McCurdy considers the various claims in the editor's preface. But regardless, the account still gives a fine record of what mountain climbing was like in the early days in this region. Reprint from Scribner's Monthly. Illustrations from Thomas Moran and others, 24 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-066-5. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-066-9. Order #: VIST0066 paper$4.95.

 

AT A NEW MINING CAMP: Creede of Colorado, 1892. by Richard Harding Davis.
Today Creede is a "ghost" town in southwestern Colorado (the italics because today's residents don't like being called ghosts), a remnant of its former size and glory. But author Davis reports it when activity there seemed circus-like. At the1892 time Creede was growing rapidly to a population of 8,000. The town was rip-roaring, and this account helps us understand the bustle as well as the unbounded hope and optimism at the site of a new mining boom. Reprinted from 19th century originals. Period illustrations (1 by Thomas Moran), 32 little pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-018-5. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-018-8. Order #: VIST0018 paper$4.95.

 

THE BUFFALO. by Colonel Henry Inman with "Buffalo Bill" Cody.
America nearly lost its buffalo (or bison, to be more accurate), but in an early conservation effort a small herd was retained. This has now grown into a sizable population, which recall to us the vast herds that once roamed and even blackened the plains. This story, however, is told by one #who at one point in his career was actively engaged in slaughtering the animals. They were a nuisance that got in the way of the new trains, and, besides, eliminating buffaloes might help in subduing Indians. Life habits of the animal are given as well, and what better way to learn of the place in our history of the buffalo than by reading an account by one of the principals in their history. Reprinted from 1898.
Illustrations are by Frederic Remington and others. 48 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-028-2. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-028-7.  Order #: VIST0028 paper$4.95.

BUFFALO BILL'S TRUE TALES. by William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody.
Buffalo Bill remains known and of interest because he typifies the romantic figure of the American West. His Wild West shows, a mixture of rodeo and circus along with real-life history, spread his fame, dramatizing this frontiersman as a super rider and top marksman. To us moderns, reading how Cody could be both an Indian killer and a friend of the Indian people might be hard to grasp, but it is important to grasp to better understand the nature of the frontier. Indian Chief Sitting Bull, for instance, and Buffalo Bill had stood against each other in matters of war, but toured in the Wild West show together! Also here are his tales as a Pony Express rider, buffalo hunter, and riding his horse for their lives. This is Bill's story, in his words; and yet, as an American, it is your story, too. Period illustrations, with a color cover, 24 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock. ISBN-10: 0-89646-022-3. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-098-0. Order #: VIST0098 paper$4.95. 

 

C.P.R.R.: the Central Pacific Railroad. by Charles Nordhoff.
Reprinted from Marvels of the New West,1882. This is the epic story of building the line across the Sierra Nevada of California, the deserts of Nevada, and the salt flats of Utah to meet the Union Pacific Railroad at Promontory Point on May 10, 1869. Rail fans and history buffs have access today to historic parks and museums at the ends of this line in Old Sacramento, California, and Promontory Point, Utah, and along the way at the Donner Lake State Park in eastern California. There is also an article explaining train travel by passengers at this early date. Period engravings, 48 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock. ISBN-10: 0-89646-097-8. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-097-3. Order #: VIST0097 paper$7.95.
The story of the Central Pacific Railroad is told at Golden Spike Natioanal Historic Park (UT), Truckee Railroad Museum (CA), Old Town Sacramento (CA), and other places.

 

 

THE CAÑONS OF THE COLORADO--the 1869 discovery voyage down the Colorado River. by Major John Wesley Powell.
Note the word ca�ons in the title would today be spelled canyons but we have preserved the usage from the time when this voyage was made and written about by the major himself.
From Wyoming, into Colorado, through Utah, to Arizona and the Grand Canyon, and to Nevada--this was the journey of the "Colorado River Exploring Expedition", what Powell called his group of 9 men and 4 boats as they began charting what was the last major unexplored part of the then United States. The trip was not only scientific in its goals, but it naturally became a grand adventure, with two of their party opting to leave the expedition before attempting a furious cascade, only to be killed by Indians. Much of the land and scenery which they drifted or dashed past is today included in National Park System areas. Illustrations are by Thomas Moran and others. 64 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-059-2. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-059-1. Order #: VISeT0059 paper$6.95.
This story of exploration is told at many park and museum areas along the length of the Green and Colorado Rivers, including Grand Junction (CO), Green River and Moab (UT), Lake Powell (UT), Page (AZ), Grand Canyon (AZ).

THE CITY OF DENVER, 1888: an early history of "The Queen City of the Plains". by Edwards Roberts.
Here is Denver at a time when the Centennial State of Colorado was only 12 years old. It is a story of mines, railroads, cattle and sheep, of cowboys, prospectors, bankers, merchants, and politicians--the resources from the region and the personalities that brought them together at this city on the plains at the base of the Rockies. The city itself had had fewer than 50 residents during the winter of 1858-59, but already by 1888 public and private buildings, urban and suburban districts, parks and schools had been built and arranged around a transportation system of rail, trolley, horse, and foot. It was a system that had "fit", unlike today's transportation system. It must have been an exciting period! There are also glimpses of satellite cities--Golden, Boulder, Central City, Black Hawk, Georgetown, and Leadville. Reprinted from Harper's Magazine. Illustrated with period engravings, 24 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = 85. ISBN-10: 0-89646-006-1. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-006-5. Order #: VIST0006paper$4.95.

CONTRIBUTIONS OF A VENERABLE NATIVE to the ancient history of the Hawaiian Islands. by M. Jules Remy.
Account of interview with old Hawaiian in 1853 gives insights into traditions and cultures of native island people. Subjects range from history, government and society to the nobility, common people, and the ancient chants. Foreword is by park superintendent at Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park (once known as City of Refuge). Reproduced photos and drawings. 40 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-056-8. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-056-0. Order #: VIST0056 paper$4.95.
Several national park sites in Hawaii present the native history and tradtion of this region.

 

CRIPPLE CREEK 1900--a Colorado mining camp. by Francis Lynde.
Cripple Creek got a later start than most of the West's famous mining camps. In fact, many of its predecessors had already played out by 1891 when the Golconda was uncovered here. Tells how Cripple Creek got its name, gives history of nearby Pikes Peak, explains the mines and their mechanization. Because the industrial revolution was at peak in America in 1900, the technology of railway, electricity, and steam drilling could be applied at Cripple Creek. Reading this account helps us understand how Colorado and other Western states which had mineral resources were able to get a good and early start on their development, albeit at the expense of the Cripple Creeks, which were destined to bust just as they had been destined to boom. Period illustrations, 20 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock. ISBN-10: 0-89646-080-0. 1987. Order #: VIST0080 paper$4.95.

 

CUTTER'S OFFICIAL GUIDE TO HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS. by John Milton Cutter.
This 1917 guide told tourists, pleasure seekers, and medical patients about this early national park and city and how to use and enjoy both. It had been telling them that, in fact, since 1873, and was now in its 61st edition! Fees, services, and even the local climate were all explained as part of the amenities of "America's greatest health and pleasure resort". This booklet shows glimpses of buildings and scenes that are gone. It suggests social and recreational pursuits that were available then. The total picture reveals the grand and also the ordinary, a cross-section of the park and the city that grew together. Photographs. 53 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-057-6. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-057-7. Order #: VIST0057 paper$7.95.

The baths of this early national park are still available for use and many of the historic buildings have been preserved.

 

DIARY OF PATRICK BREEN: one of the Donner Party (CA). by Frederick J. Teggart.
Diary kept by 1846-47 Donner Party emigrant who survived over-winter entrapment in Sierra snow near Truckee, California. Breen and his family all survived the ordeal, but many from other groups perished. The diary records days of snowfall, the experiences of others who were marooned with them, and the scant food available, plus delayed attempts from outside to rescue them. 7 photos, 16 pages. See sample pages, illustrations
Inventory = in stock. ISBN: 978-0-89646-102-4. Order #VIST0102 paper$4.95.
National and state parks and museums today tell the story of emigrant travel, such as at Donner Lake (CA), Fort Laramie (WY), Scotts Bluff (NE), Elko (NV), Baker City (OR), Montpelier (ID), and elsewhere.

THE DISCOVERY OF GLACIER BAY--1879 (AK). by John Muir, its discoverer.
Adventures in a truly Alaskan wild with ice floes, bergs, mountain peaks, Indians, canoe travel. Spending several "icy summers" in Alaska, Muir earned the name "Ice Chief", exploring Glacier Bay and its region. It was a fitting continuation to his involvement with glaciers, for he had developed the glacial origin theory for Yosemite Valley, in spite of the fact that there the glaciers were almost entirely gone. Here at Glacier Bay, no imagination was needed to understand the processes. Reprinted from Century Magazine. Engravings of ice and peaks abound in the book. 16 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-045-2. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-045-4. Order #: VIST0045 paper$4.95.
Glacier Bay is now a national park and visited by cruise ships sailing in Alaska

 

DISCOVERY OF THE YOSEMITE IN 1851 (CA). by Lafayette Houghton Bunnell, M.D., one of the Discoverers, of the Mariposa Battalion.
First published in 1880, this is the primary account of how Yosemite Valley came to be "discovered" by the white race. Of course, the Indians knew it was there; they were living in it when the battalion came to roust them out. The valley had been seen from its rims and from afar before this trip, but this was the first recorded entry and exploration. Bunnell proposed the name of the Indian tribe for the valley, "as it was suggestive, euphonious, and certainly American; that by so doing, the name of the tribe of Indians which we met leaving their homes in this valley, perhaps never to return, would be perpetuated." Foreword by former chief park naturalist William R. Jones. Period engravings. 184pages, slightly abridged from the original. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-021-5. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-021-8. VIST0021 paper$7.95.
How this incomparable valley was first seen, soon to be preserved as a national park as described by writers of that day.

 

FAMOUS GUNFIGHTERS OF THE WESTERN FRONTIER. by W. B. (Bat) Masterson.
Biographies of gunfighters by the master himself, including Ben Thompson, Wyatt Earp, Luke Short, Buffalo Bill Cody, Doc Holliday, Billy Tilghman, Bat Masterson, and others. Includes Tombstone's famous fight at the O.K. Corral, how Holliday got into his career, Indian battles, stagecoach wrecks and holdups, barroom brawls, sheriffs of the West, gambling and gamblers, cattle rustlers, railroads. Settings include cowtowns--Dodge, Hays, Sheridan, Cody, Leadville, Fort Worth, Glenwood Springs. Reprinted from 1907. Illustrations from the original and period sources, including Frederic Remington. 96 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory= in stock. ISBN-10: 0-89646-087-8. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-087-4.Order #: VIST0087 paper$7.95.

 

HAWAII-NEI, 1873. by Charles Nordhoff.
Hawaii-Nei is the name for the collective kingdom of Hawaii, and these two articles from over a century ago tell of the islands' history and people, rains, and volcanic eruptions. The islands were still relatively native and natural during our author's visit, and he tells of their traits and early religion.  Foreword is by Russell Apple, Pacific Historian of the National Park Service. Engravings show the land, the seascapes, homes, public buildings, and the people--eating poi, dancing the hula, surfing. 40 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-030-4. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-030-0. Order #: VIST0030 paper$4.95.

Several national park sites in Hawaii present the native history and tradtion of this region.

HOW WE GET GOLD IN CALIFORNIA.
See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = 0. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-100-0. Order #: VIST0100 paper$6.95.
How We Get Gold is out of print but with interest could be reprinted.

 

 

THE HUMMINGBIRD OF THE CALIFORNIA WATERFALLS. by John Muir.
Reprinted from 1878. This has been called "the finest bird biography ever written". Muir's "waterfall hummingbird" is the water-ouzel, of course, now also called the dipper. Although Muir buffs and birders already know this, even they will enjoy reading or re-reading the story of this little bobber. Some might have seen this little bird, but without this article have not yet enjoyed the flyer/swimmer fully. As Muir's portrayal shows, much of the bird's intrigue is its physical elusiveness while remaining visually accessible. Enjoy this little story and enjoy this little bird. Foreword by former Chief Park Naturalist, Yosemite National Park. Period illustrations. 24 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-019-3. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-019-5. Order #: VIST0019 paper$4.95.

 

HYDRAULIC GOLD-MINING IN CALIFORNIA, 1883. by Taliesin Evans.
By the 1870s and 1880s in the California gold country, the gold that had been easy to pick up already had been. But there was lots more, buried in the earth. A massive plumbing system was built to harness water as a tool to wash the earth away and leave a residue of heavy metals, especially gold. Meanwhile, though, mud and gravel released in the process washed downstream to inundate farms and homes. Dwellers there objected, and in court they effectively stopped the hydraulic mining--one of the earliest environmental court actions. But when our author was there, his interest was describing a vital western industry. And the mines can still be seen--Interstate Highway 80 runs right through one at Gold Run, and another is the Malakoff Diggings State Historical Park, where you can not only see the washed banks but also some of the nozzles and mining equipment used to get the gold out. Reprinted from 1883. Illustrations are from the original article and other period sources. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity.  ISBN-10: 0-89646-052-5. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-052-2. 16 pages.  Order #: VIST0052 paper $4.95.

IN THE HEART OF THE CALIFORNIA ALPS: a near view of the High Sierra in 1872. by John Muir.
Account of the ascent of Mount Ritter, October, 1872. Record of one of Muir's finest mountain rambles and of the first ascent, a solo one, of this mountain in the Mammoth Lakes country of the eastern Sierra Nevada. Combines natural observations with the adventures and philosophical musings of a nearly fatal climb. Made from a base camp with three artists who were left sketching on the Lyell Fork of the Tuolumne River. An illustration of Mt. Ritter by one of these artists, William Keith, is included. Drawings by Muir are also included, as well as other period illustrations. Foreword by former Yosemite Chief Park Naturalist. 24 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-026-6. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-026-3. Order #: VIST0026 paper$4.95.

 

KAIBETO MEMORIES: a trader's daughter remembers growing up on the Navajo Reservation in remote northern Arizona 1936-1960.

by Elizabeth Anne Jones Dewveall.

Even today Kaibeto does not appear as a place on many modern maps. When Elizabeth Anne was growing up in this remote desert region of northeastern Arizona roads were still evolving from dirt tracks and passage was not infrequently blocked by drifting sand, unpredictable floods in otherwise dry washes, or snowstorms, with pavement dozens and dozens of miles away in all directions and little development of any kind along the routes. The trading post, however, had already been a hub for supplies for the local population for 22 years when Elizabeth Anne started her life there as daughter of traders Ralph and Julia Jones. Elizabeth Anne grew up as a single child at this remote outpost, with Navajo Indian children as playmates and an occasional visit by relatives from distant places. In time she would learn some Navajo words, how to trade the post's goods in an economy with little cash, and something of a culture not her own. The post took in hides, wool, silver and turquoise jewelry, woven blankets as items of exchange and often relied on a pawn system, storing native treasures as collateral. Much of her account, however, is of stories of the native people who came to the post and of their joys, trials, and tribulations as they managed their lives with ingenuity and perseverance. The stories Elizabeth Anne tells provide a glimpse of life at this trading post, of which little has been written before, and by extension of what life might have been like at the many other trading post throughout the West that linked populations through an economic setting. 120 pages, illustrations, map. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity from VistaBooks. ISBN: 978-0-8946-103-1. Order #: VIST0103 paper$14.95.
Paper edition also available at Amazon.com, eBay.com, ebid.net, IngramSpark.com.

Cloth edition: Inventory = available in quantity from VistaBooks. ISBN: 978-0-8946-105-5. Order #: VIST0105 cloth $25.00.
Cloth edition also available at Amazon.com and eBay.com.
Electronic edition available from Amazon.com: ISBN: 978-0-89646-104-8. electronic$9.95.

LAKE OF THE SKY: Lake Tahoe in the High Sierras of California and Nevada. by George Wharton James.
This book (in abridged form here) has long been a standard history of Lake Tahoe--telling how the lake was discovered by Fremont while he was what we would today call lost, how it got its name (at first, names), how it was formed, and how it was first used and developed. Author James was a prolific writer early in the 20th century, and did a number of other books on Western travel sites, as well as a technique manual showing how Indians made their baskets. His text in "Lake of the Sky" affirms that this was a favorite site of his, where he returned often. Abridged edition reprinted from the 1915 original. Period illustrations. 96 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-038-X. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-038-6. Order #: VIST0038 paper$7.95.

 

THE LIFE AND WONDERFUL ADVENTURES OF WILD BILL (J. B. Hickok). by James W. Buel.
Author Buel was a newspaper man of Hickok's day and later one of Hickok's principal biographers, thus a source probably as close to the truth as we can get on the now legendary figure Wild Bill. Bill's reputation as a fighter emerged early in his career, and the fear that struck in the hearts of opponents helped him command many a situation before a showdown. But when one came, his courage was legend, as he was always willing to fight no matter the odds. He paid a price, though. He spent much of his life convalescing from bullet and knife wounds! While sheriff, he accidentally shot his deputy, and Wild Bill himself was finally assassinated while playing cards. Bill lived his life during the periods of the Civil War and the Indian Wars that followed, in the era of the Wild West as celebrated by Buffalo Bill's Wild West shows, and in which Wild Bill appeared for a time. Reprinted from Heroes of the West, 1881.Period drawings. 56 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-013-4. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-013-3. Order #: VIST0013 paper$5.95.

 

THE LIGHT-HOUSES OF THE UNITED STATES IN 1874. by Charles Nordhoff & Gustav Kobbe.
Showing lighthouses and keepers on all U.S. coasts--Pacific, Atlantic, Gulf, and Great Lakes, with three extra articles by Gustav Kobbe: "Life in a Lighthouse", and if that isn't lonely enough there comes "Life on the South Shoals Lightship". Last is "Heroism in the Lighthouse Service".
Here are four articles on that romantic historic aspect of the maritime industry--the lighthouse. The first is a history and survey of lighthouses to 1874, giving a look at the federal service that operated them and how the lighthouses were run as well as their importance to shipping when when a light was main--sometimes the only--navigational aid. Then there are insights into keepers' lives in one of the most exposed lighthouses ever built (Minot's Ledge outside Boston Harbor). Portrayed, too is the role played by offshore lights on anchored ships. And recalled, too, are dramas and devotion to fellow man and duty that must never be forgotten. First published at the pre-1900 time when lighthouses held greatest importance: Lighthouses remain intriguing for their function and dramatic vertical architecture, and are now historic, recalling dramas of the past. Many of the lighthouses described are in national and state park areas and are maintained as historic sites, with museums and visitor centers open to the public. In many you can still climb to the top for a view keepers once saw. A visit to one of these  is all the more meaningful with the insights gained from this collection of articles. 75 period engravings. 64 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory: in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-086-X. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-086-7. Order #: VIST0086 paper$7.95.

THE MAMMOTH TREES OF CALAVERAS (CA). by J. M. Hutchings.
An excerpt from Hutchings' larger work, Scenes of Wonder & Curiosity in California, centering just on this bigtree grove to show how early tourists traveled there by river steamer and stagecoach. We hear of early attempts to exploit the grove's wonders by cutting the bark from the giants and shipping it to the East for exhibition, a move widely deplored by the abundant tree-lovers of that time. Also tells of the efforts to cut down one of the huge and tall trees, using a stump as a dance floor for 32 people, and putting a bowling lane along a fallen trunk. Our author had been deeply involved in the tourist movement, having led the first tourist party into nearby Yosemite, operating a hotel there, and publishing the California Magazine. Illustrations from period sources. 24 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-050-9. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-050-8. Order #: VIST0050 paper$4.95.

MARK TWAIN IN HAWAII--the noted humorist's 1866 visit. by Mark Twain.
The noted humorist's account of his 1866 trip to Hawaii, made at a time when the islands were still more for the natives than for the tourists. Yet Twain visits many of the sites and tries his hand at many of the activities that modern tourists do--he surfs, goes for an ocean canoe ride, sees the City of Refuge, visits the volcano, studies the nobility, and watches the hula. Twain the dreamer admired Hawaii, land of dreams, and he even writes seriously of the scenery, on occasion. Illustrations are from the original edition of the work, with others added from a similar time period from other sources. 96 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-070-3. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-070-6. 1999. Order #: VIST0070 paper$7.95.

 

MARK TWAIN'S VIRGINIA CITY: Nevada Territory in the 1860s. by Mark Twain. (Samuel Clemens).
Here are the famous humorist's adventures in and around early Virginia City, Nevada Territory (now Nevada state). There are silver mining, speculation in silver mines, work in a quartz mill. A trip to Lake Tahoe to secure a timber empire resulted mainly in starting a forest fire. There was the search for the Lost Cement Mine, and, finally, reporting for "The Territorial Enterprise", Virginia City's rollicking newspaper that reported the episodes of riches and murders rampant in this important Western mining center. The writings here were first published in 1872 in "Roughing It", but we have pulled from the larger work just episodes on Virginia City in order to maintain that as a focus. Read these Twain anecdotes for fun, but, remember, too, that these incidents really happened, and that the principals were often in dead earnest; it just took Twain's insights to show the satirical side of human nature. Illustrations are from the original book and other sources. 64 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-074-6. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-074-4. Order #: VIST0074 paper$7.95.

A MINER'S SUNDAY, 1849. by Charles B. Gillespie.
This story is set in Coloma, the California gold discovery site of 1848, now a state park. But it might have happened at any of the gold-rush sites of the West--Virginia City, Cripple Creek, the Klondike--and it probably did, but only on Sunday. Town was a lively place the one day the mines were shut down, with a mix of nationalities engaging in gambling, auctions, horse-racing, shopping for clothes and supplies, eating, drinking, brawling, and general tom-foolery as you might expect from a bunch of young men from all over the world who were off to a get-rich adventure. Illustrations are from early sources, including the original article of 1891, Frederic Remington, and the Crocker Art Museum. 16 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-005-3. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-005-8. Published by VistaBooks 1981. Order #: VIST0005 paper$4.95.

 

MONARCH, the Big Bear of Tallac in the Lake Tahoe High Sierra (CA). by Ernest Thompson Seton.
This classic wildlife story was created just after 1900, when a few California grizzly bears, like Monarch, still did roam the Sierra; now they roam only on California's state flag. It is a story of the sad life of one of the last wild grizzlies who lived near Tallac, the high mountain rising above Lake Tahoe's west shore, still  wild country today, located in the Desolation Basin Wilderness Area. The book Monarch was written for children, but like all truly classic children's literature is excellent reading for adults, too. Author Seton left many wildlife works for us, such as Wild Animals I Have Known and The Biography of a Grizzly and was also a practical leader, founding the Woodcraft League, forerunner of today's Boy Scouts. His museum is at the scouts' Philmont Ranch in New Mexico. 100 drawings from the original, by the author, are included. 168 pages. Covers scuffed. Limited supply. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = 77. ISBN-10: 0-89646-040-1. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-040-9. Order #: VIST0040 paper$12.95.

MONTAUK POINT, LONG ISLAND: an 1872 visit (NY). by Charles Parsons.
Oldest lighthouse in New York, from 1796, at The End, Long Island.
Highlight of this early trip to the eastern tip of Long Island was the Montauk Lighthouse, picturesque beacon to aid early shipping. The author's transportation en route included boat trips and trekking through sand down the beach, past sites of shipwrecks. Hear of the early pastor who received some of his remuneration in the form of rights to parts of stranded whales! And learn of the history this spot already had by 1871. There were still Indians. Cattle-ranching was practiced. Now a New York State Park.
Among the period illustrations of sailing ships, the lighthouse, and a graveyard, is a windmill, still standing today. 15 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-082-7. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-082-9. Order #: VIST0082 paper$4.95.

MOUNT DESERT, 1872: an early history of the Maine island that is now Acadia National Park. by George Ward Nichols.
Here is a sail around and a tour over Mount Desert--the famous island off the coast of Maine.
There are fogs, and stormy seas, lighthouses, and legends. The report shows how soon and how enthusiastically appreciation for Nature developed in America, for the 1872 year of publication is the same year that Yellowstone National Park--called the world's first--was established. Yet the tourist industry was already founded at Mount Desert. Nichols portrays the people as well as the scenery--their occupations, lives, and sorrow, but (unfortunately for him) he dislikes their fish and lobster! Reprinted from Harper's New Monthly Magazine. Illustrations are mainly sketches by the author. 24 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-029-0. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-029-4. Order #: VIST0029 paper$4.95.

MOUNTAINEERING IN THE KINGS RIVER COUNTRY, 1864 (CA). by Clarence King of the California Geological Survey.
This early ascent of Mount Tyndall at the head of King's River (the river is not related to our author) is now classic Western Americana literature. It is mountaineering drama to the extreme, written even when the foothills of the Sierra Nevada were remote enough, let alone peaks at the range crest, such as Tyndall. Clearly showing is the author's love of nature. This writing appeared in several forms before being gathered with others of King's articles in 1872 into Mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada, a book still in print! In our little volume we include just material dealing with the Kings River country so that visitors to this region, much of it now in Kings Canyon National Park, can focus. King also conducted the U.S. Geological Exploration of the 40th Parallel, an unexplored line through America's interior, and was first director of the U. S. Geological Survey. He has a Sierra peak named for him. Illustrations are added from Picturesque California(1888) and The Yosemite Guidebook(1869). 48 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock. ISBN-10: 0-89646-042-8. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-042-3. Order #: VIST0042 paper$4.95.

MOUNTAINEERING ON THE PACIFIC IN 1868 (WA). by Edmund T. Coleman.
Based on an account of the ascent of Mount Baker and a description of that portion of Washington Territory seen on its approach. Mountaineering in 1868 was a different experience than nowadays. This ascent began at the seashore and included canoe trip, portages, and a backpack just to reach the base of the peak--all through country still wild with Indians, bears, and wolves. The final assault on the summit included ropes, ice axes, and crampons. Reprinted from Harper's New Monthly Magazine.
Illustrated with period engravings. 24 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-014-2. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-014-0. Order #: VIST0014 paper$4.95. 

THE MURDER OF JULIA BULETTE: Virginia City, Nevada; 1867--with the life and confession of John Millian, convicted murderer. by Charles E. DeLong, convicted murderer's attorney, et. al.
Julia, a courtesan now legendary, had not only been a favorite female companion of Virginia City's males, but had been an active contributor to the community in times of civil need, such as the Comstock's early, terrible winters when she attended the sick and needy. Her support of the volunteer fire brigade earned her the title of Honorary Member. Her murder severely offended the camp's code of decency, hard though that was. When her murderer was found, tried, convicted, and hung, virtually the whole town turned out for the final event, "a fine hanging", "the most gala to date in Nevada", it was called. That same evening, Mark Twain, returning from the Holy Land to this town where he had begun his writing career, gave a lecture. Reprinted from a pamphlet issued on the eve of the hanging of Julia's murderer. Illustrations from contemporary publications. 16 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-044-4. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-044-7. Order #:VIST0044 paper$4.95.

NOTECARDS--Donner/Tahoe Sierra (CA):
Donner Lake. by Thomas Moran, 1874.
Lake Tahoe. by Thomas Moran, 1874.
Summit of the Sierras. by Thomas Moran, 1874.
Eagle Falls, Emerald Bay at Lake Tahoe. Picturesque America, 1874.
Mountain scenery etchings are reproduced from artistic--now historical--engravings published in books from the 1870s, such as VistaBooks has often used in its own reprints. Notecards are 4 1/2" wide by 6" tall when folded, black on cream-colored stock. Insides are blank, providing 2 1/2 pages of writing space. Set includes 8 notecards (2 scenes each of the 4 shown) with 8 matching envelopes in a re-sealable plastic bag.
Inventory = available. ISBN-10: 0-89646-092-4. Order #: VIST0092 notecards129.95.  See card images.

NOTECARDS--Colorado Rocky Mountains 14ers. by Thomas Moran
Mount of the Holy Cross--14,0005 feet. by Thomas Moran 1874.
Longs Peak--14,255 feet. by Thomas Moran 1874.
Grays Peak--14,270 feet. 1874.
Pikes Peak--14109 feet. by Thomas Moran, 1874.
Mountain scenery etchings are reproduced from artistic--now historical--engravings published in books from the 1870s, such as VistaBooks has often used in its own reprints. Notecards are 4 1/2" wide by 6" tall when folded, black on cream-colored stock. Insides are blank, providing 2 1/2 pages of writing space. Set includes 8 notecards (2 scenes each of the 4 shown) with 8 matching envelopes in a re-sealable plastic bag.
Inventory = available. ISBN-10: 0-89646-091-6. Order #: VIST0091 notecards$12.95. See card images.

OH, RANGER! a book about the national parks. by Horace M. Albright and Frank J. Taylor.
This is the classic, 1928 edition. Here is a nostalgic look at America's early national parks and their ranger service by their director of that time. Author Albright was also a long-time superintendent of Yellowstone National Park. Originally published in 1928 by Stanford University Press, and available continuously ever since, this book relates humorous stories of bears and other wild animals, Indians, fishing, park "dudes and sagebrushers" (hotel guests and campers, respectively), the fledgling ranger service, and the antics of the American tourist early in the roaring '20s. This edition includes the late author's last foreword and a tribute from a former president and early Yellowstone ranger, Gerald Ford. To the pen-and-ink drawings from the original have been added 50 early park photographs. 160 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-068-1. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-068-3. Order #: VIST0068 paper$7.95.
SAVE! Scuffed copies of Oh, Ranger! A Book about the National Parks are available at discount; for these go to Scuffed Specials.

Note that this classic edition of Oh, Ranger! A Book about the National Parks is reprinted from the original 1928 printing co-authored by National Park Service Director Horace Albright. A book with a similar title, Oh, Ranger! True Stories form Our National Parks, was issued in 2007 with a collection of more recent ranger stories. Another recent book of ranger stories is called Hey Ranger, with more than one volume.

OUR YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK (CA). by John Muir.
Among its forests and wild gardens, animals and birds, fountains and streams. At the turn of the century, John Muir described Yosemite National Park to readers of The Atlantic Monthly in the articles here reprinted. Just a decade before he had been so involved with the park idea that he became known as the "father of Yosemite National Park". Muir knew the park better than anyone else, and he had a gift for expression that keeps his fame and his works alive yet. The writing here is perhaps the best blend Muir gave of the Yosemite as a wild nature preserve. The ecological account is full, and we learn much of Muir's observations of the Yosemite birds, bears, and blossoms as well as its winters, earthquakes, glaciers, and forests. Period illustrations. 96 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-061-4. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-061-4. Order #: VIST0061 paper$7.95.

 

PIONEER DAYS IN SAN FRANCISCO (CA). by John Williamson Palmer.
The City's history from July 8, 1846, when the American flag first waved over the city (then called Yerba Buena), continuing through the early days of Mormon settlement, the total disruption during the Gold Rush of 1849, the terrible inflation of prices, the polyglot composition of the populace, and of City Fathers, Vigilance Committees, and fires. This history goes only to the mid-1850s, truly a pioneer history of just the first, frontier decade of the great City by the Bay. See not only from where the physical base of San Francisco came, but gain insight into how its people of mixed ethnic origin, thrown together in common destiny, sought means and institutions to secure their future, helping perhaps to bring the city to be one of the most open-minded on earth.
Period engravings. 32 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-015-0. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-015-7.Order #: VIST0015 paper$5.95.

THE PROPOSED YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK--treasures & features, 1890 (CA). by John Muir.
Perhaps the most important writing Muir ever did, for here he proposed a national park, which was soon established. He and his editor had hatched the scheme around a Tuolumne Meadows campfire, and so Muir became known as the "Father of Yosemite National Park." The writing is mostly descriptive, in Muir's magnificent style, covering the grand scenes, waterfall explorations, storm flooding, sequoias, glaciers, Hetch Hetchy Valley, and more. An included map shows Muir's proposed park boundaries, larger than today's, as one might imagine, for there was controversy about taking too much mineral land from potential production. Also shown is the watershed of the Yosemite Valley, as a major purpose of the new park was to protect the waterfalls of Yosemite Valley from upstream lumbering and sheep-grazing. At that time, Yosemite Valley was under state operation and the new park would not affect that; later, however, the valley was returned to federal management and the present park achieved its wholeness. Foreword by former Yosemite Chief Park Naturalist. Reprinted from 1890, with period engravings. 32 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-003-7. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-4. Order #: VIST0003 paper$4.95.

RANCH LIFE IN THE FAR WEST (SD). by Theodore Roosevelt.
After being president, Roosevelt stated "I would not have been president had it not been for my experience in North Dakota" And so here are his experiences, as he wrote about them, of cattle, ranching, sheriff's work, hunting game, and frontier types. Tales of round-ups, breaking broncos, and arresting thieves are included, as well as the harshness of the winters on his Elkhorn Ranch, much of which is now in the Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial Park. Foreword is by park naturalist Gerard T. Altoff. Reprinted from 1888 and 1893. Illustrated primarily with engravings done by Frederic Remington for the original publication. 96 large-format pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-034-7. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-034-8. Order #: VIST0034 paper$12.95.

A RIVAL OF THE YOSEMITE: the cañon of the South Fork of Kings River, California by John Muir.
As they had at Yosemite, Muir and his editor launched a campaign to get Kings Canyon set aside as a national park (some wanted to call it John Muir National Park), advising the law-givers to "make haste before it is too late". This writing was to be the stimulus. The park was not established, however, until 1940, when it was called Kings Canyon National Park. Muir's text is primarily descriptive, but as usual he includes personal adventures, in this case including a close encounter with a grizzly bear. Arguments for establishing the park are included, such as blocking grazing, lumbering, and mining. Text was reviewed by former Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park Chief Park Naturalist and foreword is by former Yosemite Chief Park Naturalist. Period engravings, with map showing proposed park boundary, 24 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-010-X. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-010-2.  Order #: VIST0010 paper$4.95.

ROCK ART OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN by Campbell Grant.
This book surveys the myriad rock paintings and carvings--numbering possibly some 15,000 sites--pecked into and painted onto boulders and rock surfaces throughout North America by its aboriginal artists. With photographs and drawings on virtually every page, this book presents the rock artists through the work they left--illustrating their extraordinarily diverse techniques, styles, and subjects. Meanings of the designs are discussed, and their roles in hunting or puberty rites interpreted. Major rock art sites are located, and methods of recording, preserving, and dating them are indicated. Author Grant has done rock art books on the Chumash Indians, the Coso Range, and Canyon de Chelly. 192 pages + 16 page color insert. Large-format. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-084-3. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-084-3. Order #: VIST0084 paper$16.95.
Prehistoric rock art sites can be seen at Petroglyph National Monument (New Mexcio), Capital Reef (Utah), Petrived Foret (Arizona), Moab, Utah, and many more aeas.

SAINT LOUIS IN 1884: "the future great city of the world" (MO). by William Henry Bishop.
Belching clouds of dark smoke coming from the city's factory chimneys were cited as proof that St. Louis was indeed prosperous! Early, the city was a supply depot on the west bank of the Mississippi River for emigrants heading across the plains. Native stone architecture in the city is described, as are the centers of retail trade, parks, schools, and public buildings. Reprinted from Harper's New Monthly Magazine. Period engravings are added to the text. 24 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-024-X. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-024-9. Order #: VIST0024 paper$4.95.

SANDY HOOK--in 1879 (NJ). by George Houghton.
Story of the sometimes-spit/sometimes-island sandland off New York City.
Sandy Hook is a narrow spit of sand jutting out from the New Jersey shore into New York Harbor. This report tells of the lighthouse there, of the offshore lightship, of its life-saving service station, and of the pilots who boarded ships coming in from the ocean to guide them to their dockings in New York harbor. "Sandhiller" life on the island is presented, as are the origin of this sea-bound sand island and the geologic changes that have affected its shape, including its detachment from the mainland to become an island, and then reattachment. Today the Hook is a bit of a nature preserve, and is part of the Gateway National Recreation Area operated by the National Park Service. Reprinted from Scribner's Monthly,also the source of most of the illustrations. 16 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-047-9. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-047-8. Order #: VIST0047 paper$4.95.

SIGNALS OF THE SEA AND HEROES OF THE SURF: the epic story of America's light-houses and life-savers, written at their heyday. by Arthur Hewitt and John R. Spears.
Two of the most romantic traditions of the sea are here combined to form the content of this book--light-houses and life-savers. Stories of the work of the keepers and savers span the range from daytime monotony, and even loneliness, between storms, to the thrill of daring sea rescues in raging winter surf. Through all, dedication of the men involved shines as brightly as the lights they tended and as steadily as their massive surfboats while heading through the breakers to sea. Reprinted from The Outlook for 1903 and 1904. Good reading for anyone intending to visit the many lighthouses and life-saving stations maintained as historic sites on all U.S. coasts. Period engravings. 24 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-088-6. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-088-1. Order #: VIST0088 paper$5.95.

 

SILVER SAN JUAN: the mines and high scenery in Colorado's southwest mountains--in 1882. by Ernest Ingersoll.
Presents early sketches of this region where the Colorado Rocky Mountains culminate in their grandest scenic display, including Silverton, Rico, Animas Canyon, Capitol City, Lake City. Although mines and mining are the prime topic in this early history, and the writing gives a good picture of mining in the mountain West, the author admired the landscapes greatly, too. It was a time for that in America, when national pride in Western grandeur was swelling. Silver San Juan was a great place for such pride, for the region has been called "The Switzerland of America". Most of the region's minerals have now been removed, but the economic input from that source is replaced by tourists who come enthusiastically in numbers. For those who want to know the background of the region they visit, this book is for them. Reprinted from 1882. Illustrations by Thomas Moran and others. 24 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-025-8. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-025-6. Order #: VIST0025 paper$4.95.

 

THE SOUTHERN UTE INDIANS OF EARLY COLORADO. by Verner Z. Reed.
An early account of these inhabitants of southwestern Colorado, living in one of the most magnificent spots of the American continent. Aboriginal customs were still much practiced at the time this material was first published, in 1893. We are told of face painting, of nomadic lifeways, of matriarchal lineage of families, of medicine men, of wars with other Indian tribes, of courtship and family customs, of religion, and of the variance between Indian custom and white man's law. Reprinted from The Californian Illustrated Magazine. Illustrations of shepherding, horses, war costumes, camp, family, chief, dance, and more. 20 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-067-3. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-067-6. Order #: VIST0067 paper$4.95.

A TRIP TO BODIE BLUFF and the Dead Sea of the West (Mono Lake)--in 1863. written and illustrated by J. Ross Browne.
The adventures of a noted humorist of the 1860s during an excursion at their heyday to the mines of Bodie, Aurora, and the Mono Lake region. Author Browne was a man of many hats: he was a minerals engineer, an almost politician, locator of coastal post offices in California, recorder and publisher of California's constitutional convention, and writer and artist for Harper's New Monthly Magazine. Browne's writing is not of the "superlative" or romantic variety popular at his time; instead Browne found fun in the foibles of man's endeavors--and poked at them. In fact, Mark Twain's earlier writings were on this same region of eastern California and central Nevada, and the incidents and even the illustrations in Twain's works seem to have been inspired by Browne's preceding writing. Today, we can still see vestiges of some of the scenes Browne saw, for California maintains Bodie today in "a state of arrested decay" as a state park. Park visitors will better understand the scene with these insights from an earlier visitor. Illustrated, 72 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = a few dozen scuffed copies. ISBN-10: 0-89646-076-2. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-076-8. Order #: VIST0076 paper$7.95. Out of print except for scuffed-cover copies. 

THE UNITED STATES LIFE-SAVING SERVICE--1880: predecessor to today's Coast Guard. by J. H. Merryman.
Story of chain of life-saving stations that once lined all U.S. coasts--Atlantic, Gulf, Great Lakes, Pacific--with rescue dramas, apparatus and technique used by heroic federal surfmen. The U.S. Life-saving Service was at its heyday when this material was written in 1880. Shipping was a busy industry among the seaport cities, yet navigation was often unsure, and storms poorly predicted. Wrecks were all too common; ships in peril were even run toward shore to founder them where they would be closer to possible rescue. A chain of life-saving stations on all four U.S. coasts was therefore established to save lives. Accounts of heroism at these lonely outposts remain amazing--and chilling. Our author was chief inspector of the board examining these station's crews. He tells of the organization of the Service, the desperate need for the life saving function, of rescues, and of rescue methods and apparatus. Today many of these stations are maintained as historic reminders of past deeds, and several are in parks and/or include museums. Some provide demonstrations of how rescues were made in the surf and by lifeboats. Read this book and visit one or several of the stations on any coast for an appreciation of the life-saving service heritage. 79 period illustrations. 64 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-071-1. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-071-3. Order #: VIST0071 paper$7.95.

THE WILD SHEEP. by John Muir.
Here the early naturalist-writer glorifies the mountain sheep, or bighorn, of the Sierra Nevada. In Muir's time (1881 is the date of this writing), sheep were still to be seen on his High Sierra rambles. He notes the distribution of sheep and their various species as well as their physical characteristics, and he also describes their mountain home where they lived, "the happy wanderers, perhaps relishing the beauty as well as the taste of the lovely flora on which they feed." But as always his finest sections are where he describes the sheep themselves and how they move about on cliff walls, fine four-legged mountaineers. Today, park and wildlife agencies are reestablishing populations of wild sheep in the Sierra Nevada and elsewhere, and we may thank Muir in part for this, as his writing helped keep our appreciation alive for them. Reviewed by Chief Park Naturalists at Yosemite and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Period engravings. 32 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-017-7. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-017-1. Order #: VIST0017 paper$4.95.

THE YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (ID/MT/WY). by John Muir.
Here is what may well be Muir's most literary piece of nature writing, inspired not by the Sierra Nevada he was more familiar with, but by the wonders of the Yellowstone region. The text tells of the park's geysers, lakes, mountains, animals, flowers and trees, petrified forest--of the "blessed old Yellowstone Wonderland." It is the source for his oft-quoted phrase:
         "Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.
         Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.
         The winds will blow their own freshness into you,
         and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves."
Tips on how to travel in the park around the turn-of the-century are included! Illustrated with drawings and engravings, many by Thomas Moran. 80 pages, 6 x 9, coated stock. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN 978-0-89646-101-7. Order #VIST0101 paper$8.95.

THE YOSEMITE IN WINTER: an 1892 account (CA). by James M. Carson, with extracts from John Muir's writings.
An appreciation of Yosemite Valley's winter character and an early history of the first winter residents, with passages from John Muir, who also was a year-round valley resident in the early days. Reports of floods, in which trees were swept over the waterfalls, of the ice-cone at the base of Upper Yosemite Fall, snow-banners flying off rangecrest peaks, use of "snowshoes" (skis, today) to bring in the mail, winter-time climatic differences between north and south sides of this deep east-west trending valley due to shadows. Foreword by former Yosemite Chief Park Naturalist. Period engravings. 16 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
Inventory = in stock in quantity. ISBN-10: 0-89646-053-3. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-053-9. Order #: VIST0053 paper$4.95.

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