Ho for California!: Women's Overland Diaries from the Huntington LibrarySandra L. Myres The five diaries presented here reflect the experiences of five different women, on three of the major westward routes in the middle of the nineteenth century—across Panama in 1849, the California or northern route in the 1850s, and the Gila or southern trail in the post-Civil War period. The reader will find neither the sunbonnet saint, striding grimly forward undaunted by the dangers ahead, nor the timorous and reluctant voyager living in dread of Indians and wild beasts. The self-perceptions of these women are as varied as those of male writers, as these diaries vividly illustrate. Women's diaries are comparatively rare, and this book includes five of unusual interest. |
Contents
The Isthmus of Panama 1849 | 1 |
A Diary Kept by Mrs Jane McDougal | 9 |
The California Trail 18501859 | 35 |
Copyright | |
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Common terms and phrases
12 miles Afoot August Bailey bank beautiful bluffs boys breakfast Butterfield Overland Butterfield Overland Mail California California Trail cattle City cold Concho Conkling Cooke County Creek Crossing the Plains Dale Morgan Denton County Diary distance Dobbins drive drove dust emigrants Federal Writers feet Fort Concho Fort Davis Fort Griffin Fort Kearny Fort Laramie Friday Gila grass Handbook of Texas hills Historical horses Huntington Library Indians Journal July June last night look McDougal Mexican miles and camped miles farther Monday Mormons morning mountains nice noon o'clock oxen Panama party passed Platte River Platte River Road pleasant plenty prairie rain Reid's Tramp rocks route Salt Lake San Marino Saturday September Shrode sick spring Started Station stopped stream Sunday three miles Thursday timber tonight took town trail train Travailed Traveled trip Tuesday valley wagon Wednesday willows women wood