In the late 1850s many of the most striking places in Wyoming; Idaho; and Montana had not yet been surveyed by any government expedition. This book brings to life the expedition that first explored these regions. As the last major government survey of the American West before the Civil War; the Raynolds Expedition began in 1859. This highly readable daily journal of Captain William F. Raynolds; previously unpublished; covers the most challenging period of that expedition; from May 7 to July 4; 1860. It describes what the Raynolds party did and saw while traveling from its winter quarters near today’s Glenrock; Wyoming; up to the head of the Wind River; through Jackson Hole; and on to the Three Forks of the Missouri in southwestern Montana. The party included legendary mountain man Jim Bridger; geologist Ferdinand Hayden; and artists Anton Schönborn and James Hutton; among the first to depict the Teton Range.Historians; travelers; and outdoor enthusiasts will welcome this important addition to the literature of western exploration.
#3781406 in Books University of Missouri 2010-12-27Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.25 x 1.00 x 6.13l; 1.25 #File Name: 0826218962258 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Highly recommended; especially for college library collectionsBy Midwest Book ReviewA French Aristocrat in the American West: The Shattered Dreams of De Lassus de Luzieres is the biography of Pierre-Charles de Lassus de Luzieres; who left Revolutionary France with his family to buy land in America. He was swindled by the notorious Scioto Land Company; yet he chose to remain in North America and move to the Mississippi River Valley. He dreamed of creating a commercial empire; though he never precisely realized his most grandiose aspirations; he was pivotal in founding the city of New Bourbon and encouraging American settlers to move westward across the Mississippi River. His most notable legacy is his extensive writings about life on the Mississippi frontier during the last years of the colonial era. A French Aristocrat in the American West is divided into two parts - a thoughtful biography of de Luzieres; and a meticulous collection of source documents. The result is an invaluable account that simultaneously serves as a primary and tertiary source of American colonial history; as well as of the life and times of a truly extraordinary American. Highly recommended; especially for college library collections.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Excellent; well-researched historical and biographical workBy D. PuschEkberg did an excellent job of presenting his research on this often-overlooked but profoundly important figure in the history of Spanish Illinois.Ekberg's style of writing and the organization of the work make a great combination. I especially liked the inclusion of so many English translations of De Lassus d Luzières' papers.
