1801

Mackenzie, Alexander, 1764-1820

Book

Title: Voyages from Montreal on the River St. Laurence...to the Pacific Ocean [1789-93]

With three folding maps. Full title: "Voyages from Montreal, on the River St. Laurence, through the continent of North America, to the frozen and Pacific Oceans; in the years 1789 and 1793. With a preliminary account of the rise, progress, and present state of the fur trade of that country" (Canada, Northwest passage, Arctic exploration, Indians of the Northwest). Describes the extraordinary travels of the author in northwest America in 1789, when he discovered the Mackenzie River, and in 1793, when he crossed the continent to the Pacific. Mackenzie also provides an excellent history of the…

GLC04137

1814

Brackenridge, Henry M., fl. 1814

Book

Title: Views of Louisiana; together with... a voyage up the Missouri River, in 1811

Full title: "Views of Louisiana : together with a Journal of a voyage up the Missouri River, in 1811" Printed and published by Cramer, Spear and Eichbaum, Franklin head office.

GLC04140

1819

Bradbury, John, fl. 1819

Book

Title: Travels in the interior of America, in the Years 1809,1810 & 1811... [Louisiana]

GLC04141

1821

Nuttal, Thomas, 1786-1859

Book

Title: A journal of travels into the Arkansa Territory, during the year 1819. With occasional observations on the manners of the Aborigines.

Published by Thos. H. Palmer. Includes Nuttall's observations on his journey from Philadelphia to Arkansas along the Arkansas River. Describes his encounters with Cherokee, Chickasaw, Osage, and Quapaw Tribes, among others. A botanist and naturalist, Nuttall also details the vegetation, climate, and agricultural possibilities of the territory he passes through. Contains a fold-out map inside the front cover of Nuttall's route along the Arkansas River.

GLC04142

1823

James, Edwin, 1797-1861

Book

Title: Account of an expedition from Pittsburgh to the Rocky Mountains : performed in the years 1819 and '20, by order of the Hon. J.C. Calhoun, Sec'y of War ; under the command of Major Stephen H. Long / from the notes of Major Long, Mr. T. Say, and other gentlemen of the exploring party

Published by H.C. Carey and I. Lea. Contains a separate folio atlas volume with two maps, eight plates (1 colored), and 1 plate of geological cross-sections. James was the botanist and geologist for the expedition.

GLC04143

1834

Pike, Albert, 1809-1891

Book signed

Title: Prose sketches and poems, written in the Western Country

Signed and inscribed on the last page by Jerome Van Crowninshield Smith, former editor of The Boston Medical Intelligencer. Published by Light & Horton. Pike, a newspaper editor and lawyer, created this book after his journey over the Santa Fe Trail.

GLC04144

1844

Gregg, Josiah, 1806-1850

Book signed

Title: Commerce of the Prairies. Or the journal of a Santa Fe trader, during eight expeditions across the Great Western Praries, and a residence of nearly nine years in Northern Mexico.

Signed by James William Abert, an army officer and explorer. Published by Henry G. Langley. Includes two folding maps. Discusses New Mexico geography and history, Santa Fe trade, and travel to and within Northern Mexico.

GLC04146

1846

Sage, Rufus B., fl. 1846

Book

Title: Scenes in the Rocky Mountains, and in Oregon, California, New Mexico, Texas,...

With large folding map and 11 plates. Also discusses Great Plains. Full title: "Scenes in the Rocky Mountains, and in Oregon, California, New Mexico, Texas, and the grand prairies : or, Notes by the way, during an excursion of three years, with a description of the countries passed through, including their geography, geology, resources, present condition, and the different nations inhabiting them"

GLC04147

1848

Young, Brigham, 1801-1877

Pamphlet

Title: General epistle from the Council of the Twelve Apostles, to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints abroad, dispersed throughout the earth.

Signed in type by President Young and Clerk Willard Richards. A letter narrating Mormon history from their expulsion from Illinois in 1846 until their settlement in Utah and their founding of Salt Lake City. Invites like-minded people in the British Isles and throughout the world to join them on the east side of the Missouri River to trek together to Utah. According to records at Brigham Young University this pamphlet was printed in St. Louis, Missouri, before the middle of January 1848.

GLC04149

1849

Parkman, Francis, 1823-1893

Book signed

Title: The California and Oregon Trail: being sketches of prairie and Rocky Mountain life

The two plates, frontispiece and pictorial title are engraved by Childs after F.O.C. Darley and printed by C.A. Alvord. Inscribed with "Dr. O'Callaghan, with respects of F. Parkman Jr."

GLC04150

1850

Garrard, Lewis Hector, 1829-1887

Book

Title: Wah-To-Yah, and the Taos Trail; or prairie travel and scalp dances, with a look at los rancheros from Muleback and the Rocky Mountain camp-fire.

Published by H. W. Derby & Co. Also published in New York, New York by A. S. Barnes & Co. Relates his 1846 journey along the Sante Fe and Taos (New Mexico) Trails while accompanying a merchant caravan led by Ceran St. Vrain. Includes Garrard's detailed observations and opinions of Native Americans he encountered while travelling.

GLC04151

1852

Horn, Hosea B., fl. 1852

Book

Title: Horn's overland guide, from the U.S. Indian sub-agency, Council Bluffs, on the Missouri River, to the City of Sacramento, in California...

Title continues "Containing a table of distances, and showing all the rivers, creeks, lakes, springs, mountains, hills, camping-places, and other prominent objects, with remarks on the country, roads, timbers, grasses, curiosities, etc.; the entire route having been tracked by a road-measurer, and the distances from place to place, and from the Missouri River, accurately ascertained. With a complete and accurate map." Pertains to the California gold rush. Includes appendix and business advertisements. Publisher's advertisements on eighteen pages at end. Pages 77 and 78 are reversed. A…

GLC04152.01

1856

Kendall, George W., fl. 1844-1856

Book

Title: Narrative of the Texan Santa Fe expedition....

Fuller title: "Narrative of the Texan Santa Fe Expedition, comprising a description of a tour through Texas, and across the great southwestern prairies, the Camanche and Caygua hunting-grounds, with an account of the sufferings from want of food, losses from hostile Indians, and final capture of the Texans, and their march, as prisoners, to the city of Mexico. With illustrations and a map."

GLC04153

1855

Linforth, James, 1927-1899

Book

Title: Route from Liverpool to Great Salt Lake Valley : illustrated with steel engravings and wood cuts from sketches made by Frederick Piercy.

Title continues: "together with a geographical and historical description of Utah, and a map of the overland routes to that territory from the Missouri River : also an authentic history of the Latter-Day Saints' emigration from Europe from the commencement up to the close of 1855, with statistics." Edited by Linforth. Published as a monument to Mormon emigration and as a means of attracting further emigrants.

GLC04155

1858

Möllhausen, Balduin, 1825-1905

Header Record

Title: Diary of a journey from the Mississippi to the coasts of the Pacific with a United States government expedition

Introduction by Alexander von Humboldt. Published by Longman, Brown, Green, Longmans, & Roberts. First English edition. Inscribed to Master R. Dymoke as "2nd Prise for School work. Woodbourne House. Christmas 1861." Describes western territories and Indians while accompanying Lieutenant Whipple's Expedition. With nineteen plates (seven chromolithographs) and a folding map.

GLC04156

1864

Campbell, J.L., fl. 1864

Book

Title: Idaho. Six months in the new gold diggings. The emigrant's guide overland

Cover title reads "Idaho. Six months in the new gold regions. The emigrant's guide." Title page subtitle reads "Itinerary of the routes, features of the country, journal of residence, etc., etc." and "New York: Published by J.L. Campbell. 1864." With frontispiece map and original color pictorial cover. Pages 53-62 are advertisements.

GLC04157

1798

Book

Title: An Act to provide for the valuation of lands and dwelling houses,... [taxation]

Also printed with "An Act to lay and collect a direct tax within the United States." Apparently first (unrecorded) Virginia printing.

GLC04159

1802

Caines, George, fl. 1802

Book

Title: An Enquiry into the law merchant of the United States...

First American treatise on commercial law. Vol. 1 was the only one published. First edition. American Imprints 1978, Marvin p. 169. Spine title: Lex Mercatoria. Dedicated to Jefferson. Signed on titlepage " Jona. D. Weston."

GLC04160

1821

Adams, John Quincy, 1767-1848

Book signed

Title: Report upon weights and measures.

An attempt to synthesize history, philosophy and physics into a coherent whole that illuminates the nature of human relations. Recommends the adoption of the metric system, as a blessing that will lead to "the improvement of the physical, moral and intellectual condition of man upon earth," by making stronger the "links of sympathy between the inhabitants of the most distant regions." Points to international suppression of the slave trade as a precedent for an international effort to standardize weights and measures. First edition. Inscribed by Adams to diplomat and politician Jonathan…

GLC04045

15 April 1829

Van Buren, Martin, 1782-1862

Letter signed

Title: to Francisco Pacon

Written by Van Buren as Secretary of State. Acknowledges Pacon's letter of 11 April 1829 which provided "a List of all the Grants of Land, purporting to have been made in the Floridas, by the Government of His Catholic Majesty." This diplomatic letter deals with the messy entanglements and complications of territorial land issues between the United States and Spain in Florida. Spain ceded Florida to the United States in 1819, but the transition was messy because the King of Spain always exercised the right of granting lands to whomever he pleased. The American plan was to sell the land in…

GLC04058

January 25, 1777

Van Cortlandt, Philip, 1749-1831

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Philip Schuyler

Encloses the preceedings of a court martial (not included). Reports that General Washington advanced on the enemy at New York City two days prior and that General Heath is laying siege at Fort Independence.

GLC04067

11 April 1806

Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Mason

Asks General Mason to serve as one of three disinterested commissioners for the Cumberland Road, two of which should come from "this quarter." A post script indicates he was also asking Thomas Moore, who accepted. Mason apparently declined, since Eli Williams of Maryland became the second eastern commissioner (Joseph Kerr, the other commissioner, was from Ohio).

GLC04076

2 January 1832

Adams, John Quincy, 1767-1848

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Thomas L. McKenney

Adams offers advice on McKenney's work on American Indian tribes, "History of the Indian Tribes of North America." Adams, who had read the book's proofs, suggests defining terms like prairie for the European audience. Expresses his hopes that the book had gone into detail on the Shawnee prophet.

GLC04077

January 16, 1904

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Typed letter signed

Title: to Paul H. Lacey

Discusses his desire for a Square Deal for all Americans. Severely faded. Typed on White House letterhead.

GLC04078

28 November 1863

Farragut, David Glasgow, 1801-1870

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William Faxon

Written by Rear Admiral Farragut to Faxon as the chief clerk of the Navy Department on stationery of Astor House. Says he saw Mr. Davis, a government paymaster, and told him to go to Washington to settle the matter of the prize money that was turned over to the paymaster of the "Pensacola."

GLC04083