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Memoirs & Journals of Western Expansion

BIBLIOGRAPHIES

  • Auerbach, Herbert Samuel. A catalogue of western Americana : manuscripts, documents, and ephemera from the Herbert S. Auerbach collection. Northampton, Massachusets: L & T Respess Books, 1992.
  • Webber, Bert. Comprehensive index to Oregon trail diaries. Medford, Oregon: Webb Research Group : Distributed by Pacific Northwest Books Co., 1991.
  • Sandeen, Eric J., compiler and annotator; funded and sponsored by the Association for the Humanities in Idaho, Idaho State University. An inventory of the papers of the Lemhi Indian Agency.
  • The Oregon-California Trail : exploration and emigrant journeys : a guide to first-hand accounts found in the Boise Public Library collection. Boise, Idaho: Boise Public Library, [199?]
  • Payette, B. C. The Oregon country under the Union Jack ; a reference book of historical documents for scholars and historians. Montreal: Print. Priv. for Payette Radio Limited, 1962.
  • O’Brien, Lynne Woods. Plains Indian autobiographies. Boise State College western writers series no. 10. Boise, Idaho: Boise State College, 1973.
  • Judson, Katharine Berry. Subject index to the history of the Pacific northwest and of Alaska as found in the United States government documents, congressional series, in the American state papers, and in other documents, 1789-1881. Olympia, Washington: F. M. Lamborn, public printer, 1913.
  • Trafzer, Clifford E. Yakima, Palouse, Cayuse, Umatilla, Walla Walla, and Wanapum Indians: an Historical Bibliography. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1992.

GUIDEBOOKS & REPORTS

  • Mullan, John. Miners and travelers’ guide to Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado : via the Missouri and Columbia rivers : accompanied by a general map of the mineral region of the northern sections of the Rocky Mountains. New York : Published by Wm. M. Franklin, for the author, 1865.
  • United States War Department. Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to Ascertain the Most Practicable and Economical Route for a Railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean (Stevens’ Report/Report of explorations and surveys for economical route for a railroad).
    Ex. doc. / 36th Congress, 1st session, House of Representatives; no. 56, etc. Washington, D.C.: T. Ford, Printer, 1860.

PIONEERS

  • Lockley, Fred. Captain Sol. Tetherow, wagon train master; personal narrative of his son, Sam. Tetherow, who crossed the plains to Oregon, in 1845, and personal narrative of Jack McNemee, who was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1848, and whose father built the fourth house in Portland. Portland, Oregon, F. Lockley [1925?]
  • Vaughn, Robert. Then and now; or, Thirty-six years in the Rockies. : Personal reminiscences of some of the first pioneers of the state of Montana. Indians and Indian wars. The past and present of the Rocky mountain country. 1864-1900. Minneapolis: Tribune Printing Co., 1900.
  • Fulton, Arabella. Tales of the trail. Montreal: Payette Radio Limited, 1965.
  • The 1854 Oregon Trail diary of Winfield Scott Ebey
    Ebey, Winfield Scott; edited by Susan Badger Doyle and Fred W. Dykes. The 1854 Oregon Trail diary of Winfield Scott Ebey. Independence, Missouri: Oregon-California Trails Association, 1997.
  • Grant, Johnny; edited with historical annotations by Lyndel Meikle, Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site. Very close to trouble : the Johnny Grant memoir. Pullman, Washington: Washington State University Press, [1996], ©1996.
  • Goulder, William Armistead. Reminiscences: incidents in the life of a pioneer in Oregon and Idaho. Boise, Idaho: Timothy Regan, 1909.
  • Taylor, Margaret Watson. Memories of a wagon trip; Pioneer life on Weiser Flat. Weiser, Idaho : Signal-American Printers, 1954.
  • Swenson, Edward; as told by Edward Swenson; ed. by Sam Schrager; prepared and illustrated by Karen Purtee. Homesteading in the Valley of Park. Moscow, Idaho: Latah County Museum Society, 1975.
  • Toponce, Alexander. Reminiscences of Alexander Toponce, pioneer, 1839-1923. Ogden, Utah: Mrs. Katie Toponce, 1923.
  • Hammer, Jacob; editorial commentary by Thomas A. Rumer;  preface by Aubrey L. Haines. This emigrating company : the 1844 Oregon Trail journal of Jacob Hammer. Spokane, Washington: A.H. Clark Co., 1990.
  • Glover, E. S. The diary of Eli Sheldon Glover, October-December, 1875; transcribed from the original by the Oregon Historical records survey project, Division of professional and service projects, Work projects administration. Sponsored by the University of Oregon. Portland, Oregon, Oregon Historical records survey project, 1939.
  • Ellison, Idaho. Last of the breed: an autobiography, my life and times, 1890-1974. United States: E.C. Howard, 1974.

COWBOYS

  • Jackson, William Emsley; edited by J. Orin Oliphant. William Emsley Jackson’s Diary of a cattle drive from La grande, Oregon to Cheyenne, Wyoming in 1876. Fairfield, Washington: Ye Galleon Press, 1984.
  • Shirk, David Lawson; edited by Martin F. Schmitt. The cattle drives of David Shirk from Texas to the Idaho mines, 1871 and 1873 ; reminiscences of David L. Shirk, wherein are described his two successful cattle drives from Texas, in company with George T. Miller. His later experiences as a cattleman in eastern Oregon during the terrible depredations of hostile Indians and the range warfare with Pete French, from the original manuscript and related papers, now in the University of Oregon Library.Portland, Oregon: Champoeg Press, 1956.

EXPLORERS & TOURISTS

  • Carpenter, Frank D.; with facsimiles of the original title page and frontispiece, and the addition of a preface, notes, appendices, and illustrations, by Heister Dean Guie and Lucullus Virgil McWhorter; maps by C. A. Badeau. Adventures in geyser land; reprinted from The wonders of geyser land, edition of 1878. Caldwell, Idaho: Caxton Printers, 1935.
  • Dale, Harrison Clifford, editor. The Ashley-Smith explorations and the discovery of a central route to the Pacific, 1822-1829: with the original journals. Publisher, Date: Glendale, California: Arthur H. Clark Co., 1941.
  • Franchère, Gabriel; translated and edited by J.V. Huntington. Narrative of a voyage to the northwest coast of America in the years 1811, 1812, 1813, and 1814; or, The first American settlement of the Pacific. New York: Redfield, 1854.
  • Frémont, John Charles. Memoirs of my life, Including the narrative five journeys of western exploration, during the years 1842, 1843-4, 1845-6-7, 1848-9, 1853-4. Together with a sketch of the life of Senator Benton, in connection with western expansion. By Jessie Benton Fremont. A retrospect of fifty years covering the most eventful periods of modern American history. Chicago, Illinois; New York: Belford, Clarke & company, 1887.
  • Gass, Patrick; edited and annotated by Carol Lynn MacGregor. The journals of Patrick Gass: member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Missoula, Montana: Mountain Press Pub. Co., 1997.
  • Lewis, Meriwether; Clark, William, Moulton, Gary E., editor; Dunlay, Thomas W.; University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Center for Great Plains Studies. The journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 1983-2001.
    • v. 1. Atlas of the Lewis & Clark Expedition
    • v. 2. August 30, 1803-August 24, 1804
    • v. 3. August 25, 1804-April 6, 1805
    • v. 4. April 7-July 27, 1805
    • v. 5. July 28-November 1, 1805
    • v. 6. November 2, 1805-March 22, 1806
    • v. 7. March 23-June 9. 1806
    • v. 8. June 10-September 26, 1806
    • v. 9. The journals of John Ordway, May 14, 1804-September 23, 1806, and Charles Floyd, May 14-August 18, 1804
    • v. 10. The journal of Patrick Gass, May 14, 1804-September 23, 1806
    • v. 11. The journals of Joseph Whitehouse, May 14, 1804-April 2, 1806
    • v. 12. Herbarium of the Lewis & Clark expedition
    • v. 13. Comprehensive index.
  • Palmer, Joel, Henry Harmon Spalding, and Reuben Gold Thwaites. Palmer’s Journal of travels over the Rocky Mountains, -1846. Cleveland, Ohio: The Arthur H. Clark Company, 1906. Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/06039791/. Accessed December 13, 2018.
  • Palmer, Joel. Journal of travels over the Rocky Mountains [1748 – 1846]. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University Microfilms, 1966.
  • Parker, Samuel. Journal of an exploring tour beyond the Rocky Mountains: under the direction of the American board of commissions for foreign missions, in the years 1835, ’36, and ’37; containing a description of the geography, geology, climate, productions of the country, and the number, manners, and customs of the natives: with a map of Oregon territory. Ithaca, N.Y.: The author: Mack, Andrus, & Woodruff, printers, 1840. 2d ed.
  • Root, Riley; foreword by Joseph A. Sullivan. Journal of travels from St. Josephs to Oregon with observations of that country: together with a description of California, its agricultural interests, and a full description of its gold mines. Oakland, California: Biobooks, 1955.
  • Smith, Jedediah Strong; edited with an introd. by George R. Brooks. The Southwest expedition of Jedediah S. Smith: his personal account of the journey to California, 1826-1827. Glendale, California: A. H. Clark Co., 1977.
  • Townsend, John Kirk; introduction and annotation by George A. Jobanek. Narrative of a journey across the Rocky Mountains to the Columbia River. Corvallis, Oregon: Oregon State University Press, 1999. 1st ed.
  • Townsend, J.K.; edited by Reuben Gold Thwaites. Narrative of a journey across the Rocky Mountains to the Columbia River. Early Western travels. Cleveland, Ohio: A.H. Clark, 1905.
  • Wagner, Henry Raup; revised and extended by Charles L. Camp. Henry R. Wagner’s The plains and the Rockies; a bibliography of original narratives of travel and adventure, 1800-1865. San Francisco, California: Grabhorn Press, 1937.
  • White, David A., compiler an annotator. News of the Plains and Rockies, 1803-1865: original narratives of overland travel and adventure selected from the Wagner-Camp and Becker bibliography of Western Americana. Spokane, Washington: Arthur H. Clark Company, 1996-
  • Wyeth, J.B.; edited by Reuben Gold Thwaites. Oregon, or, A short history of a long journey from the Atlantic Ocean to the region of the Pacific by Land. Early Western travels. Cleveland, Ohio: A.H. Clark, 1905.

FUR TRADERS, MINERS & MOUNTAIN MEN

  • Clyman, James. Journal of a mountain man. Missoula, Montana: Mountain Press Pub. Co., 1984.
  • Hunter, George. Reminiscences of an old timer : a recital of the actual events, incidents, trials, hardships, vicissitudes, adventures, perils, and escapes of a pioneer, hunter, miner and scout of the Pacific Northwest ; together with his later experiences in official and business capacities, and a brief description of the resources, beauties and advantages of the new Northwest ; the several Indian wars, anecdotes, etc. Battle Creek, Michigan: Review and Herald, 1888. Third edition.
  • Ross, Alexander; edited with historical introduction and notes by Milo Milton Quaife. The fur hunters of the far West. Chicago, Illinois: R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company, 1924.
  • Stuart, Granville; edited by Paul C. Phillips. Forty years on the frontier as seen in the journals and reminiscences of Granville Stuart : gold-miner, trader, merchant, rancher and politician. Cleveland, Ohio: The Arthur H. Clark Company, 1925.
  • Thompson, David. Journals relating to Montana and adjacent regions, 1808-1812: Transcribed from a photostatic copy of the original manuscript, and edited with an introd. by M. Catherine White. Missoula, Montana: Montana State University Press, 1950.
  • Work, John; edited by Francis D. Haines, Jr. The Snake Country expedition of 1830-1831: John Work’s field journal. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, 1971.
  • Publications of the Hudson’s Bay Record Society. London, England: Hudson’s Bay Record Society, 1938. HathiTrust https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/010119843.

MISSIONARIES

  • Bristol, Sherlock; illustrated by Isabelle Blood. The pioneer preacher: incidents of interest, and experiences in the author’s life: revival labors in the frontier settlement: perilous trip across the plains in the time of Indian wars and before the railroads : three years in the mining camps of California and Idaho: rescue of young Livingstone, etc. Chicago, Illinois: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1898, 1887.
  • Blanchet, Augustine Magloire Alexander; edited by Edward J. Kowrach. Journal of a Catholic bishop on the Oregon trail: the overland crossing of the Rt. Rev. A.M.A. Blanchet, Bishop of Walla Walla, from Montreal to Oregon Territory, March 23, 1847 to January 23, 1851. Blackrobe buries Whitmans. Fairfield, Washington: Ye Galleon Press, 1978.
  • Drury, Clifford Merrill, editor. First white women over the Rockies : diaries, letters, and biographical sketches of the six women of the Oregon Mission who made the overland journey in 1836 and 1838. Glendale, California: A.H. Clark Co., 1963-1966.
  • Smet, Pierre-Jean de; edited by Hiram Martin Chittenden and Alfred Talbot Richardson. Life, letters, and travels of Father Pierre-Jean de Smet, 1801-1873. New York: Harper, 1904.
  • Tuttle, Daniel Sylvester. Reminiscences of a missionary bishop. New York: T. Whittaker, 1906.
  • Whitman, Narcissa Prentiss; edited by Lawrence Dodd. My journal, 1836. Fairfield, Washington: Ye Galleon Press, 1982.

NATIVE PEOPLE

  • Adkison, Norman B. (Norman Brown). Nez Perce Indian war : and original stories. Grangeville, Idaho: Idaho County Free Press, 1966.
  • Hopkins, Sarah Winnemucca. Life Among the Piutes  Their Wrongs and Claims. Reno : University of Nevada Press, 1994.
  • Joseph (Nez Percé Chief). Chief Joseph’s own story: as told by Chief Joseph in 1879. Billings, Montana: Montana Council for Indian Education, 1991. 6th printing.
  • Nez Perce Cash Book. Charles D. Warner Nez Perce Collection, Idaho State Historical Society Digital Collections.
  • Talbot, Ethelbert. My people of the plains. New York; London: Harper & Brothers, 1906.
  • Thompson, Scott M. I will tell of my war story : a pictorial account of the Nez Perce War. Seattle, Washington: University of Washington Press, 2000.
  • Yellow Wolf, and Lucullus Virgil McWhorter. Yellow Wolf: his own story. Caldwell, Idaho: Caxton, 1940.

OUTSIDERS

  • Drury, Clifford Merrill. Nine years with the Spokane Indians : the diary, 1838-1848, of Elkanah Walker. Glendale, California: A. H. Clark Co., 1976.
  • Fuller, Emeline L. (Emeline Lucinda). Left by the Indians; or, Rapine, massacre and cannibalism on the overland trail in 1860: the personal narrative of Emeline L. Fuller … detailing the trip across the plains from Wisconsin to Oregon. New York : E. Eberstadt, 1936 (1892).
  • Garcia, Andrew; edited by Bennett H. Stein. Tough trip through paradise, 1878-1879. Boston, Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin, 1967.
  • Kane, Paul. Wanderings of an artist among the Indians of North America : from Canada to Vancouver’s Island and Oregon through the Hudson’s Bay Company’s territory and back again. Toronto: Radisson Society of Canada, 1925.
  • Kelly, Fanny. Narrative of my captivity among the Sioux Indians: With a brief account of General Sully’s Indian expedition in 1864, bearing upon events occurring in my captivity. Hartford, Conn. : Mutual Pub. Co.; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Quaker City Pub. House, 1872.
  • Wilson, E. N. (Elijah Nicholas). Among the Shoshones. Medford, Oregon: Pine Cone Publishers, 1971.

SOLDIERS

  • Extracts from the military record of Edward S. Farrow. [Place of publication not identified]: [publisher not identified], [between 1900 and 1999?]
  • Glisan, Rodney. Journal of army life. San Francisco, California: A. L. Bancroft, 1874.
  • Hanson, Donna M., compiler, transcriber and editor. Frontier duty : the Army in northern Idaho, 1853-1876 : transcribed from the original records in the National Archives. Moscow, Idaho: University of Idaho Library, 2005.
  • Howard, O. O. (Oliver Otis). My life and experiences among our hostile Indians : a record of personal observations, adventures, and campaigns among the Indians of the great West, with some account of their life, habits, traits, religion, ceremonies, dress, savage instincts, and customs in peace and war. Hartford, Connecticut: A.D. Worthington & Co., 1907.
  • McClernand, Edward J. (Edward John); with introduction by Carroll Friswold. On time for disaster: the rescue of Custer’s command: including an account of the Sioux Expedition of 1876 and the rescue of the remnant of Custer’s command at the Little Big Horn: and with the “Journal of marches under Colonel John Gibbon, April 1 to September 29, 1876”. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 1989. Originally published: With the Indian and the buffalo in Montana, 1870-1878. Glendale, California: A.H. Clark, 1969.
  • Strong, William Emerson; with an introduction by Richard A. Bartlett. A trip to the Yellowstone National Park in July, August, and September, 1875. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, 1968.
  • Zimmer, William Frederick; edited and annotated by Jerome A. Greene. Frontier soldier : an enlisted man’s journal of the Sioux and Nez Perce campaigns, 1877. Helena, Montana: Montana Historical Society Press, 1998.

DIGITAL SOURCES

  • Pioneers in Your Attic – Guide to collections of primary source documents from the era of westward migration.

Updated by Ronnie Joiner on September 10, 2019.