Product Description
Langworthy, Franklin; Scenery of the Plains, Mountains, and Mines: or a Diary kept upon the Overland Route to California, by Way of the Great Salt Lake: Travels in the Cities, Mines, and Agricultural Districts - Embracing the return by the Pacific Ocean and Central America, in the Years 1850, 51, 52, and 53. Ogdensburgh, N.Y.: J.C. Sprague, 1855. Octavo, pp. 324.
The work is complete and in a modern full calf with gilt title label. The binding is tight and clean, original free end sheets preserved with contemporary signature and stamp on free end sheet. Light spotting to end sheets, text is clean with light foxing to a few pages, ink stains lower corner of text block edge but not within pages. In very good condition.
Langworthy (1797-1855) was from an American political family. Beginning in 1850 he travelled overland to California and then spent two years traveling throughout California. He crossed the Missouri River at Council Bluffs on May 14, 1850 and rreached Fort Laramie on June 13, South Pass on June 29, Granite Pass by way of Salt Lake City on September 9, and the Humboldt Sink on October 2. He crossed over the Sierra Nevada by way of Carson Pass and arrived in Sacramento on October 27. He kept a diary of his travels cross country and provided readers with a detailed and vivid account of his experiences. The second half of the book narrates his views on California life and events in the mining regions with descriptions of the mines, mining methods and mining society. He also describes California’s flora, fauna and agricultural wealth. The book finishes with descriptions of his passage home via Nicaragua. The work remains an important overland narrative and early account of the California Gold Rush life.
