Newberry Library - A trip to the gold regions of the Rocky Mountains in the summer of 1860 1860

A trip to the gold regions of the Rocky Mountains in the summer of 1860 1860

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Open book A trip to the gold regions of the Rocky Mountains in the summer of 1860 1860

Title A trip to the gold regions of the Rocky Mountains in the summer of 1860 1860

Creator Young, John D. (John David), 1839-1898

Date 1860

Place Colorado, Great Plains, Illinois--Chicago, Overland Trails, Saint Joe Road

Language English

Subjects Frontier and pioneer life, Gold miners, Gold mines and mining, Indians of North America

Summary John D. Young's narrative of his 1860 round trip from Chicago to the Colorado gold fields and his experiences there, probably composed in Chicago after the trip. Contains full descriptions of encounters with frontier justice, friendly and hostile Indians (Potawatomi, Pawnee, Comanche, Arapahoe, Ute, Sioux, Cheyenne), a Rocky Mountain forest fire, great buffalo herds, a "hurricane" at Marysville, and a prairie dog village. Also discussed in detail are rich Missouri farmlands poorly utilized under slavery, the Pony Express, towns and forts (Quincy, St. Joseph, Marysville, Fort Kearny, Denver, Tarryall), scenery and terrain, road conditions, diet, clothing, equipment, diggings (Tarryall, Blue River, California Gulch, etc.), methods of gold extraction, claim salting, etc.

Biographical/Historical Note Colorado gold rush participant and Ottawa, Ill., lumber merchant.

Extent 1 v. (120 p.) ; 32 cm

Format Sources, Manuscripts, Travel literature, Transcripts

User-Contributed Transcription The plain was now covered with buffalo far as the eye could reach in every direction. hunters were reaping a harvest of game, I counted no less than sixteen buffalo slaughtered that day. the herd was journeying slowly to the westward. They travel in such a compact body that if any thing suddenly forms an obstruction the formost ones cannot avoid it, but are propelled b the irrisistible force from behind into streams and sometimes over precipices. There is often great numbers of them destroyed before they stop on their headlong course For two days the immense herd stretched along on our right hand side and parallel with the river and extending inward far as the eye could reach. We had some glorious sport killed several of them merely for the glory of the thing, sometimes we would kill a buffalo and not take a particle of meat. there was enough of meat wasted there that season to feed the State of Illinois for a whole year. We now reached Karney City two miles from the Fort we felt as though we were once more on the borders of civilization. I went over to a Ranche to purchase some baked bread, we were almost starved living upon half cooked "slap jacks" and corn dodger. I bought a few loaves at a reasonable price, on coming out I saw a great commotion at the other end of the village upon inquiry I found that a huge buffalo bull had got into a "coerell" with the tame cattle. The crowd were punching him with long poles and trying to pusuade him to leave, he paid not the least attention to their hints and finally they tickled his sides with buck shot when he left rather suddenly. they did not want to kill him as they would have to drag his carcass away from the village. There was several trading posts we furnished ourselves with all the nessaties for finishing our journey passed through the Fort

Transcription Status Needs review

Transcription Note This document was transcribed by volunteers as part of the Newberry Transcribe crowdsourcing initiative.

Archival Collection Title Edward E. Ayer Manuscript Collection

Link to Catalog View record

Call Number VAULT Ayer MS 3210

BibID 991330378805867

Rights Status No Copyright - United States

Contributing Institution Newberry Library

Newberry Open Access Policy The Newberry makes its collections available for any lawful purpose, commercial or non-commercial, without licensing or permission fees to the library, subject to these terms and conditions.

IIIF Resource Type Canvas

Size 2431px × 3802px 26.47 MB

File Created 08/21/2023

Filename 991330378805867_Ayer_MS_3210_00062.tif

Unique Identifier NL11LVRM

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