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Treasure Express: The Epic Days of Wells Fargo
Book by Wilson, Neill C.
322 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1987
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June 3, 2022
I became aware of Treasure Express as the book was mentioned in a short introduction to the Louis L'Amour fictional novel, Bowdrie's Law, which is a series of short stories set in the same time period. L'Amour was a fan of Treasure Express and when I saw my library system carried the book and that it had not been reviewed on Goodreads, I decided to check it out.
Treasure Express is a non-fictional collection of stories, taken from newspapers, records, and other items, that details the history of the stagecoach as a method of transportation throughout the West to Southwest in the period roughly between 1850-1900. Particularly, the book deals in the tales covering the various ways that bandits and others tried various methods to rob these stagecoaches of the gold, silver, and other valuables that were being transported by Wells Fargo and other express companies of the time. A history of the time in that area, with a focus on the rise and fall of the popularity of the stagecoach and the businesses surrounding it, also can be taken from this book.
I've rated the book 3 stars as I found it to be an interesting read, but not something that I would look to read again. The book was copyrighted in 1936, so although it is not very difficult to read, there are several terms used that have fallen out of usage in the almost 90 years since its release. In addition, the author's writing style, possibly popular at the time, was such that I often had to reread paragraphs to get a better sense of the moments he was trying to describe. On the positive side, the stories are action-packed because they often involve attempted robberies or other "old west" action and I do think that Neill Wilson was making a genuine attempt to not only preserve the history of this era, but also present it in an approachable, exciting manner. Most likely, the passage of time has just made this a more challenging read than was intended. After the first 100 pages, I had a better since of the presentation and reading became easier.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading historical accounts from this time in history. For others, this book is likely to become too repetitive in terms of the type of stories presented before it ends. Still, it is a good representation of the stagecoach in American history and its place prior to the rise of the railroad.
Treasure Express is a non-fictional collection of stories, taken from newspapers, records, and other items, that details the history of the stagecoach as a method of transportation throughout the West to Southwest in the period roughly between 1850-1900. Particularly, the book deals in the tales covering the various ways that bandits and others tried various methods to rob these stagecoaches of the gold, silver, and other valuables that were being transported by Wells Fargo and other express companies of the time. A history of the time in that area, with a focus on the rise and fall of the popularity of the stagecoach and the businesses surrounding it, also can be taken from this book.
I've rated the book 3 stars as I found it to be an interesting read, but not something that I would look to read again. The book was copyrighted in 1936, so although it is not very difficult to read, there are several terms used that have fallen out of usage in the almost 90 years since its release. In addition, the author's writing style, possibly popular at the time, was such that I often had to reread paragraphs to get a better sense of the moments he was trying to describe. On the positive side, the stories are action-packed because they often involve attempted robberies or other "old west" action and I do think that Neill Wilson was making a genuine attempt to not only preserve the history of this era, but also present it in an approachable, exciting manner. Most likely, the passage of time has just made this a more challenging read than was intended. After the first 100 pages, I had a better since of the presentation and reading became easier.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading historical accounts from this time in history. For others, this book is likely to become too repetitive in terms of the type of stories presented before it ends. Still, it is a good representation of the stagecoach in American history and its place prior to the rise of the railroad.
Displaying 1 of 1 review