Covered Wagon Women, Volume 11: Diaries and Letters from the Western Trails, 1879-1903

Covered Wagon Women #11

by Kenneth L. Holmes (Editor), Katherine G. Morrissey (Editor)

The stories seem simple—they left, they traveled, they settled—yet the restless westering impulse of Americans created one of the most enduring figures in our frontier pantheon: the hardy pioneer persevering against all odds. Undeterred by storms, ruthless bandits, towering mountains, and raging epidemics, the women in these volumes suggest why the pioneer represented the highest ideals and aspirations of a young nation. In this concluding volume of the Covered Wagon Women series, we see the final animal-powered overland migrations that were even then yielding to railroad travel and, in a few short years, to the automobile. The diaries and letters resonate with the vigor and spirit that made possible the settling and community-building of the American West.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

195 pages, Paperback

First published May 21, 1993

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have no problem with the actual content of the book because Kenneth L Holmes didn’t write those parts. I’m using a diary from this collection for research and man, Kenneth managed to so confidently share incomplete information in his introduction to this diary and then (not) cite an unreferenced, undated newspaper article with a hypothesized author. I’ve managed to fill in some of his gaps with my own research, luckily. At least now I have more to write about for the final paper.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

My library only had volume 11, but I think I would have liked to read some of the earlier volumes. By 1879 the west was already populated with towns and cities. At the beginning of the movement west there were undoubtedly more challenges with the lack of established places in the mid-west and west. However, this series is incredibly important not only for historical purposes, but to remember the women trailblazers in our country's history. At times the diaries and letters are a bit dry and dull, but their importance can never be diminished.

[Coby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kenneth Holmes was unable to edit this one as well as the other volumes in the series. Although the diaries are as interesting, the introductory material does not illuminate the writers' lives before and after the journeys described. That aspect greatly enhances the earlier volumes.