Fifteen Thousand Miles by Stage

by Carrie Adell Strahorn

The Shelf2life History of the American West Collection is a unique project that provides opportunities for researchers and new readers to easily access and explore works which have previously only been available on library shelves. The Collection brings to life pre-1923 titles focusing on a wide range of topics and experiences in US Western history. From the initial westward migration, to exploration and development of the American West to daily life in the West and intimate pictures of the people who inhabited it, this collection offers American West enthusiasts a new glimpse at some forgotten treasures of American culture. Encompassing genres such as poetry, fiction, nonfiction, tourist guides, biographies and drama, this collection provides a new window to the legend and realities of the American West.

Genres: History

720 pages, Paperback

First published January 3, 2010

Reviews

[LAB · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a new bride in 1877, Carrie Adell Strahorn and her husband Robert headed west to explore the country for the Union Pacific Railroad. For the next three years the couple rode trains, stage coaches, horses, and river boats as they sampled the wonders of Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Oregon, and Washington.

Fifteen Thousand Miles by Stage (U of Nebraska Press 1988) is Carrie Adell Strahorn’s saga of her experiences in rough towns, big cities, mining camps, across mountains, and over open prairies. Originally published in 1911, the reprint is in two volumes. The first one I just read; the second volume covers her trip to Alaska. The book is a fascinating combination of travelogue, adventure story, and history told from a very personal perspective. Her narrative of an 1880 camping trip through Yellowstone is a good example of both her tenacity and descriptive abilities.

If you have ever wondered what it would be like to travel by stage coach, Strahorn’s describes it in so well you’ll feel the jolts and smell the passengers. She reveals early-day hotel accommodations, the challenges of finding a good meal on the road, and the ease with which disasters happen. With a captivating sense of adventure and dry humor, she shares a woman’s perspective on the Wild West. I really enjoyed her story.

[Ruthe Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a remarkable true story, written by Carrie Adell Strahorn about her travels with her husband Robert, throughout the Wild West and more, from 1877 to 1900. Their adventures were often death-defying, for example, they loved to ride on mountain railroad trails, sitting on the cow catcher. The book contains many actual photos - some of my favorite pictures are from the top of Grays Peak (by horseback,) canoeing in Canada, and seeing a bear chase their friend up a tree. C.M. Russell, famed artist, added many paintings and pen and ink drawings. Robert founded and developed several towns along the rainroad lines in order to bring people to the West. It is a huge book, but so worth reading!

[Laura Hatfield · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was interesting as a slice of history, but a bit depressing. Carrie Strahorn was probably considered a liberal type thinker, but her obvious embracing of "Manifest Destiny" and her view of the Native American population I found depressing.