You are browsing
BOOKS
VistaBooks
History Reprints
VISTABOOKS as the parent company of VistaBooks Encore has for over 50 years (since 1972) been providing reprints of accounts of historical episodes and periods largely centered on events--now historic--that occurred where there are now national and state parks and museums. For intstance, there is Theodore Roosevelt's story of ranching in North Dakota, John Muir's tales of Yosemite and Yellowstone, Bat Masterson's history of gunfighters, Thomas Moran's and Frederic Remington's illustrations, and recounts of emigrants and explorers as well as descriptions of lighthouses and the early life-saving services plus whaling. (Each title is described below, with links to sample illustrations; an overall review of sample authors and illustrations can be viewed on this site here.
The VistaBooks program has been to make available accounts of persons involved in now-historic events or have reported on them near the time the events occurred--"first-person history" in many cases--and to include period engravings and photographs as historical illustrations.
Some 335,000 copies of these titles have been and are being sold--mainly to park visitor centers and museums; most have not been available in general markets. Here we provide access to these titles for all. Although these VistaBooks history reprints are new books they do present history that likely is of interest to "encore" fans.
Each title includes a preface to set the context of the time and significance of the period involved, most of them written by park historians and natutalists familiar with the stories.
History reprint books listed here are in print. See bottom of page for VistaBooks published titles that are out-of-print with a few remaining copies sold at special prices.
VistaBooks history reprints are available in wholesale quantities to dealers and others. Email VistaBooks for info.
VISTABOOKS HISTORY REPRINTS--
Titles by alpha
(in stock: for quantity orders, go to vistabooks.com):
also available on ebay and ebid
Click "See sample pages, illustrations"
at any titles below for further descriptions, page images:
19th CENTURY WHALING TALES.by James Temple Brown and Gustav Kobbe.
Pursuing the world's largest mammal in boats powered only by sail and oar.
Perhaps the sea's highest adventure was the
whaling chase, as great or greater than exploring uncharted waters. Why else
would men risk their lives and their families' securities? The money could be
good, too, and for some, there was the chance at freedom, for the industry was
mainly blind as to skin color at a time when opportunities for non-whites were
scarce. The whaling industry flourished for two centuries, and its traditions are recounted in
seaport museums and the stories here:
"Stray Leaves from a Whaleman's Log" is reprinted from Century
Magazine, 1893. It tells about chasing of whales on a cruise from the standpoint of
the individual whaleman.
"The Perils and Romance of Whaling" came out in Century
Magazine in 1890. It gives more of the detail of the subject and also includes
anecdotes of episodes from the early days.
a final section "Cutting in and Trying Out" explains the butchering process. Period illustrations. 48 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-089-4. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-089-8. Order #: VIST0089 paper$4.95.
Parks and museums now tell of this
period of history, for instance at New Bedford Whaling National Historic Park in
Massachusetts and Mystic Seaport Museum in Connecticut.
ACROSS ARIZONA IN 1883--Yuma, Tombstone, Tucson. by Anonymous.
Reprinted from Harper's Monthly, here is an eyewitness account--gathered via
train, stage, horse, and on foot--of southern Arizona. The Indians are described, the
wild
element at Tombstone is reported, and the mission church of San Xavier del Bac is
depicted. It was a time of cowboys, City Marshall Wyatt Earp and gambler "Doc"
Holliday, and Apaches--the wild frontier days of Arizona long before it became a state. Period engravings. 16 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-011-8. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-011-9. Order #: VIST0011 paper$3.95.
ACROSS THE PLAINS IN THE DONNER PARTY: a personal narrative of the overland trip to California, 1846-47. by Virginia Reed Murphy.
Virginia was 12 years old when her family left Springfield, Illinois to trek across the
plains to California, their intended new home, along with 25 fellow emigrants. Along the
way, her grandmother died, her pony had to be left, her family lost their oxen and had to
abandon a wagon with their possessions, her stepfather killed a man and was banished from
the train, and then she and her group were trapped in snows at the eastern foot of the
Sierra Nevada crest at and near what is now Donner Lake and Truckee, California.
As a result, 13 of those who started with her in Springfield, and 29 more who
joined her along the way, never did cross those mountains. Here is the little
girl's story, written by her later as an adult, now a part of the American epic
of winning the West. Reprinted from Century Magazine with illustrations added from Frederic
Remington and others. 64 pages.
ISBN: 978-0-89646-099-7. Order #: VIST0099 paper$7.95. See sample pages, illustrations.
THE ASCENT OF MOUNT HAYDEN, GRAND TETON, 1872:
a new chapter of Western discovery (WY). by Nathaniel Pitt Langford.
Trials and triumphs of the first party to climb the Grand Tetons of Wyoming, July 29,
1872. Author Langford was among the early explorers of the Yellowstone/Teton region and
was first superintendent of Yellowstone National Park. His claim to a first ascent of the
Grand Teton has been challenged by later parties, and former park naturalist McCurdy
considers the various claims in the editor's preface. But regardless, the account still
gives a fine record of what mountain climbing was like in the early days in this region.
Reprint from Scribner's Monthly. Illustrations from Thomas Moran and others, 24 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-066-5. ISBN-13:
978-0-89646-066-9. Order #:
VIST0066 paper$3.95.
AT A NEW MINING CAMP: Creede of Colorado, 1892. by Richard Harding Davis.
Today Creede is a "ghost" town in southwestern Colorado (the
italics because today's residents don't like being called ghosts), a remnant of its
former size and glory. But author Davis reports it when activity there seemed circus-like.
At the1892 time Creede was growing rapidly to a population of 8,000. The town was
rip-roaring, and this account helps us understand the bustle as well as the unbounded hope
and optimism at the site of a new mining boom. Reprinted from 19th century originals. Period illustrations, 32 little pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-018-5. ISBN-13:
978-0-89646-018-8. Order #: VIST0018 paper$3.95.
THE BUFFALO. by Colonel Henry Inman with "Buffalo Bill" Cody.
America nearly lost its buffalo (or bison, to be more accurate), but in an early
conservation effort a small herd was retained. This has now grown into a sizable
population, which recall to us the vast herds that once roamed and even blackened the
plains. This story, however, is told by one #who at one point in his career was actively
engaged in slaughtering the animals. They were a nuisance that got in the way of the new
trains, and, besides, eliminating buffaloes might help in subduing Indians. Life habits of
the animal are given as well, and what better way to learn of the place in our history of
the buffalo than by reading an account by one of the principals in their history.
Reprinted from 1898.
Illustrations are by Frederic Remington and others. 48 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-028-2. ISBN-13:
978-0-89646-028-7. Order #: VIST0028 paper$4.95.
BUFFALO BILL POSTER.
Portrait of Colonel W.F. Cody from a pre-1900 poster printed in purple, yellow, and sepia on heavy stock, 11 " 15".
ISBN-10: 0-89646-093-2. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-093-5. Order #: VIST0093 poster$3.95.
BUFFALO BILL'S TRUE TALES. by William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody.
Buffalo Bill remains known and of interest because he typifies the romantic figure of the American
West. His Wild West shows, a mixture of rodeo and circus along with real-life history,
spread his fame, dramatizing this frontiersman as a super rider and top marksman. To us
moderns, reading how Cody could be both an Indian killer and a friend of the Indian people
might be hard to grasp, but it is important to grasp to better understand the nature of
the frontier. Indian Chief Sitting Bull, for instance, and Buffalo Bill had stood against each
other in matters of war, but toured in the Wild West show together! Also here are his
tales as a Pony Express rider, buffalo hunter, and riding his horse for their lives. This
is Bill's story, in his words; and yet, as an American, it is your story, too. Period illustrations, with a color cover, 24 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-022-3. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-098-0. Order #: VIST0098 paper$3.95.
C.P.R.R.: the Central Pacific Railroad. by Charles Nordhoff.
Reprinted from Marvels of the New West,1882. This is the epic story of
building the line across the Sierra Nevada of California, the deserts of Nevada, and the
salt flats of Utah to meet the Union Pacific Railroad at Promontory Point on May 10, 1869.
Rail fans and history buffs have access today to historic parks and museums at the ends of
this line in Old Sacramento, California, and Promontory Point, Utah, and along the way at the Donner Lake State
Park in eastern California. There is also an article explaining train travel by passengers at this early date. Period engravings, 48 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-097-8. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-097-3. Order #: VIST0097 paper$6.95.
THE CAÑONS OF THE COLORADO--the 1869 discovery voyage down the Colorado River. by Major John Wesley Powell.
Note the word ca�ons in the title would today be spelled canyons but we have preserved the usage from the time when this voyage was made and written about by the major himself.
From Wyoming, into
Colorado, through Utah, to Arizona and the Grand Canyon, and to Nevada--this was the
journey of the "Colorado River Exploring Expedition", what Powell called his
group of 9 men and 4 boats as they began charting what was the last major unexplored part
of the then United States. The trip was not only scientific in its goals, but it naturally
became a grand adventure, with two of their party opting to leave the expedition before
attempting a furious cascade, only to be killed by Indians. Much of the land and scenery
which they drifted or dashed past is today included in National Park System areas. Illustrations are by Thomas Moran and others. 64 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-059-2.
ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-059-1. Order #:
VISeT0059 paper$4.95.
THE CITY OF DENVER, 1888: an early
history of "The Queen City of the Plains". by Edwards Roberts.
Here is Denver at a time when the Centennial State of Colorado was only 12 years old.
It is a story of mines, railroads, cattle and sheep, of cowboys, prospectors, bankers,
merchants, and politicians--the resources from the region and the personalities that
brought them together at this city on the plains at the base of the Rockies. The city
itself had had fewer than 50 residents during the winter of 1858-59, but already by 1888
public and private buildings, urban and suburban districts, parks and schools had been
built and arranged around a transportation system of rail, trolley, horse, and foot. It
was a system that had "fit", unlike today's transportation system. It must have
been an exciting period! There are also glimpses of satellite cities--Golden, Boulder,
Central City, Black Hawk, Georgetown, and Leadville. Reprinted from Harper's Magazine. Illustrated with period engravings, 24 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-006-1. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-006-5. Order #: VIST0006paper$3.95.
CONTRIBUTIONS OF A VENERABLE NATIVE to the ancient history of the Hawaiian Islands. by M. Jules Remy.
Account of interview with old Hawaiian in 1853 gives insights into traditions and
cultures of native island people. Subjects range from history, government and society to
the nobility, common people, and the ancient chants. Foreword is by former park superintendent at
Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park (once known as City of Refuge). Reproduced photos and drawings. 40 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-056-8.
ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-056-0. Order #: VIST0056 paper$3.95.
CRIPPLE CREEK 1900--a Colorado mining camp. by Francis Lynde.
Cripple Creek got a later start than most of the West's famous mining camps. In fact,
many of its predecessors had already played out by 1891 when the Golconda was uncovered
here. Tells how Cripple Creek got its name, gives history of nearby Pikes Peak, explains
the mines and their mechanization. Because the industrial revolution was at peak in
America in 1900, the technology of railway, electricity, and steam drilling could be
applied at Cripple Creek. Reading this account helps us understand how Colorado and other
Western states which had mineral resources were able to get a good and early start on
their development, albeit at the expense of the Cripple Creeks, which were destined to
bust just as they had been destined to boom. Period illustrations, 20 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
IISBN-10: 0-89646-080-0. 1987. Order #: VIST0080 paper$3.95.
CUTTER'S OFFICIAL GUIDE TO HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS. by John Milton Cutter.
This 1917 guide told tourists, pleasure seekers, and medical patients about this early
national park and city and how to use and enjoy both. It had been telling them that, in
fact, since 1873, and was now in its 61st edition! Fees, services, and even the local
climate were all explained as part of the amenities of "America's greatest health and
pleasure resort". This booklet shows glimpses of buildings and scenes that are gone.
It suggests social and recreational pursuits that were available then. The total picture
reveals the grand and also the ordinary, a cross-section of the park and the city that
grew together. Photographs. 53 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-057-6.
ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-057-7. Order #:
VIST0057 paper$6.95.
DIARY OF PATRICK BREEN: one of the Donner Party (CA). by Frederick J. Teggart.
Diary kept by 1846-47 Donner Party emigrant who survived over-winter entrapment in
Sierra snow near Truckee, California. Breen and his family all survived the ordeal, but many from other groups perished. The diary records days of snowfall, the experiences of others who were marooned with them, and the scant food available, plus delayed attempts from outside to rescue them. 7 photos, 16 pages. See sample pages, illustrations
ISBN: 978-0-89646-102-4. Order #VIST0102 paper$3.95.
THE DISCOVERY OF GLACIER BAY--1879 (AK). by John Muir, its discoverer.
Adventures in a truly Alaskan wild with ice floes, bergs, mountain peaks, Natives,
canoe travel. Spending several "icy summers" in Alaska, Muir earned the name
"Ice Chief", exploring Glacier Bay and its region. It was a fitting continuation
to his involvement with glaciers, for he had developed the glacial origin theory for
Yosemite Valley, in spite of the fact that there the glaciers were almost entirely gone.
Here at Glacier Bay, no imagination was needed to understand the processes. Reprinted from
Century Magazine. Engravings of ice and peaks abound in the book. 16 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-045-2. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-045-4. Order #: VIST0045 paper$3.95.
DISCOVERY OF THE YOSEMITE IN 1851 (CA). by Lafayette Houghton Bunnell, M.D., one of the Discoverers, of the Mariposa Battalion.
First published in 1880, this is the primary account of how Yosemite Valley came to be
"discovered" by the white race. Of course, the Indians knew it was there; they
were living in it when the battalion came to roust them out. The valley had been seen from
its rims and from afar before this trip, but this was the first recorded entry and
exploration. Bunnell proposed the name of the Indian tribe for the valley, "as it was
suggestive, euphonious, and certainly American; that by so doing, the name of the tribe of
Indians which we met leaving their homes in this valley, perhaps never to return, would be
perpetuated." Foreword by former chief park naturalist William R. Jones. Period engravings. 184pages, slightly abridged from the original. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-021-5.
ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-021-8. Order #: VIST0021 paper$6.95.
FAMOUS GUNFIGHTERS OF THE WESTERN FRONTIER. by W. B. (Bat) Masterson.
Biographies of gunfighters by the master himself, including Ben Thompson, Wyatt Earp,
Luke Short, Buffalo Bill Cody, Doc Holliday, Billy Tilghman, Bat Masterson, and others.
Includes Tombstone's famous fight at the O.K. Corral, how Holliday got into his career,
Indian battles, stagecoach wrecks and holdups, barroom brawls, sheriffs of the West,
gambling and gamblers, cattle rustlers, railroads. Settings include cowtowns--Dodge, Hays,
Sheridan, Cody, Leadville, Fort Worth, Glenwood Springs. Reprinted from 1907. Illustrations from the original and period sources, including Frederic Remington. 96
pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
. ISBN-10: 0-89646-087-8.
ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-087-4. Order #: VIST0087 paper$6.95.
HAWAII-NEI, 1873. by Charles Nordhoff.
Hawaii-Nei is the name for the collective kingdom of Hawaii, and these two articles
from over a century ago tell of the islands' history and people, rains, and volcanic
eruptions. The islands were still relatively native and natural during our author's visit,
and he tells of their traits and early religion. Foreword is by Russell Apple,
Pacific Historian of the National Park Service.
Engravings show the land, the seascapes, homes, public buildings, and the
people--eating poi, dancing the hula, surfing. 40 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-030-4.
ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-030-0. Order #: VIST0030 paper$3.95.
HOW WE GET GOLD IN CALIFORNIA.
See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-100-0. Order #: VIST0100 paper$4.95.
How We Get Gold is out of print but with interest could be reprinted.
THE HUMMINGBIRD OF THE CALIFORNIA WATERFALLS. by John Muir.
Reprinted from 1878. This has been called "the finest bird biography ever
written". Muir's "waterfall hummingbird" is the water-ouzel, of course, now
also called the dipper. Although Muir buffs and birders already know this, even they will
enjoy reading or re-reading the story of this little bobber. Some might have seen this
little bird, but without this article have not yet enjoyed the flier/swimmer fully. As
Muir's portrayal shows, much of the bird's intrigue is its physical elusiveness while
remaining visually accessible. Enjoy this little story and enjoy this little bird.
Foreword by former Chief Park Naturalist, Yosemite National Park. Period illustrations. 24 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-019-3.
ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-019-5. Order #:
VIST0019 paper$3.95.
HYDRAULIC GOLD-MINING IN CALIFORNIA, 1883. by Taliesin Evans.
By the 1870s and 1880s in the California gold country, the gold that had been easy to
pick up already had been. But there was lots more, buried in the earth. A massive plumbing
system was built to harness water as a tool to wash the earth away and leave a residue of
heavy metals, especially gold. Meanwhile, though, mud and gravel released in the process
washed downstream to inundate farms and homes. Dwellers there objected, and in court they
effectively stopped the hydraulic mining--one of the earliest environmental court actions.
But when our author was there, his interest was describing a vital western industry. And
the mines can still be seen--Interstate Highway 80 runs right through one at Gold Run, and
another is the Malakoff Diggings State Historical Park, where you can not only see the
washed banks but also some of the nozzles and mining equipment used to get the gold out.
Reprinted from 1883. Illustrations are from the original article and other period sources. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-052-5.
ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-052-2. 16 pages. Order #: VIST0052 paper $3.95.
IN THE HEART OF THE CALIFORNIA ALPS:
a near view of the High Sierra in 1872. by John Muir.
Account of the first ascent of Mount Ritter, October, 1872. Record of one of Muir's finest
mountain rambles and of the first ascent, a solo one, of this mountain in the Mammoth
Lakes country of the eastern Sierra Nevada. Combines natural observations with the
adventures and philosophical musings of a nearly fatal climb. Made from a base camp with
three artists who were left sketching on the Lyell Fork of the Tuolumne River late in the season, while Muir ventured into the Minaret country, ion 1890 a part of Yosemite National Park but now in Inyo National Forest, near Mammoth, California. An
illustration of Mt. Ritter by one of these artists, William Keith, is included. Drawings
by Muir are also included, as well as other period illustrations. Foreword by former
Yosemite Chief Park Naturalist William R Jones. 24 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
William Keith (from St Mary's College of California website):
"A 19th-century leading artist and visionary in San Francisco, William Keith (1838-1911) is most known for his impact on preserving and sharing the California landscape through paint and brush. Saint Mary's College Museum of Art cares for the most comprehensive body of work created by this California Master Landscape Painter.
KEITH AND MUIR Keith arrived at Muir's cabin in Yosemite Valley with a letter of introduction in 1872, and a lifelong friendship quickly developed. The two Scottish immigrants took camping trips together in the High Sierra, saw each other when Muir was in San Francisco and helped inspire each other's work. The idea for the Sierra Club was first formed in Keith's studio during conversations with Muir, Dr. Joseph LeConte, the first president of the University of California, and Warren Olney, a prominent San Francisco attorney. Muir's concern with scientific accuracy reinforced Keith's early training as a wood engraver in encouraging him to reproduce the exact topography and details of a landscape early in his career. Keith had also already expressed a preference by 1870 to "study altogether from Nature," reflecting in part the admonishments of the influential writer John Ruskin."
ISBN-10: 0-89646-026-6. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-026-3. Order #: VIST0026 paper$3.95.
KAIBETO MEMORIES: a trader's daughter remembers growing up on the Navajo Reservation at Kaibeto Trading Post in remote northern Arizona 1936-1960.
by Elizabeth Anne Jones Dewveall.
Even today Kaibeto does not appear as a place on many modern maps. When Elizabeth Anne was growing up in this remote desert region of northeastern Arizona roads were still evolving from dirt tracks and passage was not infrequently blocked by drifting sand, unpredictable floods in otherwise dry washes, or snowstorms, with pavement dozens and dozens of miles away in all directions and little development of any kind along the routes. The trading post, however, had already been a hub for supplies for the local population for 22 years when Elizabeth Anne started her life there as daughter of traders Ralph and Julia Jones. Elizabeth Anne grew up as a single child at this remote outpost, with Navajo Indian children as playmates and an occasional visit by relatives from distant places. In time she would learn some Navajo words, how to trade the post's goods in an economy with little cash, and something of a culture not her own. The post took in hides, wool, silver and turquoise jewelry, woven blankets as items of exchange and often relied on a pawn system, storing native treasures as collateral. Much of her account, however, is of stories of the native people who came to the post and of their joys, trials, and tribulations as they managed their lives with ingenuity and perseverance. The stories Elizabeth Anne tells provide a glimpse of life at this trading post, of which little has been written before, and by extension of what life might have been like at the many other trading post throughout the West that linked populations through an economic setting. 120 pages, illustrations, map. See sample pages, illustrations.
Paper edition: ISBN: 978-0-8946-103-1. Order #: VIST0103 paper$14.95.
(Paper edition also available at Amazon.com, eBay.com, ebid.net, IngramSpark.com.)
Cloth edition: ISBN: 978-0-8946-105-5. Order #: VIST0105 cloth $25.00.
(Cloth edition also available at Amazon.com and eBay.com.)
(Electronic edition available from Amazon.com: ISBN: 978-0-89646-104-8.)
LAKE OF THE SKY: Lake Tahoe in the High Sierras of California and Nevada. by George Wharton James.
This book (in abridged form here) has long been a standard history of Lake Tahoe--telling how the lake was
discovered by Fremont while he was what we would today call lost, how it got its name (at
first, names), how it was formed, and how it was first used and developed. Author James
was a prolific writer early in the 20th century, and did a number of other books on
Western travel sites, as well as a technique manual showing how Indians made their
baskets. His text in "Lake of the Sky" affirms that this was a favorite site of
his, where he returned often. Abridged edition reprinted from the 1915 original. Period illustrations. 96 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-038-X. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-038-6. Order #: VIST0038 paper$6.95.
THE LIFE AND WONDERFUL ADVENTURES OF WILD BILL (J. B. Hickok). by James W. Buel.
Author Buel was a newspaper man of Hickok's day and later one of Hickok's principal
biographers, thus a source probably as close to the truth as we can get on the now
legendary figure Wild Bill. Bill's reputation as a fighter emerged early in his career,
and the fear that struck in the hearts of opponents helped him command many a situation
before a showdown. But when one came, his courage was legend, as he was always willing to
fight no matter the odds. He paid a price, though. He spent much of his life convalescing
from bullet and knife wounds! While sheriff, he accidentally shot his deputy, and Wild
Bill himself was finally assassinated while playing cards. Bill lived his life during the
periods of the Civil War and the Indian Wars that followed, in the era of the Wild West as
celebrated by Buffalo Bill's Wild West shows, and in which Wild Bill appeared for a time.
Reprinted from Heroes of the West, 1881.Period drawings. 56 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-013-4. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-013-3. Order #: VIST0013 paper$4.95.
THE LIGHT-HOUSES OF THE UNITED STATES IN 1874. by Charles Nordhoff & Gustav Kobbe.
Showing lighthouses and keepers on all U.S. coasts--Pacific, Atlantic,
Gulf, and Great Lakes, with three extra articles by Gustav Kobbe: "Life in a Lighthouse",
and if that isn't lonely enough there comes "Life on the South Shoals Lightship".
Last is "Heroism in the Lighthouse Service".
Here are four articles on that romantic historic aspect of the maritime
industry--the lighthouse. The first is a history and survey of lighthouses to
1874, giving a look at the federal service that operated them and how the
lighthouses were run as well as their importance to shipping when when a light
was main--sometimes the only--navigational aid. Then there are insights into
keepers' lives in one of the most exposed lighthouses ever built (Minot's Ledge outside
Boston Harbor). Portrayed, too is the role played by offshore lights on anchored ships.
And recalled, too, are dramas and devotion to fellow man and duty that must
never be forgotten. First published at the pre-1900 time when lighthouses held
greatest importance: Lighthouses remain intriguing for
their function and dramatic vertical architecture, and are now historic, recalling dramas of the past. Many
of the lighthouses described are in national and state park areas and are
maintained as historic sites, with museums and visitor centers open to the
public. In many you can still climb to the top for a view keepers once saw. A
visit to one of these is all the more meaningful with the insights gained
from this collection of articles. 75 period engravings. 64 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-086-X.
ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-086-7. Order #: VIST0086 paper$6.95.
THE MAMMOTH TREES OF CALAVERAS (CA). by J. M. Hutchings.
An excerpt from Hutchings' larger work, Scenes of Wonder & Curiosity in
California, centering just on this bigtree grove to show how early tourists traveled
there by river steamer and stagecoach. We hear of early attempts to exploit the grove's
wonders by cutting the bark from the giants and shipping it to the East for exhibition, a
move widely deplored by the abundant tree-lovers of that time. Also tells of the efforts
to cut down one of the huge and tall trees, using a stump as a dance floor for 32 people,
and putting a bowling lane along a fallen trunk. Our author had been deeply involved in
the tourist movement, having led the first tourist party into nearby Yosemite, operating a
hotel there, and publishing the California Magazine. Illustrations from period sources. 24 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-050-9.
ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-050-8. Order #:
VIST0050 paper$3.95.
MARK TWAIN IN HAWAII--the noted humorist's 1866 visit. by Mark Twain.
The noted humorist's account of his 1866 trip to Hawaii, made at a time when the
islands were still more for the natives than for the tourists. Yet Twain visits many of
the sites and tries his hand at many of the activities that modern tourists do--he surfs,
goes for an ocean canoe ride, sees the City of Refuge, visits the volcano, studies the
nobility, and watches the hula. Twain the dreamer admired Hawaii, land of dreams, and he
even writes seriously of the scenery, on occasion. Illustrations are from the original edition of the work, with others added from a
similar time period from other sources. 96 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-070-3.
ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-070-6. 1999. Order #: VIST0070 paper$6.95.
MARK TWAIN'S VIRGINIA CITY: Nevada Territory in the 1860s. by Mark Twain. (Samuel Clemens).
Here are the famous humorist's adventures in and around early Virginia City, Nevada
Territory (now Nevada state). There are silver mining, speculation in silver mines, work
in a quartz mill. A trip to Lake Tahoe to secure a timber empire resulted mainly in
starting a forest fire. There was the search for the Lost Cement Mine, and, finally,
reporting for The Territorial Enterprise, Virginia City's rollicking newspaper
that reported the episodes of riches and murders rampant in this important Western mining
center. The writings here were first published in 1872 in "Roughing It", but we
have pulled from the larger work just episodes on Virginia City in order to maintain that
as a focus. Read these Twain anecdotes for fun, but, remember, too, that these incidents
really happened, and that the principals were often in dead earnest; it just took Twain's
insights to show the satirical side of human nature. Illustrations are from the original book and other sources. 64 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-074-6.
ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-074-4. Order #: VIST0074 paper$6.95.
A MINER'S SUNDAY, 1849. by Charles B. Gillespie.
This story is set in Coloma, the California gold discovery site of 1848. But it might have happened at any of the gold-rush sites of the West--Virginia City, Cripple Creek, the Klondike--and it probably did, but only on Sunday. Town was a lively place the one day the mines were shut down, with a mix of nationalities engaging in gambling, auctions, horse-racing, shopping for clothes and supplies, eating, drinking, brawling, and general tom-foolery as you might expect from a bunch of young men from all over the world who were off to a get-rich adventure. Illustrations are from early sources, including the original article of 1891, Frederic Remington, and the Crocker Art Museum. 16 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-005-3. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-005-8. Published by VistaBooks 1981. Order #: VIST0005 paper$3.95.
MONARCH, the Big Bear of Tallac in the Lake Tahoe High
Sierra (CA). by Ernest Thompson Seton.
This classic wildlife story was created just after 1900, when a few California grizzly
bears, like Monarch, still did roam the Sierra; now they roam only on California's state flag.
It is a story of the sad life of one of the last wild grizzlies who lived near Tallac, the
high mountain rising above Lake Tahoe's west shore, still wild country today, located
in the Desolation Basin Wilderness Area. The book Monarch was written for
children, but like all truly classic children's literature is excellent reading for
adults, too. Author Seton left many wildlife works for us, such as Wild Animals I
Have Known and The Biography of a Grizzly and was also a practical
leader, founding the Woodcraft League, forerunner of today's Boy Scouts. His museum is at
the scouts' Philmont Ranch in New Mexico. 100 drawings from the original, by the author, are included. 168 pages. Covers lightly scuffed. Limited supply. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-040-1. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-040-9. Order #: VIST0040 paper$12.95.
MONTAUK POINT, LONG ISLAND: an 1872 visit (NY). by Charles Parsons.
Oldest lighthouse in New York, from 1796, at The End, Long Island.
Highlight of this early trip to the eastern tip of Long Island was the Montauk
Lighthouse, picturesque beacon to aid early shipping. The author's transportation en route
included boat trips and trekking through sand down the beach, past sites of shipwrecks.
Hear of the early pastor who received some of his remuneration in the form of rights to
parts of stranded whales! And learn of the history this spot already had by 1871. There
were still Indians. Cattle-ranching was practiced. Now a New York State Park.
Among the period illustrations of sailing ships, the lighthouse, and a graveyard, is a
windmill, still standing today. 15 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-082-7.
ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-082-9. Order #: VIST0082 paper$3.95.
MOUNT DESERT, 1872:
an early history of the Maine island that is now Acadia National Park.
by George Ward Nichols.
Here is a sail around and a tour over Mount Desert--the famous island off the coast of
Maine.
There are fogs, and stormy seas, lighthouses, and legends. The report shows how
soon and how enthusiastically appreciation for Nature developed in America, for the 1872
year of publication is the same year that Yellowstone National Park--called the world's
first--was established. Yet the tourist industry was already founded at Mount Desert.
Nichols portrays the people as well as the scenery--their occupations, lives, and sorrow,
but (unfortunately for him) he dislikes their fish and lobster! Reprinted from Harper's
New Monthly Magazine. Illustrations are mainly sketches by the author. 24 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-029-0. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-029-4. Order #: VIST0029 paper$3.95.
MOUNTAINEERING IN THE KINGS RIVER COUNTRY, 1864 (CA). by Clarence King of the California Geological Survey.
This early ascent of Mount Tyndall at the head of King's River (the river is not
related to our author) is now classic Western Americana literature. It is mountaineering
drama to the extreme, written even when the foothills of the Sierra Nevada were remote
enough, let alone peaks at the range crest, such as Tyndall. Clearly showing is the
author's love of nature. This writing appeared in several forms before being gathered with
others of King's articles in 1872 into Mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada, a
book still in print! In our little volume we include just material dealing with the Kings
River country so that visitors to this region, much of it now in Kings Canyon National
Park, can focus. King also conducted the U.S. Geological Exploration of the 40th Parallel,
an unexplored line through America's interior, and was first director of the
U. S. Geological Survey. He has a Sierran peak named for him. Illustrations are added from Picturesque California(1888) and The
Yosemite Guidebook(1869). 48 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-042-8. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-042-3. Order #:
VIST0042 paper$3.95.
MOUNTAINEERING ON THE PACIFIC IN 1868 (WA). by Edmund T. Coleman.
Based on an account of the ascent of Mount Baker and a description of that portion of
Washington Territory seen on its approach. Mountaineering in 1868 was a different
experience than nowadays. This ascent began at the seashore and included canoe trip,
portages, and a backpack just to reach the base of the peak--all through country still
wild with Indians, bears, and wolves. The final assault on the summit included ropes, ice
axes, and crampons. Reprinted from Harper's New Monthly Magazine.
Illustrated with period engravings. 24 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-014-2.
ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-014-0. Order #: VIST0014 paper$3.95.
THE MURDER OF JULIA BULETTE: Virginia City, Nevada; 1867--with
the life and confession of John Millian, convicted murderer. by Charles E. DeLong, convicted murderer's attorney, et. al.
Julia, a courtesan now legendary, had not only been a favorite female companion of
Virginia City's males, but had been an active contributor to the community in times of
civil need, such as the Comstock's early, terrible winters when she attended the sick and
needy. Her support of the volunteer fire brigade earned her the title of Honorary Member.
Her murder severely offended the camp's code of decency, hard though that was. When her
murderer was found, tried, convicted, and hung, virtually the whole town turned out for
the final event, "a fine hanging", "the most gala to date in Nevada",
it was called. That same evening, Mark Twain, returning from the Holy Land to this town
where he had begun his writing career, gave a lecture. Reprinted from a pamphlet issued on
the eve of the hanging of Julia's murderer.
Illustrations from contemporary publications. 16 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-044-4.
ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-044-7. Order #:VIST0044 paper$3.95.
NOTECARDS--Donner/Tahoe Sierra (CA):
Donner Lake. by Thomas Moran, 1874.
Lake Tahoe. by Thomas Moran, 1874.
Summit of the Sierras. by Thomas Moran, 1874.
Eagle Falls, Emerald Bay at Lake Tahoe. Picturesque America, 1874.
Mountain scenery etchings are reproduced from artistic--now historical--engravings published in books from the 1870s, such as VistaBooks has often used in its own reprints. Notecards are 4 1/2" wide by 6" tall when folded, black on cream-colored stock. Insides are blank, providing 2 1/2 pages of writing space. Set includes 8 notecards (2 scenes each of the 4 shown) with 8 matching envelopes in a resealable plastic bag.
Inventory = out of stock but with interest could be made available. ISBN-10: 0-89646-092-4. Order #: VIST0092 notecards$9.95. See more...
NOTECARDS--Colorado Rockies:
Mount of the
Holy Cross--14,0005 feet. by Thomas Moran 1874.
Longs Peak--14,255 feet. by Thomas Moran 1874.
Grays Peak--14,270 feet. 1874.
Pikes Peak--14109 feet. by Thomas Moran, 1874.
Mountain scenery etchings are reproduced from artistic--now historical--engravings published in books from the 1870s, such as VistaBooks has often used in its own reprints. Notecards are 4 1/2" wide by 6" tall when folded, black on cream-colored stock. Insides are blank, providing 2 1/2 pages of writing space. Set includes 8 notecards (2 scenes each of the 4 shown) with 8 matching envelopes in a resealable plastic bag.
Inventory = out of stock but with interest could be made available. ISBN-10: 0-89646-091-6. Order #: VIST0091 notecards$9.95. See more...
OH, RANGER!
a book about the national parks. by Horace M. Albright and Frank J. Taylor.
This is the classic, 1928 edition. Here is a nostalgic look at America's early national parks and their ranger service by
their director of that time. Author Albright was also a long-time superintendent of
Yellowstone National Park. Originally published in 1928 by Stanford University Press, and
available continuously ever since, this book relates humorous stories of bears and other
wild animals, Indians, fishing, park "dudes and sagebrushers" (hotel guests and
campers, respectively), the fledgling ranger service, and the antics of the American
tourist early in the roaring '20s. This edition includes the late author's last foreword
and a tribute from a former president and early Yellowstone ranger, Gerald Ford. To the pen-and-ink drawings from the original have been added 50 early park
photographs. 160 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-068-1.
ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-068-3. Order #: VIST0068 paper$7.95.
SAVE! Scuffed copies of Oh, Ranger! A Book about the National
Parks are
available at discount; for these go to Scuffed Specials.
Note that this classic edition of Oh, Ranger! A Book about the National
Parks is reprinted from the original 1928 printing co-authored by National
Park Service Director Horace Albright. A book with a similar title, Oh,
Ranger! True Stories form Our National Parks, was issued in 2007 with a
collection of more recent ranger stories. Another recent book of ranger stories
is called Hey Ranger, with more than one volume.
OUR YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK (CA). by John Muir.
Among its forests and wild gardens, animals and birds, fountains and streams. At the
turn of the century, John Muir described Yosemite National Park to readers of The
Atlantic Monthly in the articles here reprinted. Just a decade before he had been so
involved with the park idea that he became known as the "father of Yosemite National
Park". Muir knew the park better than anyone else, and he had a gift for expression
that keeps his fame and his works alive yet. The writing here is perhaps the best blend
Muir gave of the Yosemite as a wild nature preserve. The ecological account is full, and
we learn much of Muir's observations of the Yosemite birds, bears, and blossoms as well as
its winters, earthquakes, glaciers, and forests. Period illustrations. 96 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-061-4.
ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-061-4. Order #: VIST0061 paper$6.95.
PIONEER DAYS IN SAN FRANCISCO (CA). by John Williamson Palmer.
The City's history from July 8, 1846, when the American flag first waved over the city
(then called Yerba Buena), continuing through the early days of Mormon settlement, the
total disruption during the Gold Rush of 1849, the terrible inflation of prices, the
polyglot composition of the populace, and of City Fathers, Vigilance Committees, and
fires. This history goes only to the mid-1850s, truly a pioneer history of just the first,
frontier decade of the great City by the Bay. See not only from where the physical base of
San Francisco came, but gain insight into how its people of mixed ethnic origin, thrown
together in common destiny, sought means and institutions to secure their future, helping
perhaps to bring the city to be one of the most open-minded on earth.
Period engravings. 32 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-015-0.
ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-015-7. Order #: VIST0015 paper$4.95.
THE PROPOSED YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK--treasures & features, 1890 (CA). by John Muir.
Perhaps the most important writing Muir ever did, for here he proposed a national park,
which was soon established. He and his editor had hatched the scheme around a Tuolumne
Meadows campfire, and so Muir became known as the "Father of Yosemite National
Park." The writing is mostly descriptive, in Muir's magnificent style, covering the
grand scenes, waterfall explorations, storm flooding, sequoias, glaciers, Hetch Hetchy
Valley, and more. An included map shows Muir's proposed park boundaries, larger than
today's, as one might imagine, for there was controversy about taking too much mineral
land from potential production. Also shown is the watershed of the Yosemite Valley, as a
major purpose of the new park was to protect the waterfalls of Yosemite Valley from
upstream lumbering and sheep-grazing. At that time, Yosemite Valley was under state
operation and the new park would not affect that; later, however, the valley was returned
to federal management and the present park achieved its wholeness. Foreword by former
Yosemite Chief Park Naturalist William R. Jones. Reprinted from 1890, with period engravings. 32 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-003-7.
ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-4. Order #: VIST0003 paper$3.95.
RANCH LIFE IN THE FAR WEST (SD). by Theodore Roosevelt.
After being president, Roosevelt stated "I would not have been president had it
not been for my experience in North Dakota" And so here are his experiences, as he
wrote about them, of cattle, ranching, sheriff's work, hunting game, and frontier types.
Tales of round-ups, breaking broncos, and arresting thieves are included, as well as the
harshness of the winters on his Elkhorn Ranch, much of which is now in the Theodore
Roosevelt National Memorial Park. Foreword is by park naturalist Gerard T. Altoff.
Reprinted from 1888 and 1893. Illustrated primarily with engravings done by Frederic Remington for the original
publication. 96 large-format pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-034-7.
ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-034-8. Order #: VIST0034 paper$9.95.
A RIVAL OF THE YOSEMITE: the cañon of the South Fork of Kings River, California by John Muir.
As they had at Yosemite, Muir and his editor launched a campaign to get Kings Canyon
set aside as a national park (some wanted to call it John Muir National Park), advising
the law-givers to "make haste before it is too late". This writing was to be the
stimulus. The park was not established, however, until 1940, when it was called Kings
Canyon National Park. Muir's text is primarily descriptive, but as usual he includes
personal adventures, in this case including a close encounter with a grizzly bear.
Arguments for establishing the park are included, such as blocking grazing, lumbering, and
mining. Text was reviewed by former Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park Chief Park
Naturalist and foreword is by former Yosemite Chief Park Naturalist William R. Jones. Period engravings, with map showing proposed park boundary, 24 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-010-X.
ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-010-2. Order #: VIST0010 paper$3.95.
ROCK ART OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN by Campbell Grant.
This book surveys the myriad rock paintings and carvings--numbering possibly some
15,000 sites--pecked into and painted onto boulders and rock surfaces throughout North
America by its aboriginal artists. With photographs and drawings on virtually every page,
this book presents the rock artists through the work they left--illustrating their
extraordinarily diverse techniques, styles, and subjects. Meanings of the designs are
discussed, and their roles in hunting or puberty rites interpreted. Major rock art sites
are located, and methods of recording, preserving, and dating them are indicated. Author
Grant has done rock art books on the Chumash Indians, the Coso Range, and Canyon de
Chelly. 192 pages + 16 page color insert. Large-format. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-084-3.
ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-084-3. Order #: VIST0084 paper$12.95.
SAINT LOUIS IN 1884: "the future great city of the world" (MO).
by William Henry Bishop.
Belching clouds of dark smoke coming from the city's factory chimneys were cited as
proof that St. Louis was indeed prosperous! Early, the city was a supply depot on the west
bank of the Mississippi River for emigrants heading across the plains. Native stone
architecture in the city is described, as are the centers of retail trade, parks, schools,
and public buildings. Reprinted from Harper's New Monthly Magazine. Period engravings are added to the text. 24 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-024-X.
ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-024-9. Order #: VIST0024 paper$3.95.
SANDY HOOK--in 1879 (NJ). by George Houghton.
Story of the sometimes-spit/sometimes-island sandland off New York City.
Sandy Hook is a narrow spit of sand jutting out from the New Jersey shore into New York
Harbor. This report tells of the lighthouse there, of the offshore lightship, of
its life-saving service station, and of the
pilots who boarded ships coming in from the ocean to guide them to their dockings
in New York harbor. "Sandhiller" life on
the island is presented, as are the origin of this sea-bound sand island and the geologic
changes that have affected its shape, including its detachment from the mainland
to become an island, and then reattachment. Today the Hook is a bit of a nature preserve, and is
part of the Gateway National Recreation Area operated by the National Park Service.
Reprinted from Scribner's Monthly,also the source of most of the illustrations. 16 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-047-9.
ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-047-8. Order #: VIST0047 paper$3.95.
SIGNALS OF THE SEA AND HEROES OF THE SURF: the epic story of America's light-houses and life-savers, written at their heyday. by Arthur Hewitt and John R. Spears.
Two of the most romantic traditions of the sea are here combined to form the content of this book--light-houses and
life-savers. Stories of the work of the keepers and savers span the range from daytime
monotony, and even loneliness, between storms, to the thrill of daring sea rescues in
raging winter surf. Through all, dedication of the men involved shines as brightly as the
lights they tended and as steadily as their massive surfboats while heading through the
breakers to sea. Reprinted from The Outlook for 1903 and 1904. Good
reading for anyone intending to visit the many lighthouses and life-saving
stations maintained as historic sites on all U.S. coasts. Period engravings. 24 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-088-6. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-088-1. Order #: VIST0088 paper$4.95.
SILVER SAN JUAN: the mines and high scenery in Colorado's southwest mountains--in 1882. by Ernest Ingersoll.
Presents early sketches of this region where the Colorado Rocky Mountains culminate in
their grandest scenic display, including Silverton, Rico, Animas Canyon, Capitol City,
Lake City. Although mines and mining are the prime topic in this early history, and the
writing gives a good picture of mining in the mountain West, the author admired the
landscapes greatly, too. It was a time for that in America, when national pride in Western
grandeur was swelling. Silver San Juan was a great place for such pride, for the region
has been called "The Switzerland of America". Most of the region's minerals have
now been removed, but the economic input from that source is replaced by tourists who come
enthusiastically in numbers. For those who want to know the background of the region they
visit, this book is for them. Reprinted from 1882. Illustrations by Thomas Moran and others. 24 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-025-8. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-025-6. Order #: VIST0025 paper$3.95.
THE SOUTHERN UTE INDIANS OF EARLY COLORADO. by Verner Z. Reed.
An early account of these inhabitants of southwestern Colorado, living in one of the
most magnificent spots of the American continent. Aboriginal customs were still much
practiced at the time this material was first published, in 1893. We are told of face
painting, of nomadic lifeways, of matriarchal lineage of families, of medicine men, of
wars with other Indian tribes, of courtship and family customs, of religion, and of the
variance between Indian custom and white man's law. Reprinted from The Californian
Illustrated Magazine. Illustrations of shepherding, horses, war costumes, camp, family, chief, dance, and
more. 20 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-067-3.
ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-067-6. Order #:
VIST0067 paper$3.95.
A TRIP TO BODIE BLUFF and the Dead Sea of the West
(Mono Lake)--in 1863. written and illustrated by J. Ross Browne.
The adventures of a noted humorist of the 1860s during an excursion at their heyday
to the mines of Bodie, Aurora, and the Mono Lake region. Author Browne was a man of many
hats: he was a minerals engineer, an almost politician, locator of coastal post offices in
California, recorder and publisher of California's constitutional convention, and writer
and artist for Harper's New Monthly Magazine. Browne's writing is not of the
"superlative" or romantic variety popular at his time; instead Browne found fun
in the foibles of man's endeavors--and poked at them. In fact, Mark Twain's earlier
writings were on this same region of eastern California and central Nevada, and the
incidents and even the illustrations in Twain's works seem to have been inspired by
Browne's preceding writing. Today, we can still see vestiges of some of the scenes Browne
saw, for California maintains Bodie today in "a state of arrested decay" as a
state park. Park visitors will better understand the scene with these insights from an
earlier visitor.
Illustrated, 72 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-076-2.
ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-076-8. Order #: VIST0076 paper$4.95. Out of print except for scuffed-
THE UNITED STATES LIFE-SAVING SERVICE--1880:
predecessor to today's Coast Guard. by J. H. Merryman.
Story of chain of life-saving stations that once lined all U.S.
coasts--Atlantic, Gulf, Great Lakes, Pacific--with rescue dramas, apparatus and
technique used by heroic federal surfmen. The U.S. Life-saving Service was at its heyday when this material was written in 1880.
Shipping was a busy industry among the seaport cities, yet navigation was often unsure,
and storms poorly predicted. Wrecks were all too common; ships in peril were even run
toward shore to founder them where they would be closer to possible rescue. A chain of
life-saving stations on all four U.S. coasts was therefore established to save lives.
Accounts of heroism at these lonely outposts remain amazing--and chilling. Our author was
chief inspector of the board examining these station's crews. He tells of the
organization of the Service, the desperate need for the life saving function, of
rescues, and of rescue methods and apparatus. Today many of these stations
are maintained as historic reminders of past deeds, and several are in parks and/or
include museums. Some provide demonstrations of how rescues were made in the surf and by
lifeboats. Read this book and visit one or several of the stations on any coast
for an appreciation of the life-saving service heritage. 79 period illustrations. 64 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-071-1.
ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-071-3. Order #:
VIST0071 paper$6.95.cover copies.
THE WILD SHEEP. by John Muir.
Here the early naturalist-writer glorifies the mountain sheep, or bighorn, of the
Sierra Nevada. In Muir's time (1881 is the date of this writing), sheep were still to be
seen on his High Sierra rambles. He notes the distribution of sheep and their various
species as well as their physical characteristics, and he also describes their mountain
home where they lived, "the happy wanderers, perhaps relishing the beauty as well as
the taste of the lovely flora on which they feed." But as always his finest sections
are where he describes the sheep themselves and how they move about on cliff walls, fine
four-legged mountaineers. Today, park and wildlife agencies are reestablishing populations
of wild sheep in the Sierra Nevada and elsewhere, and we may thank Muir in part for this,
as his writing helped keep our appreciation alive for them. Reviewed by Chief Park
Naturalists at Yosemite and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Period engravings. 32 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-017-7. ISBN-13:
978-0-89646-017-1. Order #: VIST0017 paper$3.95.
THE YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (ID/MT/WY). by John Muir.
Here is what may well be Muir's most literary piece of nature writing, inspired not by
the Sierra Nevada he was more familiar with, but by the wonders of the Yellowstone region.
The text tells of the park's geysers, lakes, mountains, animals, flowers and trees,
petrified forest--of the "blessed old Yellowstone Wonderland." It is the source
for his oft-quoted phrase:
"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.
Nature's
peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.
The winds will blow their own
freshness into you,
and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn
leaves."
Tips on how to travel in the park around the turn-of the-century are
included! Illustrated with drawings and engravings, many by Thomas Moran. 80 pages, 6 x 9, coated stock. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN 978-0-89646-101-7. Order #VIST0101 paper$7.95.
THE YOSEMITE IN WINTER:
an 1892 account (CA). by James M. Carson, with extracts from John Muir's writings.
An appreciation of Yosemite Valley's winter character and an early history of the first
winter residents, with passages from John Muir, who also was a year-round
valley resident in the early days. Reports of floods, in which trees were swept over the
waterfalls, of the ice-cone at the base of Upper Yosemite Fall, snow-banners flying off
rangecrest peaks, use of "snowshoes" (skis, today) to bring in the mail,
winter-time climatic differences between north and south sides of this deep east-west
trending valley due to shadows. Foreword by former Yosemite Chief Park Naturalist William R. Jones. Period engravings. 16 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-053-3.
ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-053-9. Order #:
VIST0053 paper$3.95.
OUT-OF-PRINT VISTABOOKS HISTORICAL REPRINTS
See introduction to these titles--click for PAGE TOP.
A few copies of each of the titles below can likely be provided from files; we will be clarifying amounts and prices.
AROUND THE CIRCLE in 1892--a thousand miles by rail through the Rocky Mountains (CO). by S. K. Hooper, Gen. Pass. Agent, Denver, Colorado.
"Being a descriptive of a trip among peaks, over passes, and through canons of Colorado--a
journey which comprises more noted and magnificent scenery than is compassed in any other
one thousand miles of travel in the known world," says the blurb on the title
page of this tract prepared by the Passenger Department of the Denver & Rio
Grande Railroad. Reprinted from a series of annual guides
presented to passengers on the then-extensive rail lines through Colorado's mountains,
with notes on routes, features seen, with "seventy points of interest Around the
Circle for only $28 all seen from the train--in 1892. Photographs, 56 pages.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-049-5. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-049-2. Order #: VIST0049 paper$. OUT OF PRINT.
Inventory = 0. Total printed =3,406.
CAMP OF DEATH
VIST0037 OUT OF PRINT.
Inventory =0. Total Printed = 6,481
#CLIMBER'S GUIDE TO LAKE TAHOE & DONNER SUMMIT
VIST0046 OUT OF PRINT.
Inventory =0. Total Printed = 1,065
THE CONIFEROUS FORESTS AND BIG TREES OF THE SIERRA NEVADA
VIST0027 OUT OF PRINT.
Inventory = 0. Total Printed = 4,721
CUSTER'S LAST BATTLE, 1876
VIST0085 OUT OF PRINT.
Inventory = 0. Total Printed = 16,555
#THE DOME OF THE CONTINENT: Colorado in 1872. by V. Colvin.
With geological, mineralogical, and biological notes, here is a little tour of the
Colorado of 1872--one of mining camps, stage roads, and a mountain climb to the summit of
Grays Peak, a "14er" (peak over 14,000 feet altitude). It was a tour similar to
ones today's visitor often take, 'though they use their cars more. Area covered includes
Denver and the mountains just west--Central City, Idaho Springs, Georgetown, Grays Peak.
Topics cover how to find gold, mine it, and refine it. Modern visitors can appreciate
their sojourns more with this historical insight. There are fanciful sketches of alpine
animals like conies and ptarmigans plus engraved illustrations of scenery and mining.
24 pages.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-012-6. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-012-6. Order #: VIST0012 paper$. OUT OF PRINT. Inventory = 0. Total Printed = 1,050
EVIDENCE AND THE CUSTER ENIGMA. by Jerome A. Greene.
Author is a former National Park Service Historian, once stationed at what is now
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument (formerly
Custer Battlefield NM), where Custer's Last Battle occurred.
This is a
modern study of battlefield events based on Indian testimony from the time and
on Indian and Army relics discovered on the battlefield since1876. Maps detail
movements of the various companies and show the Indian positions. Appendixes
list relic finds, battle leaders, references. A fold-out map shows where relics
have been found.
Photographs and drawings of Indian and Army leaders and of the battlefield
and its relics enhance the text. 76 pages. See sample pages, illustrations.
ISBN
-10: 0-89646-058-4.
ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-058-4. Order #: VIST0058 paper$.
#GOLD PANNING FOR PROFIT
VIST0035
Inventory= 0. Total Printed = 6,305
THE HOT SPRINGS OF ARKANSAS
VIST0008
Inventory = 0. Total Printed = 6,196
HOW WE GET GOLD IN CALIFORNIA
VIST0100
Inventory = 0. Total Printed = 3,084
JOHN BROWN AT HARPER'S FERRY
VIST0055 OUT OF PRINT.
Inventory = 0. Total Printed = 2,000
#LA VILLA REAL DE SANTA FE
VIST0039 OUT OF PRINT.
Inventory = 0. Total Printed = 66
ONE HUNDRED MILES IN MAMMOTH CAVE
VIST0054 OUT OF PRINT.
Inventory = 0. Total Pried = 6,484
ROCKY MOUNTAIN RAILROADS OF COLORADO
VIST0020. OUT OF PRINT.
Inventory = 0. Total Printed = 4,166
#THE PONY EXPRESS
VIST0062 OUT OF PRINT. SOLD OUT.
Inventory = 0. Total Printed = 13,173.
UP LONG'S PEAK IN 1873 with Rocky Mountain Jim
VIST0023 OUT OF PRINT.
Inventory = 0. Total Printed = 1,065
SIERRA BIG TREES
VIST0069 OUT OF PRINT.
Inventory = 0. Total Printed = 2,000
A few left on the shelf:
SIERRA BIG TREES. by John Muir.
In 1875 Muir made a tremendous exploration of the southern Sierra Nevada to survey the range of the giant sequoia. That trip may remain the most comprehensive single look at the tree yet, and this book tells his findings. It is an appreciative report of this tree, "very god of the woods". Muir describes the tree's range and its botanical characteristics, muses about the age it can attain, notes the effect of lightning strikes, and shares his several-days observation of a forest fire among them: "huge fire-mantled trunks on the hill slopes glowing like bars of hot iron." Foreword by former Yosemite Chief Park Naturalist William R. Jones. Period engravings. 80 pages.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-069-X. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-069-0. Paper covers, some scuffing. /Order #: VIST0069 paper$25.00.
STICKEEN
VIST0032 OUT OF PRINT.
Inventory = 0. Total Printed = 4,150
TEN TRAL TRIPS IN YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
VIST0064 OUT OF PRINT.
Inventory = 0. Total Printed = 15,049
THREE DAYS AT GETTYSBURG
vist0036 OUT OF PRINT.
Inventory = 0. Total Printed - 6,240
A TRIP TO BODIE BLUFF AND THE DEAD SEA OF THE WEST (MONO LAKE)
VIST0076 OUT OF PRINT. A few dozen scuffed copies available.
Inventory = 24. Total Printed = 4,064
WHAT'S COOKING IN OUR NATIONAL PARKS.
by National Park Service Western Regional Office Cookbook Committee.
This now "almost-classic" title of National Park-iana is a choice
collection of over 500 highly prized recipes from employees of our national parks--not
just the rangers, but those in personnel and administration, and management and
maintenance and planning and design, plus park spouses. Includes sections on outdoor
cooking and recipes for large (hundreds of eaters) crowds. Indexes show what persons and
what parks contributed which recipes, and the recipes are grouped by type. Dishes include
Cruzan Potatoes from the Virgin Islands, Pete's Potato Salad, Hawaiian Style Spareribs,
Abalone Cabrillo, Crazy Cake with NPS Frosting, Navajo Fry Bread, Backpack Jerky, Cowboy
Beans, Wilderness Molasses Cake for 250, Mormon Gravy, Clamdigger Sandwiches, Dandelion
Wine, and of course Ranger Cookies. Royalty proceeds go to the Employees & Alumni
Association of the National Park Service, where the money has traditionally been used for
scholarship loans to its members' children. A steady seller over the years, there are now
58,000 copies in print. Many park cooperating associations and concessioners
carry the book, as do outlets around parks and wherever cookbooks are sold.
Over 30 photos from America's parks, full color cover. 256 pages.
ISBN-10: 0-89646-0819. ISBN-13: 978-0-89646-081-2. Order #: VIST0081 paper$. OUT OF PRINT.
Inventory = 0. Total Printed = 6,506
THE WRIGHT BROTHERS' AEROPLANE
VIST0065 OUT OF PRINT.
Inventory = 0. Total Printed = 4,713
#YELLOWSTONE SKI TOURS
VIST0079 OUT OF PRINT.
Inventory = 0. Total printed = 2,163.
END OF "VistaBooks History Reprints" PAGE--click for TOP
For discounts of 50-90% on related titles click VistaBooks Outlet
click to view the VistaBooks site
click for Home/Contents or use links in sidebars
click for vistaBooks titles by AUTHOR
This VistaBooks Encore "VistaBooks History Reprints" page last modified December 3, 2023. Did you come here from a link on another website? For latest version of this page, click or copy to your browser: https://www.vistabooksencore.com/pages/vbe1vistalph.html. Copyright © 2023 VistaBooks LLC.
Need help? email. We want you to find what you want to find.
Thanks for looking!