The Prairie Traveler

Originally published in 1859, The Prairie Traveler became the principal manual for westward-bound pioneers. At the time that he wrote the book, Randolph B. Marcy (1812-1889) was a Captain of the U.S. Army. Because he was an excellent writer and had spent much of his military career in the American West, Marcy was asked by the War Department to write this guide. The handbook is filled with helpful information once essential for safe passage West―from available routes to Oregon and California, to proper techniques for driving loose horses, drying meat, or fording rivers. Today, the book is a fascinating view of the strenuous and hazardous life faced by prairie travelers.