The Gila Trail

Describes the Gila Trail, also known as the Southern Emigrant Trail, Butterfield Stage Trail, and Kearny trial, which was important southern route to California during the Gold Rush era.

The Texas Argonauts were on the march west as early as January, 1849 -a remarkable circumstance when it is recalled that the famous tea caddy of gold dust which set off the gold fever in the "States" did not reach Washington, D. C, until December 7, 1848. From Brownsville, Corpus Christi, and San Antonio, the dusty trails of the gold seekers crisscrossed through West Texas and northern Mexico. Among the travelers was young attorney Benjamin Butler Harris, who joined the fifty-two man Duval party, one of the earliest emigrant parties to head for California from Texas. Traveling by saddle horse and pack mule, the Duval group was probably the first to operate a ferry on the Colorado River, although the boat was only a hastily caulked wagon bed. The overland journey was fraught with interest and peril-Apache alarms and skirmishes adding to the hazards of nature -but the party reached the mines on September 29, 1849. Here, published for the first time, are Harris's colorful reminiscences of his experiences on the Gila Trail and in the Mother Lode mining camps in 1849-50. Harris was intelligent, observant, and gifted with a sense of humor, and his account of the trail and the feverish activities of the early mining camps makes first-rate reading for all Western Americana enthusiasts. There is a bonus, too, in the new material presented on some of the most interesting and important men of California's early days, among them Major James D. Savage, Judge David S. Terry, and John Joel Glanton. About the author and editor: The sixth of twelve children in a prominent Virginia family, Benjamin Butler Harris graduated from Nashville University, Tennessee, read law and went to East Texas to seek his fortune. Soon convinced that the East Texas climate, with its "Brazos fever," would do him in if he remained, he decided to take his law practice and his bad liver farther west-hence this account. Richard H. Dillon who has provided the superb introduction and informative notes for Harris's account, is a historian of note and author of Embarcadero an excellent story of the port of pre-fire San Francisco.

Gold rush journal of the lesser traveled southern route.

New Mexico's 555,000-acre Gila Wilderness is a vast untrammeled patchwork of virtually unlimited forest types, climatic conditions, and wildlife.

Now, for the first time, Arizona visitors and residents can set out on any part of the Arizona National Scenic Trail with a 'bible' of the trail's twists and turns, its flora and fauna, and its geology. In an easy-to-use format, Your Complete Guide to the Arizona National Scenic Trail serves up the 800-mile trail, section by section (43 altogether) so that day-hikers as well as thru-hikers can feel confident about the route. Inspired by the magnificence of the scenery, wildlife, and diversity of terrain, this new book is an irreplaceable source for any hiker, mountain biker, or equestrian heading for the Arizona National Scenic Trail.

From Upper Sonoran desert canyons to sub alpine mountain peaks, New Mexico 's Gila Wilderness Area is a world of contrasts and diversity. Named a wilderness region by Congress in 1924, the Gila was the first place in the world to be so protected. Today it encompasses 1,000 square miles and protects the headwaters of the three forks of the Gila River. Blessed with the rich human and natural history, it is home to Indian, Spanish, and Anglo cultures and Central and North American flora and fauna. In this complete guide to the Gila Wilderness Area, John A. Murray explores the region 's natural history, highlights its human history, and provides tips for backcountry trips. The hiking section describes twenty-four trails for both the serious backpacker and the casual day hiker, in all covering some three hundred miles of trail. Each trail description gives directions to the trailhead, length, elevation, level of difficulty, scenic highlights, and natural and human history along the trail.

A firsthand account of General George Crook's campaigns against the Indians, by a member of his staff.