The Jayhawkers Of Death Valley

JOHN G ELLENBECKER

Publication: Privately printed, 1938, Marysville

130pp. plus folding 5 pp. supplement laid in (which is very difficult to locate with the book) in stiff over-sized brown printed wrappers. First edition. Foreword, frontispiece, numerous photographs, including one folding photograph, double-column text. Inscribed to Charles Yale by the author and dated January 25th, 1939. A detailed account of the overland journey of the Illinois “Jayhawkers” and their disastrous crossing of Death Valley in the winter of 1849-50. The “Jayhawkers" were a group of thirty-six young men, gold seekers, who in the spring of 1849 started overland with wagons for the gold mines near Sacramento, California. They were on the road a year and suffered severe hardships. Ellenbecker tells their story collectively and individually, and gives names and addresses of many of the party's descendants. Mintz, The Trail 141 says, “A sought after book that covers material not found in the Manly or Stephens narratives. It follows the trail overland from Galesburg, through Salt Lake City to California. This book also contains the fragmentary diary of Asa Haynes, not found elsewhere.” Howes E91 says, “ Contains information on the tragic first emigration over the southern route not found in the previous accounts by Manly and Stephens.” Light creasing to the over-sized edges of the wrappers along with minor browning to page edges. Very good.

Inventory Number: 35820Sold -- Contact us