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  • RECOLLECTIONS OF A CALIFORNIA PIONEER. by Abbott, Carlisle S.
    Abbott, Carlisle S.
    RECOLLECTIONS OF A CALIFORNIA PIONEER.

    Edition: First edition.

    New York: Neale Publishing 1917. Hardcover first edition - The autobiography of a pioneer who traveled to California at the start of the Gold Rush, written at age 88 during his retirement. Along with his brother, he left Beloit, Wisconsin, on March 3, 1850 and traveled along the Platte River through South Pass to Salt Lake City, where the company disbanded, although he continued across the desert to the Carson River and Mormon Station. He spent several months of mining at Volcano above Yankee Slide on the American River. After returning to Wisconsin, and back again to California, he leased a ranch at Point Reyes, and eventually wound up in Tombstone Arizona in an "attempt to recoup his fortunes."…

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    New York: Neale Publishing 1917. Hardcover first edition - The autobiography of a pioneer who traveled to California at the start of the Gold Rush, written at age 88 during his retirement. Along with his brother, he left Beloit, Wisconsin, on March 3, 1850 and traveled along the Platte River through South Pass to Salt Lake City, where the company disbanded, although he continued across the desert to the Carson River and Mormon Station. He spent several months of mining at Volcano above Yankee Slide on the American River. After returning to Wisconsin, and back again to California, he leased a ranch at Point Reyes, and eventually wound up in Tombstone Arizona in an "attempt to recoup his fortunes." He failed at mining, gave up on ranching, and was impoverished by a risky railroad venture, but he wrote an valuable and entertaining account of the overland journey and of life in Gold Rush California and afterwards. Frontispiece portrait. 235 pp.

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    Condition: Ex-library, in sturdy dark green library binding, with the usual markings, but overall good condition. Uncommon in the first edition.

    Book ID: 56955
    View cart More details Price: $300.00
  • Alef, Daniel.
    PALE TRUTH.

    Edition: First printing.

    Los Angeles: Maxit Publishing, Inc, (2000) dj. SIGNED hardcover first edition - The first book in the author's California Chronicles. "In 1849, San Francisco"s gold fever sparked an unprecedented maelstrom of opportunity that drew the eccentric, corrupt, powerful and cunning from every corner of the known world. In the eye of this Midas storm comes an unusual woman form the South" - Mary Ellen Pleasant, born into slavery, but in San Francisco she achieved political and financial power and used that to support the cause of abolition. INSCRIBED on the title page. Illustrated. Includes author's afterword, a timeline of California history, bibliography and a preview of the second book in the series. 588 pp. Illustrated endpapers. Book of the Year Award Winner, Foreword Magazine, sticker on front cover. ISBN: 0-970017413.

    Condition: Fine in fine dust jacket.

    Book ID: 85931
    View cart More details Price: $30.00
  • DAUGHTER OF FORTUNE. by Allende, Isabel
    Allende, Isabel
    DAUGHTER OF FORTUNE.

    Edition: Later printing.

    New York: HarperCollins, 1999. dj. Hardcover - Historical novel of a young woman who leaves Chile for the California gold fields in 1848. Translated from the Spanish by Margaret Sayers Peden. ISBN: 0-06-019491x.

    Condition: Very near fine in a like dustjacket.

    Book ID: 27085
    View cart More details Price: $13.50
  • DAUGHTER OF FORTUNE. by Allende, Isabel
    Allende, Isabel
    DAUGHTER OF FORTUNE.

    Edition: First printing.

    New York: HarperCollins, (1999.) dj. SIGNED hardcover first edition - Historical novel of a young woman who leaves Chile for the California gold fields in 1848. SIGNED on the half title page. 399 pp. ISBN: 0-06-019491x.

    Condition: Fine in fine dust jacket.

    Book ID: 62204
    View cart More details Price: $30.00
  • HEYDAY. by Andersen, Kurt.
    Andersen, Kurt.
    HEYDAY.

    Edition: First printing.

    New York: Random House, (2007) dj. SIGNED hardcover first edition - A novel of America's boisterous coming of age in the middle of the 19th century - in 1848 it won its war of manifest destiny against Mexico, gold is discovered in California and revolutions sweep across Europe leads to a new wave of immigration. SIGNED on the title page and dated in the year of publication. 617 pp. ISBN: 978-03755047300.

    Condition: Very near fine in a like dustjacket.

    Book ID: 80774
    View cart More details Price: $30.00
  • MESSENGER TWELVE. by Bartz, James Lynn.
    Bartz, James Lynn.
    MESSENGER TWELVE.

    Edition: First printing.

    Lake Forest, CA: The Westbound Stage,
    (2000.) dj
    . Hardcover first edition - "Gold Dust, Slaves, And A Sing-song Girl." Historical novel which follows the adventures of Reef Atherton from his days as a slave-trading ship owner to California during the Gold Rush, where he signs on as "Messenger Twelve" for Wells Fargo. 249 pp. ISBN: 0-967875909.

    Condition: Fine in fine dust jacket.

    Book ID: 57219
    View cart More details Price: $13.50
  • CALIFORNIA GOLD DAYS. by Bauer, Helen.
    Bauer, Helen.
    CALIFORNIA GOLD DAYS.

    Edition: Reprint.

    Sacramento: California State Department of Education, 1957. Hardcover - Illustrated story of the discovery of gold, and the history of gold mining in California, used as a school text. Bound in green cloth with black map of California on front cover, black lettering. Index. 128 pp.

    Condition: Good condition - some wear to the covers and bumping to corners, but binding is sturdy, contents clean.

    Book ID: 16887
    View cart More details Price: $15.00
  • Beatty, Patricia.
    JONATHON DOWN UNDER.

    Edition: First edition.

    New York: Morrow, 1982. dj. Hardcover first edition - Father and son go to Australia after dreams of finding cold in California gold rush fail. Historical novel for older children set in 1849 and the 1850's. ISBN: 0-688-014674.

    Condition: Near fine in near fine dust jacket. Some foxing to edges of text block. Toning to dj.

    Book ID: 19863
    View cart More details Price: $18.00
  • WE WERE 49ers! by Beilharz, Edwin A. and Lopez, Carlos U., translators and editors.
    Beilharz, Edwin A. and Lopez, Carlos U., translators and editors.
    WE WERE 49ers!

    Edition: First edition.

    Pasadena, CA: Ward Ritchie Press, 1976. Hardcover first edition - Chilean accounts of the California Gold Rush - taken from diaries and personal accounts. It is estimated that the Chilean population in California during the gold rush reached 7,000 - in the early years, they represented the 2nd largest foreign contingent. Many of these Chileans were highly educated, including some of the most famous writers of their country - so their writings are sophisticated, perceptive and often laced with a wry humor. Photographs, bibliography and biographical information about the writers.

    Condition: Very near fine in black cloth, lacking the dust jacket.

    Book ID: 55497
    View cart More details Price: $18.00
  • GOLD DUST AND PETTICOATS. by Benezra, Barbara.
    Benezra, Barbara.
    GOLD DUST AND PETTICOATS.

    Edition: First printing.

    Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, (1964.) dj. Hardcover first edition - The author's first book, an exciting historical novel for older children about a 14 year old girl's adventures in rough and colorful San Francisco of the Gold Rush days. Marcy Miller has come to California with her parents and her brother Jeb so her father can establish his medical practice, but when the great fire of 1850 breaks out, she is separated from her family and her adventures begin. 179 pp

    Condition: Very near fine in a like dustjacket (small address sticker from previous owner, but overall an exceptionally good copy.)

    Book ID: 31735
    View cart More details Price: $20.00
  • VIGILANTES: A Chronicle of the Rise and Fall of the Plummer Gang of Outlaws in and about Virginia City, Montana in the early '60's. by Birney, Hoffman, Illustrated by Hargens, Charles
    Birney, Hoffman, Illustrated by Hargens, Charles
    VIGILANTES: A Chronicle of the Rise and Fall of the Plummer Gang of Outlaws in and about Virginia City, Montana in the early '60's.

    Edition: First printing.

    Philadelphia: The Penn Publishing Company, (1929.) dj. Hardcover first edition - Classic account of one of the most notorious 'outlaw gangs' in the story of the Western frontier - and of the organization - the Montana vigilantes - which brought them down, written in a very readable style, with an emphasis on the personalities of those involved. It is interesting to compare this with the 2004 book by Frederick Allen "A Decent and Orderly Lynching." Illustrated with a frontispiece, 15 photographic plates, a map and drawings by Charles Hargens. 346 pp. Illustrated endpapers.

    Condition: Near fine in near fine dust jacket - a very attractive copy, straight and tight, with a little light toning to the pages and dustjacket, very minor edgewear to the dj - uncommon in dust jacket and especially so in this condition. Original price of $3.50 still present.

    Book ID: 74943
    View cart More details Price: $135.00
  • LAND OF THEIR CHOICE: The Immigrants Write Home. by Blegen, Theodore C., editor.
    Blegen, Theodore C., editor.
    LAND OF THEIR CHOICE: The Immigrants Write Home.

    Edition: First printing.

    St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota Press, (1955) dj. Hardcover first edition - Letters from the middle of the 19th century by Norwegian immigrants to those they left behind - written orignally in Norwegian and here translated into English. Includes chapters on the "Sloopfolk" arriving, settling in Wisconsin, the Atlantic crossing; the Transatlantic gold rush; the Southwest and more. Edited and with a foreword by Theodore Blegen. Index xix, 463 pp.

    Condition: Very good in salmon cloth in a good only dust jacket. (a bit of dustiness to edges of textblock, price-clipped, short tears, overall edgewear, rubbing at corners of dj and folds but a tight, sturdy and clean copy)

    Book ID: 87203
    View cart More details Price: $40.00
  • Cendrars, Blaise (woodcuts by Harry Cimino.)
    GOLD: Being the Marvelous History of General John Augustus Sutter.

    Edition: Early printing (code C B indicating March 1927.)

    New York: Harper & Brothers, 1926. Cendrars's first novel, translated from the French by Henry Logan Stuart. Attractively illustrated with woodcuts at the beginning of each chapter, and 5 full page colored plates, by Harry Cimino.

    Condition: Good in black cloth with marbelized gold foil paper over the boards. Rear hinge cracked.

    Book ID: 24477
    View cart More details Price: $20.00
  • QUARTERDECKS AND SPANISH GRANTS. by [Clar, Captain John] Clar, C. Raymond.
    [Clar, Captain John] Clar, C. Raymond.
    QUARTERDECKS AND SPANISH GRANTS.

    Edition: First thus- a large trade paperback.

    Rancho Cordova, CA: Landmark Enterprises, (1984.). "Concerning Captain John Clar, his United States Navy career after graduation from Spain's Naval Academy; his visit to Mexican California in 1836 and again at the capture in 1842; the historic Gold Rush voyage of Barque Humboldt."A respectful biography written by an admiring grandson, we learn of Captain John Clar's life: his graduation from Spain's Naval Academy, his U.S. Naval career and visits to Mexican California in 1836, the Capture in 1842, the historic Gold Rush voyage of Barque Humboldt, his purchase of Oakland site; settlement at Clarville; the land surveyor, Translator and Keeper of the Old Archives. Illustrated with many vintage photographs, maps, letters. Bibliography, 156 pp. plus 2 pp. Index. ISBN: 0-91084-239.

    Condition: Fine (as new) in illustrated turquoise wrappers.

    Book ID: 39786
    View cart More details Price: $16.50
  • QUARTERDECKS AND SPANISH GRANTS. by [Clar, Captain John] Clar, C. Raymond.
    [Clar, Captain John] Clar, C. Raymond.
    QUARTERDECKS AND SPANISH GRANTS.

    Edition: First thus- a large trade paperback.

    Rancho Cordova, CA: Landmark Enterprises, (1984.). "Concerning Captain John Clar, his United States Navy career after graduation from Spain's Naval Academy; his visit to Mexican California in 1836 and again at the capture in 1842; the historic Gold Rush voyage of Barque Humboldt."A respectful biography written by an admiring grandson, we learn of Captain John Clar's life: his graduation from Spain's Naval Academy, his U.S. Naval career and visits to Mexican California in 1836, the Capture in 1842, the historic Gold Rush voyage of Barque Humboldt, his purchase of Oakland site; settlement at Clarville; the land surveyor, Translator and Keeper of the Old Archives. Illustrated with many vintage photographs, maps, letters. Bibliography, 156 pp. plus 2 pp. Index. ISBN: 0-91084-239.

    Condition: Near fine in illustrated turquoise wrappers (an unread copy, but bump to bottom of spine).

    Book ID: 47134
    View cart More details Price: $14.50
  • BACON, BEANS, AND GALANTINES: Food and Foodways on the Western Mining Frontier. by Conlin, Joseph R.
    Conlin, Joseph R.
    BACON, BEANS, AND GALANTINES: Food and Foodways on the Western Mining Frontier.

    Edition: First printing.

    Reno & Las Vegas: University of Nevada Press, 1986. dj. Hardcover first edition - A fascinating, entertaining and scholarly look at this important, but often neglected, aspect of social history. While the book focuses on the California gold rush of 49 and the Nevada mines in the early 1900's much more is covered - including nutrition on the Overland trail, restaurants in the mining towns, etc. Much of the material is based on early diaries. Profusely illustrated. Index, bibliography. 246 pages.

    Condition: Fine in a fine dustjacket.

    Book ID: 15703
    View cart More details Price: $35.00
  • Cullum, Ridgwell [pseudonym for Sidney Groves Burghard, 1867 Ð1943].
    THE SAINT OF THE SPEEDWAY.

    Edition: First printing.

    New York: George H. Doran, (1924.). Hardcover first edition - Adventure novel involving a huge gold find in Australia, gold mining in Alaska and a derelict ship; The 'Speedway' in the name of a gambling palace in Beacon Glory in in Southern Alaska. 335 pp.

    Condition: Good in orange cloth with black lettering - a sturdy copy, with some soiling to the covers and the previous owner's name repeated at the head of each chapter (an interesting practice... did it mean that he had read that chapter?)

    Book ID: 35111
    View cart More details Price: $12.50
  • JACKSON: The Transgressions of a Place. by De Grange, Allen.
    De Grange, Allen.
    JACKSON: The Transgressions of a Place.

    Edition: 2nd printing, large trade paperback.

    Sunol, CA: De Grange Publishing, 1997. SIGNED - A history of Jackson, California, a gold rush town in Amador County and the site of two hard-rock mines - the Kennedy and the Argonaut, which had the most deadly mining disaster in California. A combination of folksy interviews, recollections from older residents, much of this book focuses on the six-year battle in the early 1950s to shut down open prostitution and gambling in the city - allegedly the last city in California, where prostitution was not only tolerated but protected. Included are numerous newspaper accounts, official records and more. Although most of the police and officials tried for corruption and bribery were acquitted, the state, under Attorney General (later governor)…

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    Sunol, CA: De Grange Publishing, 1997. SIGNED - A history of Jackson, California, a gold rush town in Amador County and the site of two hard-rock mines - the Kennedy and the Argonaut, which had the most deadly mining disaster in California. A combination of folksy interviews, recollections from older residents, much of this book focuses on the six-year battle in the early 1950s to shut down open prostitution and gambling in the city - allegedly the last city in California, where prostitution was not only tolerated but protected. Included are numerous newspaper accounts, official records and more. Although most of the police and officials tried for corruption and bribery were acquitted, the state, under Attorney General (later governor) Brown continued the crackdown. Illustrated with photographs throughout. SIGNED on the title page with the notation "num edition 18 of 20". The second printing includes a postscript and a holographic page of comments on the reception the book had originally. Bibliography, glossary. Large format. 226 pp. ISBN: 0-964734141.

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    Condition: Near fine in illustrated dark red wrappers (embossed seal on title page.

    Book ID: 84244
    View cart More details Price: $60.00
  • OH GLITTERING PROMISE! A Novel of the California Gold Rush. by Fisher, Anne.
    Fisher, Anne.
    OH GLITTERING PROMISE! A Novel of the California Gold Rush.

    Edition: First printing.

    Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, (1949.). SIGNED hardcover first edition - Novel spanning the years from 1849 to 1865, set mostly in the Southern Mother Lode in Columbia and Tuttletown and Fremont's place at Bear Valley, etc. SIGNED on the front endpaper and dated in the year of publication - the centennial of the gold rush. 294 pp.

    Condition: Very good in blue cloth with gold lettering (lettering rubbed on spine), no dust jacket.

    Book ID: 55287
    View cart More details Price: $16.50
  • SHADOW and LIGHT: An Autobiography with Reminiscences of the Last and Present Century. by Gibbs, Mifflin Wistar (1823 - 1915)
    Gibbs, Mifflin Wistar (1823 - 1915)
    SHADOW and LIGHT: An Autobiography with Reminiscences of the Last and Present Century.

    Edition: First thus - facsimile reprint of a work originally published in 1902.

    New York: Arno Press & The NY Times, 1968. Hardcover - The title page goes on to state: "A Fatherless Boy, Carpenter and Contractor, Anti-Slavery Lecturer, Merchant, Railroad Builder, Superintendent of Mine, Attorney-at-Law, County Attorney, Municipal Judge Register of United States Lands, Receiver of Public Monies for U. S., United States Consul to Madagascar, Prominent Race Leaders, etc." An autobiography of a man whose life was one of adventure and danger and who was a witness to many of the significant events in the history of the United States during the 19th century. The early chapters include comments on the Underground Railroad, Nat Turner's Insurrection, Cinguez, the Hero of Armistead Captives and his first tour with Frederic Douglass. In…

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    New York: Arno Press & The NY Times, 1968. Hardcover - The title page goes on to state: "A Fatherless Boy, Carpenter and Contractor, Anti-Slavery Lecturer, Merchant, Railroad Builder, Superintendent of Mine, Attorney-at-Law, County Attorney, Municipal Judge Register of United States Lands, Receiver of Public Monies for U. S., United States Consul to Madagascar, Prominent Race Leaders, etc." An autobiography of a man whose life was one of adventure and danger and who was a witness to many of the significant events in the history of the United States during the 19th century. The early chapters include comments on the Underground Railroad, Nat Turner's Insurrection, Cinguez, the Hero of Armistead Captives and his first tour with Frederic Douglass. In California, where he had gone in 1850 during the gold rush, he was politically active, rode with John C Fremont during the Vigilante era, the co-founder with Peter Lester of "Mirror of the Times", California's first Black newspaper, protesting the poll tax and a bill to ban Black people from moving to the state, and generally speaking out. With Lester and hundreds of other families, he moved to Victoria in British Columbia where he made a fortune in dry goods, and real estate. In 1869 after the Civil War, he returned to the United States - to Oberlin, Ohio, where he earned a degree in law. He served as a judge in Little Rock, Arkansas, and was appointed U.S. Consul to Madagascar in 1897. Introduction by Booker T. Washington. New preface for this edition by William Loren Katz. Illustrated. 372 pp.

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    Condition: Ex-library but with relatively few markings, and clean content, in the sturdy black and white cloth covered boards used for all of the titles in this series - no dustjacket as issued.

    Book ID: 84205
    View cart More details Price: $20.00
  • THE LAST CALIFORNIAN: An Historical Novel of the Rancheria Massacre. by Guthrie, Feliz.
    Guthrie, Feliz.
    THE LAST CALIFORNIAN: An Historical Novel of the Rancheria Massacre.

    Edition: First printing.

    Amador City: Quintessence Publications, 1987. dj. SIGNED hardcover first edition - A vivid story of the conflicts between the original Spanish settlers and those who came to California in the 1849 gold rush, set in Amador County in the Sierra foothills. Illustrated by the author. SIGNED opposite the title page. ISBN: 0-918466-13x.

    Condition: Also INSCRIBED on the dedication page and dated in 1989. Very near fine in near fine dust jacket.

    Book ID: 27197
    View cart More details Price: $35.00
  • Harte, Bret.
    SNOWBOUND AT EAGLE'S: A Phyllis of the Sierras, A Drift from Redwood Camp, A Gentleman of La Porte.

    Edition: First thus.

    London: Chatto & Windus, 1922. Hardcover first edition - Although the title novella was originally published separately in both the US and the UK in 1886, this edition includes another novella, 'A Phyllis of the Sierras' and 2 other short storiesof the California gold rush. 236 pp.

    Condition: Very good- condition in dark green cloth with gold lettering (staining to the endpapers from the binder's glue, one corner bumped, some toning to pages, but binding tight, contents clean.

    Book ID: 27290
    View cart More details Price: $30.00
  • VOYAGE TO CALIFORNIA, WRITTEN AT SEA 1852: The Journal of Lucy Kendall Herrick. by Herrick, Lucy Kendall, edited By Amy Requa Russell, Marcia Russell Good, and Mary Good Lindgren.
    Herrick, Lucy Kendall, edited By Amy Requa Russell, Marcia Russell Good, and Mary Good Lindgren.
    VOYAGE TO CALIFORNIA, WRITTEN AT SEA 1852: The Journal of Lucy Kendall Herrick.

    Edition: 2nd printing.

    San Marino, CA: Huntington Library, (1998.) dj. Hardcover - Account of 24 year old Lucy Kendall Herrick's 137-day voyage in 1852 from New York to San Francisco via Cape Horn, aboard the 'Josephine', a 947-ton, three-masted freighter, a trip made with her mother, sister and family friend, to rejoin her father in the gold mines. One of the few accounts written by women about sea journeys during that era. Introduction by Andrew Rolle. Illustrated with photographs. Notes, bibliography and index. A handsomely produced book, somewhat oversized. 135 pp. ISBN: 0-87328-1659.

    Condition: Fine in fine dust jacket (a new copy.)

    Book ID: 44366
    View cart More details Price: $24.50
  • DOWN THE YUKON. by Hobbs, Will.
    Hobbs, Will.
    DOWN THE YUKON.

    Edition: First printing.

    New York: Harper Collins, (2001) dj. Hardcover first edition - Young adult novel set during the years of Alaska's gold rushes -"In the wake of Dawson City's Great Fire of 1899, sixteen-year-old Jason and his girlfriend Jamie canoe the Yukon River across Alaska to the new gold fields at Cape Nome." Author's note. 193 pp. ISBN: 0-688-174728.

    Condition: Fine in fine dust jacket.

    Book ID: 73861
    View cart More details Price: $21.50
  • Hoppenstedt, Elbert.
    TILLICUM.

    Edition: First printing.

    New York: Lothrup, Lee & Shepherd, (1969.) dj. Hardcover first edition - Story for older children set during the Yukon gold rush of the 1890's and based on the real Norman Macauley who built a tramway to portage newcomers around teh Whitehorse Rapids of the Yukon. Tillicum - whose name means friend - is a reindeer who becomes a companion to the younger brother. Wraparound dust jacket art by Michael Lowenbein. 160 pp.

    Condition: Very near fine in a very good dustjacket (some toning to the dj.)

    Book ID: 36818
    View cart More details Price: $20.00
  • Hoppenstedt, Elbert.
    TILLICUM.

    Edition: First printing.

    New York: Lothrup, Lee & Shepherd, (1969.). Hardcover first edition - Story for older children set during the Yukon gold rush of the 1890's and based on the real Norman Macauley who built a tramway to portage newcomers around teh Whitehorse Rapids of the Yukon. Tillicum - whose name means friend - is a reindeer who becomes a companion to the younger brother. Wraparound dust jacket art by Michael Lowenbein. 160 pp.

    Condition: Ex-library with a pocket and stamps on front endpaper, no other markings, and overall a clean copy, lacking the dj.

    Book ID: 37276
    View cart More details Price: $12.50
  • STAGECOACH DAYS. by Hunter, Vickie and Hamma, Elizabeth.
    Hunter, Vickie and Hamma, Elizabeth.
    STAGECOACH DAYS.

    Edition: First edition.

    Menlo Park: Lane Book Company, (1963). SIGNED hardcover first edition - Hardcover edition of this classic history for older children on the history of the stagecoaches in gold rush California, and in the West. Illustrated by Randy Steffen. Large format (10 1/2 by 8 inches), maps, glossary, brief bibliography and index. 64 pages. This copy is SIGNED on the front endpaper by both authors and also by the illustrator with a drawing of a horse's head. Uncommon thus.

    Condition: Very near fine in illustrated boards, no dust jacket.

    Book ID: 72417
    View cart More details Price: $45.00
  • SHIP OF GOLD IN THE DEEP BLUE SEA. by Kinder, Gary.
    Kinder, Gary.
    SHIP OF GOLD IN THE DEEP BLUE SEA.

    Edition: First printing.

    New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, (1989.) dj. Hardcover first edition - "In September 1857, the SS Central America, a side-wheeler carrying 600 passengers returning from the California Gold Rush, foundered in a hurricane and sank 200 miles off the Carolina coast. Over 400 lives and 21 tons of California gold were lost.... In the 1980s, a young engineer from Ohio [Tommy Thompson] set out to do what no one had been able to do: establish a working presence on the deep-ocean floor... October 1989 they sailed into Norfolk with the recovered treasure: gold coins, bars, nuggets, and dust, plus steamer trunks filled with period clothes, newspapers, books and journals and even an intact cigar." This is the fascinating story…

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    New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, (1989.) dj. Hardcover first edition - "In September 1857, the SS Central America, a side-wheeler carrying 600 passengers returning from the California Gold Rush, foundered in a hurricane and sank 200 miles off the Carolina coast. Over 400 lives and 21 tons of California gold were lost.... In the 1980s, a young engineer from Ohio [Tommy Thompson] set out to do what no one had been able to do: establish a working presence on the deep-ocean floor... October 1989 they sailed into Norfolk with the recovered treasure: gold coins, bars, nuggets, and dust, plus steamer trunks filled with period clothes, newspapers, books and journals and even an intact cigar." This is the fascinating story of both the disaster at sea, based on eyewitness accounts, and of the most incredible efforts to recover the 'greatest treasure ever found.' Frontispiece, 507 pp. ISBN: 0-87113-4640.

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    Condition: Fine in fine dust jacket.

    Book ID: 43007
    View cart More details Price: $18.00
  • DIANTHA'S QUEST: A Tale of the Argonauts of '49. by Knipe, Emilie Benson and Knipe, Alden Arthur.
    Knipe, Emilie Benson and Knipe, Alden Arthur.
    DIANTHA'S QUEST: A Tale of the Argonauts of '49.

    Edition: Later printing.

    New York: Macmillan, 1940. dj. Hardcover - Historical novel for children, first printed in 1921. An original review described this as follows: 'the present tale deals with the gold rush of 1849 and tells the adventures of a little girl and her mother crossing the country in search of the child's father. A boy of the backwoods takes these educated people under his wing and helps them as much as they 'fairygodmother' him. There is a real plot to the story with a mysterious map and thefts to build it up, but the story is not at all the lurid type.. it is wholesome, interesting and informative'. Illustrated with a frontispiece and 6 other glossy plates by Emilie Benson Knipe. 295 pp.

    Condition: Near fine in royal blue cloth with black lettering in a good dust jacket (price-clipped, chips on the bottom edge of the front cover and the top of the spine, but still attractive.) Rather uncommon, especially in a dustjacket.

    Book ID: 28057
    View cart More details Price: $40.00
  • A MEDIC FORTYNINER: Life and Letters of Dr. Reuben Knox 1849-51 by (Knox, Reuben) Turner, Charles W., editor
    (Knox, Reuben) Turner, Charles W., editor
    A MEDIC FORTYNINER: Life and Letters of Dr. Reuben Knox 1849-51

    Edition: First printing.

    np: McClure Press, 1974. Hardcover first edition - From the introduction: "These letters tell the story of a doctor of Raleigh, NC and St; Louis, MO, who had tired of his medical practice and sought fortune in the California gold rush... accompanied by three sons... His wife remained with her family in Raleigh and most of the letters are to her describing the trip and his life in the West." Despite the title, the bulk of this book deals with the wagon train journey in interesting detail. Dr Knox was able to use his medical knowledge on the trip - but not very much in California - as he said "there is not sickness enough in a circuit of…

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    np: McClure Press, 1974. Hardcover first edition - From the introduction: "These letters tell the story of a doctor of Raleigh, NC and St; Louis, MO, who had tired of his medical practice and sought fortune in the California gold rush... accompanied by three sons... His wife remained with her family in Raleigh and most of the letters are to her describing the trip and his life in the West." Despite the title, the bulk of this book deals with the wagon train journey in interesting detail. Dr Knox was able to use his medical knowledge on the trip - but not very much in California - as he said "there is not sickness enough in a circuit of 20 miles to afford salt for our bread." Knox was willing to try all avenues to make his fortune - at the mines, as a shopkeeper and on a ranch at Novato in what is now Marin County. 86 pgs including index.

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    Condition: Fine in blue cloth with silver lettering. No dustjacket as issued.

    Book ID: 9135
    View cart More details Price: $30.00