It Happened in the Old West: Remarkable Events that Shaped History - Paperback

by Erin H. Turner (Editor)

These are the stories of what happened in the West as the trickle then flood of Easterners and immigrants first began to flow into the plains, deserts, and mountains between the Pacific Ocean and the Mississippi River and, finally, far north into The Last Frontier. While some events would have happened regardless who was there-earthquakes, storms, droughts, and other natural disasters-it was because of this influx of humanity that those events were recorded and have become part of America's history. Amid tales of loss and horror are accounts of survival and success. And among the countless adventurers who found the lure of wide open spaces and untapped resources to be as strong as the Sirens' song to Odysseus, many found the determination to thrive in the West. And thrive they did-even better, for what they lacked in resources they made up in resourcefulness, becoming inventors, entrepreneurs, scientists, activists, explorers and more.

Back Jacket

History/US--19th Century [reading line] True tales from the Old West--from grizzly encounters on the Lewis and Clark Expedition to the driving of the last spike that united the East and West Coasts by rail The vast territory west of the Mississippi quickly changed from an uncharted curiosity to a place where the American Dream could come true. Once the initial exploration of the West brought back reports of rich, untapped resources, brave pioneers from the eastern U.S. and even overseas beyond blazed countless trails through often dangerous territory looking for land to call their own or a place to strike it rich. It Happened in the Old West goes behind the scenes to tell this story, in short episodes that reveal the intriguing people and events that have shaped the American West. -Recount the harrowing tales of survival and loss by families that traveled through storms and deserts, over mountains, and through hostile Indian territory along the Santa Fe and Oregon Trails -Relive the Cherry Creek flood that destroyed downtown Denver, the brutal winter that decimated Montana's livestock and ranchers' livelihoods, and the massive earthquake that caused the Mississippi to flow backward and damaged houses 400 miles from the epicenter -Discover what events precipitated the eruption of our country's Civil War, and how ex-slaves fought to establish towns and their rights after Emancipation -Read accounts of some of the first Americans to travel through several national parks and monuments before they were developed into tourist attractions