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The
Mormon Trail, Yesterday and Today |
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Paper,
6x9, 216 pages, 200 ill., 8 maps, bibliography, index
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This is the book that will introduce you to the Mormon Trail,
discuss the problems that led to the mass exodus, and then will take
you along on the trail to the Valley of the Great Salt Lake. The nature of the Mormon Trail and travel along it was different
from the other emigrant trails. The first section discusses these
differences. The next section describes Mormonism and the trail's
historical development. Then, a variety of old maps, including a
hand-drawn copy of Hastings' route into Salt Lake Valley are
discussed. Guidebooks and three diaries are used to describe the
main section of the trail in western Nebraska. To get the best view of the trail one must examine the trail as
it was seen by the early travelers, and see it as it looks today.
That is exactly what the "yesterday and today" section of
the book does. The works of a variety of travelers/artists are
included. Frederick Piercy, Carl C.A. Christensen, George Simons,
and William H. Jackson provide the majority of the items, but many
others are also included. The last sections examine the major museums and displays along
the trail and offer suggested readings for learning more.
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Reviews
"Hill provides readers a brief, informed, richly illustrated, interesting introduction to the National Mormon Trail, past and present, in an attractive format." -The Annals of Iowa
"he selects appropriate items from a massive historical literature, all of which he utilizes to provide a brief yet clear context for his guide….His concise treatment has exceptional merit for countless travelers interested in Mormon Trail subject." -Overland Journal
"…is a must for anyone interested in the Mormon Trail…He writes well, is readable and this is of prime importance…One of Hill's skills is combining old trail illustrations with his modern photographs….His iconography of the old trail is the best I have ever seen and, alone, is well worth the price of the book. He has ferreted out many illustrations I have never seen before from a wide variety of archives and libraries." -Folio
"The pictures with captions are so intriguing as to tempt the reader into visiting sections of the trail to see these historical sites…The author's brief history of the Mormons' ordeals provides the reader with enough background to understand how the Mormon migration meshed historically with the development of the west…. Even for those readers well versed in trail history, this well-written and interestingly organized book will capture attention." -Utah Historical Quarterly