Manuscripts

Western travel diary

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Description: Travel diary by an unknown author documenting a train trip across the United States from Massachusetts to Yellowstone National Park and ending in Cleveland, Ohio. The diary is accompanied by a complete transcript.
Type: Manuscripts(Opens in new tab)
Production date: approximately 1920.
Call number: mssHM 83423
Provenance: Purchased from Jordan Antiquarian Books, November 2017.
Dimensions: 15 x 9 cm :
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Helen Kern Grills photograph album and diary

Manuscripts

A memory book kept by Helen Kern Grills during her trip west with her family beginning in May 1925 from her home in McKeesport, Pennsylvania to the West Coast, and ending back in Marion, Ohio. The album has a combination of 291 labeled photos and post cards and 45 typed pages of a diary of her trip. Also included are a Band program dated June 5, 1925 from Long Beach, CA; a movie house program dated June 20, 1925 from Long Beach, CA; a map of southern California; the June 25, 1925 Mount Lowe Daily News along with the history of Mt. Lowe Railway. There is a San Diego and Coronado Ferry Ticket and brochure on Yosemite National Park; a map of Yellowstone National Park and three Yellowstone National Park geyser schedules. There are also a substantial number of photographs and descriptions of Missions in California as well as Long Beach, California. The roughly three month trip was accomplished through the use of trains, cars, boats, horses and buses.

mssHM 82583

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West coast travel diary of a woman

Manuscripts

A western train trip diary of a young woman as she traveled from Chicago to the west coast in 1915. On the front page it is written "For Neva from Carrie." On the cover of the leather diaries, "My Travels" is lettered in gold gilt. The author traveled from Chicago to southern California with a stopover at the Grand Canyon, Los Angeles and San Diego where she celebrated her 32nd birthday. Then it was up the coast to Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Yosemite National Park, Oregon and Washington, and then it was over to Yellowstone National Park and back home to Salina, Kansas. There is a photo which accompanies the diary of a young woman in a hammock, which could be either Carrie or Neva. Also at the rear of the diary are a number of people listed with their addresses.

mssHM 83415

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John Neff diary

Manuscripts

In this day-to-day diary of Neff's trip he talks in detail about the weather, landscape, cattle and horses being stolen, problems with Indians, hunting along the way, members of his group getting sick, and fights amongst members of his group. The diary only covers the trip from Ohio to Salt Lake City (1854, April 11 - August 9). It includes a forward by John L. Ford and map showing the route Neff took from Ohio to California.

mssHM 75111

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John R. Robinson diary

Manuscripts

This diary, which is a bound typed transcript, was kept by John R. Robinson while traveling from New York City to Batopilas, Chihuahua, Mexico in 1861; it also includes his return trip through California and across the Midwest to his home in Ohio. Robinson was going to Mexico for Belden & Stearns, a corporation in New York who was interested in buying several mines in Batopilas. While on the journey he passed through several cities including Austin, TX; Cusihuiríachic, El Fuerte, Mazatlán, and San Blas, Mexico; San Francisco and Sacramento, CA; Salt Lake City, UT; and Omaha, NE. The diary gives a day-by-day account of his trip. Robinson details the people, scenery and hardships he and his group encountered on their trek. He also gives details regarding the process of surveying and purchasing mines, including the costs involved. The last twenty-eight pages of the diary were written on a journey from Mexico to New York City in 1873, while Robinson was returning to the United States with a load of silver.

mssHM 62476

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Travel diary

Manuscripts

mssHM 83873. Also included: computer generated transcript of the diary.

mssCooke

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Richard C. Backus travel diary

Manuscripts

The travel diary documents Richard C. Backus' road trip from New York to Los Angeles with typewritten notes and labeled photographs. The diary includes details regarding their trip and the various people and places they visited along the way through Illinois, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. The typewritten notes include details about miles driven, car trouble and repairs (the group traveled in three vehicles), and road and weather conditions. The diary also includes a hand-drawn map of the group's driving route.

mssHM 84014

Western travel diary

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Helen Kern Grills photograph album and diary

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