The early days and men of California 1891

By W. F. Swasey

Before California became a promise, it was a wager. In The Early Days and Men of California (1891), W. F. Swasey gathers lived memories into a vivid record of a young state finding its voice. Names. Places. Lives. Hard choices. Part california local history, part pioneer memoirs and sketches, this pioneer biography collection introduces the builders, traders, soldiers, officials, and everyday strivers who shaped communities from the coast to the mining camps. Swasey writes with the closeness of someone who knew the terrain: the improvisation of california frontier life, the tensions of rapid change, and the human cost behind opportunity. For readers drawn to gold rush era pioneers and forty-niner memoirs, it offers grounded perspective; for genealogy researchers, it serves as a primary source reference rich in personal detail and context. Each sketch can be read on its own, perfect for dipping in, yet together they map a society in motion. It is equally suited to the traveller, the student of the West, and classic-literature collectors seeking authentic voices. Seen from within nineteenth-century california, the book stands beside works associated with the Bancroft history of California as a complementary witness: not a grand synthesis, but a mosaic of recollection that helps explain how early california settlers became citizens, and how the california gold rush echoed long after the last easy strike. Out of print for decades and now republished by Alpha Editions. Restored for today's and future generations. More than a reprint -- a collector's item and a cultural treasure.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9353708540
• ISBN13: 9789353708542
• Release Date: June 2019
• Publisher: Alpha Edition
• Length: 418 Pages
• Weight: 1.16 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.5"