Across the continent by overland stage in 1865
Scope and Contents
In this autographed reminiscence, Colfax describes his stagecoach trip from Missouri to California in 1865. It is likely he made the trip in his capacity as chair of the Committee on Post Offices and Post Roads. Account includes his detailed observations regarding trail terrain, arable lands, mining, and the people he encountered. Colfax also indirectly considered the issue of the transcontinental railroad. He spent a few days in Salt Lake City and met Brigham Young, president of the Mormon Church. Colfax praised Salt Lake City but had little good to say about the Mormon religion. In spite of this, he expressed his respect for their right to worship as they pleased. Colfax also visited Oregon and the mining towns of Nevada. The diary includes an assemblage of locations not mentioned by most overland travelers. The wealth Colfax observed led him to predict that the United States would soon be called "the treasury of the world." Colfax left San Francisco by steamer and crossed the Isthmus of Panama by railroad.
Dates
- 1865
Creator
- Colfax, Schuyler, 1823-1885 (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Open for public research.
Conditions Governing Use
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances. Permission to publish material from Across the continent by overland stage in 1865 must be obtained from the Supervisor of Reference Services and/or the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Board of Curators.
Biographical / Historical
Journalist; helped found the Republican Party, 1854; member of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1854-1869; Speaker of the House, 1863-1869; Vice President of the United States, 1869-1873.
Extent
1 v. ((41 leaves) + 1 typescript) : handwritten bound
Language of Materials
English
Custodial History
Christie's Auction House, 502 Park Avenue, New York, New York, 10022.
Appraisal
19th Century Western and Mormon Manuscripts.
General
Purchased, 1988.
- California -- Description and travel
- Chinese -- United States
- Colfax, Schuyler, 1823-1885
- Colorado -- Description and travel
- E. H. Owen Papermaker
- Indians of North America
- Kimball, Heber C. (Heber Chase), 1801-1868
- Material Types
- Mineral industries
- Oregon -- Description and travel
- Overland journeys to the Pacific
- Panama -- Description and travel
- Platte River (Neb.)
- Polygamy -- Utah -- History -- 19th century
- Railroads -- United States
- Rainier, Mount (Wash.)
- Reminiscences
- Rocky Mountains
- Sacramento (Calif.)
- Salt Lake City (Utah) -- Description and travel
- San Francisco (Calif.)
- Sierra Nevada (Calif. and Nev.)
- Tahoe, Lake (Calif. and Nev.)
- United States. Congress. House. Committee on Post Office and Post Roads
- Virginia City (Nev.)
- Virtue and Yorston engravers
- Yosemite Valley (Calif.)
- Young, Brigham, 1801-1877
- Title
- Register of Across the continent by overland stage in 1865
- Author
- Leslie Evens
- Date
- 2011 October 28
- Description rules
- Appm
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English in Latin script.
Repository Details
Part of the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Repository
1130 HBLL
Brigham Young University
Provo Utah 84602 United States