A Trip to Pike's Peak
by C.M Clark
The presence of gold in the Rocky Mountains had been rumored in the United States since the Mexican-American War and the gold rush to California. But, when a few small gold nuggets were found in Clear Creek in 1859, the cry “Pike’s Peak or Bust” swept the nation, and the “Rush to the Rockies” began in earnest.
- Published
- 2009
- ISBN
- 978-1-932738-79-7
- Pages
- 197
- Category
- Reprints
- Place
- Rocky Mountain
- Publisher
- Western Reflections Pub. Co.
- Listed at
- $20.45
Publication details from Open Library. The price shown is the last one on record and is historic, not a current offer.
- Direct from us info@westernreflectionspublishing.com or (336) 565-6915. We pack and post from Lake City.
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About this book
A Trip to Pike's Peak is an account of the 1859 gold rush to Colorado, and the catalogue lists it under Reprints. Our description sets the scene. Gold had been rumored in the Rocky Mountains since the Mexican-American War and the California gold rush. Then a few small gold nuggets turned up in Clear Creek in 1859, the cry "Pike's Peak or Bust" swept the nation, and the "Rush to the Rockies" began in earnest.
The author is listed as C.M Clark. The subject headings on record are description and travel, plus gold discoveries, and lists a 2009 edition from Western Reflections Pub. Co. with 197 pages. Its record title adds the words notes along the way, which matches the travel diary shape the subjects suggest.
A Penn Libraries catalogue record shows that the same account, listed as A trip to Pike's Peak and notes by the way by Charles M. Clark (1834 to 1903), was also reprinted in 1958 by Talisman Press of San Jose, California, in 500 copies. That record is for a different edition from ours, and we did not confirm that it is the same text as the 2009 edition. We have not verified when the original appeared, so we leave that date out.
Who it is for
This is for readers of Colorado gold rush history who want a traveler's account from the period rather than a modern retelling. Travel writing and gold discoveries are its subjects. It will suit people interested in the 1859 Clear Creek strikes and the overland rush that followed. We have not been able to read a contents list, so we cannot describe individual chapters.
Ways to use this book
Reading a diary alongside a modern overview
A traveler's notes give one man's view. Read the Colorado Encyclopedia article first for the wider picture, then return to Clark with names and dates already in mind.
Tracing an ancestor who went west in 1859
If a relative joined the rush, write to the Clear Creek archive or use the History Colorado online collection with their name and the camps they may have reached. Bring any letters you already have, since staff can match them to local records.
Finding another edition
The Penn Libraries record shows a 1958 reprint, so older editions do exist. Browse our library's Reprints category on this site to compare it with other period accounts.
Go deeper
Clark's subject, the 1859 rush to Colorado, is documented by state and local archives. These places can show you the maps, photographs and papers of the period behind a traveler's account.
Colorado Encyclopedia, Colorado Gold Rush
A reference article that traces the rush of 1858 and 1859 from the early rumors of gold to the towns it founded, including Idaho Springs and Denver.
Clear Creek County Library District Local History Archives
Clear Creek is where the 1859 nuggets in this book's description were found. This archive in Georgetown holds manuscripts, photographs, maps and newspapers, and encourages appointments.
History Colorado, Hart Research Center
The state historical society's research center has an online collection searchable by keyword, and staff who answer questions through a form on the page.
Good to know
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