The Great Salt Lake Trail

by Henry Inman, William F. Cody

This book, written by Colonel Henry Inman in collaboration with William F. Cody, the famous 'Buffalo Bill,' will be a treat for all those interested in the history of the 'Wild West.' The Great Salt Lake Trail was one of the principal highways across the Great Plains at the time of the westward migration that was 'Manifest destiny.' Its path was one which encapsulates the history of the West. It guided the early trappers and saw men like Beckwourth and Sublette. It was the road travelled by the Mormons as they journeyed to find their own promised land. It resounded to the galloping hoof-beats of the young daredevil riders of the Pony Express, as they carried communication across the vast interior, and to the rolling wheels of the overland stage as it opened up travel from the eastern states to the Pacific Ocean. Along its path lived the great horse borne warriors of the American Indian tribes-the Crows, the Blackfeet and the Sioux. It was the bloody ground of the Plains Indian Wars where Buffalo Bill made his name and George Armstrong Custer entered history as the principal figure in the massacre of the 7th U. S Cavalry at the Little Big Horn. As the dust trail gave way to civilization there came the laying of sleepers and tracks as the Union Pacific Railroad brought the wild prairie towards the 20th century. This is a 1978 reprint edition with dark blue cloth covers.

Genres: Nonfiction, Westerns

529 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1898

Reviews

[Cathy Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very old book about the west & what all they went through during traveling & discovering new areas. It was extremely hard to read. Very interesting but difficult to read.

[Avis Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had originally given this book a pass, mainly because I'd already read some of what Inman writes about in other volumes, and because I prefer full-length memoirs to anecdotes. But it turns out Inman has a good ear for a tale, and he held me riveted many times. I'd recommend this book as an introductory work for anyone wanting to learn about the American West from the days of the fur traders to the arrival of the railroad.