Sequoia Natural History Association
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Contact us at: snha@sequoiahistory.org or call (559) 565-3759
 

 


History Books


(arranged alphabetically)




BLACK & BROWN FACES in AMERICA'S WILD PLACES  

Edmondson
The author, an African American wildlife photographer, sought out other people of color with deep connections to nature and asked them about their personal experiences, how they came to value nature and why African Americans seem under-represented in our parks and conservation efforts. The result is a compelling look at the issues that are so important to the future of our public lands. These personal profiles are not only interesting but provide insight into the past, present and future practices for our environment.  Includes bonus booklet "A Youth's Look at Black & Brown Faces in America's Wild Places" inside to give to a young person.
144 pages     $15.95
 

BUFFALO SOLDIERS: A Narrative of the Negro Cavalry in the West
Leckie
Black soldiers who wanted to remain in the U.S. Army after the Civil War were organized into the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments. Their service in controlling hostile Indians on the Great Plains during the next 20 years was as invaluable as it was unrecognized. Called all sorts of names - most of them insulting - by various groups, the men of these tow regiments were dubbed 'buffalo soldiers' by their Indian opponents.  The long-neglected story of their courage and devotion to duty adds a new dimension to frontier history.  Illustrated with black-and-white photos.
290 pages     $19.95



CHALLENGE OF THE BIG TREES: 
A Resource History of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
Dilsaver and Tweed (S.N.H.A.)
In nine chronologically ordered chapters, this thorough study moves through the natural world of the southern Sierra, native people of the region, and concludes with discussion of current management policy and prospects. Maps and historical photos.
379 pages     $10.95


COLONEL YOUNG AND THE BUFFALO SOLDIERS
IN SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK

Eldredge
The story of the remarkable accomplishments Charles Young and the Buffalo Soldiers in the summer of 1903 and the legacy they left behind.  Includes archival black and white photos.
22 pages    $3.95

 



DEATH, DARING AND DISASTER 
Farabee
A gripping history of search and rescue in our national parks filled with adventure stories, often with tragic outcomes. A ringing tribute to the deserving men and women who have performed heroically in search and rescue over the years.
502 pages   $34.95

 

FROM PIONEERS TO PRESERVATIONISTS
Strong
In this completely revised and re-titled edition (previously Trees or Timber), the author brings the story of both Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks up to date.  A great book to have for a brief history on these parks.  Includes historic black and white photos.
60 pages    $7.95

 


THE GREAT THIRST, Californian's and Water: A History
Hundley, Jr.
The story of "the great thirst" is brought up to date in this revised edition of Norris Hundley's outstanding history, with additional photographs and incisive descriptions of the major water-policy issues facing California now: accelerating urbanization of farmland and open spaces, persisting despoliation of water supplies, and demands for equity in water allocation for an exploding population. People the world over confront these problems, and Hundley examines them with clarity and eloquence in the unruly laboratory of California.
800 pages    $24.95


HARDY CALIFORNIANS; A Woman's Life with
Native Plants
Rowntree
A beloved classic first published in 1936, this book is a poetic sketch of California and its plant life. In charming prose, the author takes us along on her annual seed-collecting journey through the state and gives a concise introduction to the complexities of California flora, climate, and geography. The book also gives information on the suitability of many native California plants for the garden. This new edition includes a comprehensive biographical essay, a chapter on Rowntree's horticultural legacy, an updated species list, and a complete bibliography of her writings.
308 pages    $19.95
 


HIGH COUNTRY, A Novel  
Wyman|
After returning home from World War I, Ty Hardin returns to packing - guiding mule trains into mountains where wagons cannot travel - in the Montana mountains that he loves. But when his mentor, Fenton Pardee, dies, Ty leaves Montana for the Sierra Nevada where he becomes a legend in his own right.
Hardcover, 362 pages    $24.95

 


HIGH SPIRITED WOMEN
Seagraves
Profiles of ten courageous women who helped shape history are told in this inspiring and entertaining book.  Descriptive text accompanied by period photographs provide glimpses of these women and the people whose lives they touched.
175 pages    $11.95


 


HISTORY OF THE SIERRA NEVADA
Farquhar
This history deals with human experiences primarily in the High Sierra from the latter part of the 18th century to the present.  "For the mountaineer, the camper, the lover of the high country, the historian, and the geographer interested in the historical development of California country."
262 pages    $18.95

 


KAWEAH REMEMBERED
Tweed (S.N.H.A.)
Booklet documents the story of the Kaweah Colony's dream of a utopian society adjacent to the Giant Sequoias. Historical photos help to illuminate their undertaking, from its inception in 1885 to its disbanding in 1892.
15 pages     $2.95
 
 


KING OF THE 40TH PARALLEL  
Moore

This book recounts the life and achievements of Clarence King, widely recognized as one of America's most gifted intellectuals of the nineteenth century, and a legendary figure in the American West. King led landmark precursory surveys that positioned him to become the founding director of the U.S. Geological Survey, the most important government science agency in the nation.
387 pages     $21.95
 




THE LAST SEASON
Eric Blehm
In 1996, after nearly 30 seasons as a park ranger in the Sierra Nevada, Randy Morgenson set off on a routine patrol and never came back. His body was found in July 2001, almost exactly five years after he disappeared. To this day, the circumstances of his death remain unclear. In this fascinating account, the product of several years' investigation, Blehm explores the many mysteries surrounding Morgenson.  Now also available in paperback!
 

THE MATHER MOUNTAIN PARTY OF 1915 
Albright & Schenck (S.N.H.A.)
Full account of the High Sierra trip of Stephen T. Mather, first Director of the National Park Service. Ideals and policies explored during his historical adventure are said to have paved the way for the expansion of these parks and the National Park Service itself. Period photos.
37 pages   $2.95
 
 


MINERAL KING, THE STORY OF BEULAH
Jackson
A full history of Mineral King, from its discovery in 1863 until its inclusion in Sequoia National Park in 1978.  It covers a wide spectrum of events: mining, sheep and cattle raising, court battles, and conservation movements.  It presents a unique picture of the development of an important segment of our western mountain region and its history.
232 pages   $19.95
 
 


MISSING IN THE MINARETS, The Search for Walter A. Starr, Jr.
Alsup
This riveting narrative details the mysterious disappearance of Peter Starr, a San Francisco attorney from a prominent family, who set off to climb alone in the rugged Minaret region of the Sierra Nevada in July 1933.  Rigorous and thorough searches by some of the best climbers in the history of the range failed to locate him despite a number of promising clues. 
When all hope seemed gone and the last search party had left, mountaineering legend, Norman Clyde refused to give up.  His discovery and the events that followed make for compelling reading. This re-creation of a famous episode in the annals of the Sierra Nevada is mountaineering literature at its best.
215 pages   $14.95
 


MOUNTAINEERING IN THE SIERRA NEVADA  
King
A reprint of a key, historical source written by a member of the California Geological Survey party that was the first to map and explore the Sierra Nevada.  This "debonair classic of Western belles-lettres," has remained in print for much of its one hundred and twenty-odd years, and it still finds favor with the critics.
290 pages     $9.95
 


MULE MEN
Jackson
A history of stock packing in the Sierra Nevada.  The story is presented in a way that preserves the history with all its color.  Gives credit to the people and mules of this little-known enterprise that has been such a large part of Sierra Nevada history.
255 pages     $12.00



NATIONAL PARK RANGER, An American Icon
Farabee, Jr.
In this celebration of one of America's most enduring symbols, former ranger Farabee briefly reviews the evolution of this national symbol.  Packed with entertaining anecdotes and illustrated with over 100 archival photographs, this book not only provides fascinating insight into the diversity of roles a park ranger must play, but also honors the unique people dedicated to guarding and maintaining this country's irreplaceable treasures.
180 pages     $18.95
 


PAST TENTS    
Snyder
A humorous excursion through one of our favorite national pastimes, this book is an affectionate portrait of early camping in the West.  Full of rare photographs and descriptions of family outings in the first years of the automobile, of campgrounds and campfires, of the remarkable gear and "helpful" hints that accompanied outings to our newly minted state and national parks and forests, this is a light-hearted look at Americans' infatuation with the great outdoors.
147 pages     $17.95



SHORTY LOVELACE, KINGS CANYON FUR TRAPPER 
New!
Tweed
Shorty Lovelace was a colorful character in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks history.  This is a fascinating story of his life in the wilderness long before park status was given to Kings Canyon. It reads more like a fictional short story than a history book. 

9 pages     $2.99
 


SPLENDID MOUNTAINS,   
Early Exploration in  the Sierra Nevada     
New!
Browning
Most of the early explorers of the Sierra Nevada were private individuals, rather than members of government expeditions. The more literate ones had accounts of their achievements, adventures, and mishaps published in newspapers and journals, often accompanying them with photographs, drawings, and hand-drawn maps. Most of these wilderness travelers have been immortalized by having their names placed on mountains, lakes, and streams.
245 pages     $21.95

SUNSET LIMITED: The Southern Pacific Railroad
and the Development of the American West 1850-1930

Orsi
This authoritative history tells the full story of the Southern Pacific for the first time, shattering myths about the company that have prevailed to this day. A landmark account, Sunset Limited explores the railroad's development and influence--especially as it affected land settlement, agriculture, water policy, and the environment--and offers a new perspective on the tremendous, often surprising, role the company played in shaping the American West.
Hardcover, 615 pages     
$29.95                      


THEY FELLED THE REDWOODS  
Johnston
The story of the rise and fall of the lumbering enterprise at Hume Lake/Converse Basin in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Includes historical facts about the forest and its trees. Two hundred photographs and six comprehensive maps.
Hardcover, 160 pages    $34.95
 


 


TOWARD THE SETTING SUN; Pioneer Girls Traveling the Overland Trails
O'Brien
By focusing on the lives of pioneer girls, this book provides a fascinating addition to the history of the West.  Through diary excerpts and O'Brien's descriptive prose, you can join ten girls as they journey toward the setting sun.
94 pages     $9.95

 



TRAIN ROBBER'S DAUGHTER     New!
O'Connell
The true story of Eva Evans, the teenage daughter of Chris Evans, whose life was just as dramatic as that of her train robbing father. From her first-hand accounts of the manhunt for her father; her romance with his bandit partner, John Sontag; her career on the stage, portraying herself in a popular blood and thunder melodrama; and her surprising admission, at the end of her life, of her father's guilt, this meticulously-researched biography tells a gripping story that not only entertains, but is a valuable contribution to California history.
302 pages     $18.95

WESTERING MAN: The Life of Joseph Walker
Gilbert
The first biography of this great frontier hero is based on years of research and many previously unpublished and neglected sources.  It gives a rousing and authoritative picture of Walker; his pioneering heritage, his many accomplishments, and his exceptional personality.

339 pages     $24.95


WHERE IS THE TREE YOU DRIVE THROUGH?
Folkman
An account of twenty-five summers of experiences and adventures in two National Park sites written by a seasonal National Park ranger-naturalist. It details one season at Dinosaur National Monument and twenty-four seasons at Sequoia National Park. Vaughn Folkman, the author, relates his experiences with his family, colleagues, park visitors, and wildlife during those memorable summers. It involves incidences of excitement, compassion, and satisfaction.
92 pages      $16.99
 
 



A WOMAN IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Webb
Melody Webb's reflections on her twenty-five-year career in the National Park Service is an insider’s account of a public bureaucracy.
Hardcover, 272 pages    $39.95



 



WOMEN OF THE SIERRA

Seagraves
Vignettes of fifteen women who left their personal imprint on history are presented in an easily read style. Period ranges from the mid-1800's through the turn of the century.
173 pages    $11.95
 




WOMEN'S DIARIES OF THE WESTWARD JOURNEY  New!
Schlissel
Through the diaries, letters, and reminiscences of women who participated in this migration, "Women's Diaries of the Westward Journey gives us primary source material on the lives of these women, who kept campfires burning with buffalo chips and dried weeds, gave birth to and cared for children along primitive and dangerous roads, drove teams of oxen, picked berries, milked cows, and cooked meals in the middle of a wilderness that was a far cry from the homes they had left back east. Still (and often under the disapproving eyes of their husbands) they found time to write brave letters home or to jot a few weary lines at night into the diaries that continue to enthrall us.
278 pages    $14.95
 




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Sequoia Natural History Association
47050 Generals Highway  #10, Three Rivers, CA 93271
Phone: (559) 565-3759
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