Empire on Wheels
Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1949. First edition. Hardcover. 153p, 18 ills. (old photos, ads). Endpaper map. Jacket chipped, rubbed. In the Stanford Transportation Series. Very good / fair. Item #31470
History of the great Western stage lines run by Russell, Waddell, and Majors in the mid-19th century. "Theirs was a military freighting monopoly that developed into a flourishing stagecoach, express, and mail business that covered the country and later branched off into numerous mercantile, banking, and real estate ventures along the overland trail. To them, too, goes credit for founding the Pony Express." Chiefly a business history; horses are treated in passing. (Rittenhouse, Carriage 100: "Fine section on the Pony Express. One of the best books on design and operation of western freight wagons."
Price: $30.00