Washoe County Library System

The Donner Party expedition is one of the most notorious stories in all of American history. It's also a fascinating snapshot of the westward expansion of the United States, and the families and individuals who sacrificed so much to build new lives in a largely unknown landscape. From the preparation for the journey to each disastrous leg of the trip, this book shows the specific bad decisions that led to the party's predicament in the Sierra Nevada...

Discusses the lives of two children whose family settled on the frontier in what is now South Dakota, describing their home, clothes, food, and daily activities.

An overview, in text and illustrations, of the pioneer experience in the American West, from the first settlers through the development of towns.

Describes what life was like for some of the pioneers who went west during the second half of the nineteenth century to prospect for gold, build railroads, and settle the Great Plains.

A light-hearted look at some of the difficulties faced by the pioneers who traveled by wagon train across the United States to settle in the West.

Takes readers on a journey back in time in order to experience life in the American West in the 1800s, describing clothing, accommodations, foods, local customs, transportation, a few notable personalities, and more.

A collective biography of eleven men who explored the American West in the 18th and 19th centuries, including ship's officers, fur traders, and Army officers. The men who opened the American West were a varied group. A number had grandiose dreams of glory, but only a few became famous. However, each fearlessly approached his journey and brought the world knowledge of the uncharted lands known as "the West." This absorbing group biography includes...

Biographies of some outspoken and influential women who lived in the American West from the late eighteenth through the early twentieth century.

Recounts the journey of the Donner Party which, in 1846, sought to travel from Independence, Missouri, to California but took an untried shortcut that trapped them in the Sierra Nevada mountains during a terrible winter.