Stagecoach: Rare Views Of The Old West, 1849-1915

Customer Reviews:

Well Done.......2004-12-12

I love the old west and its history, rich in exiting events, but so much of what has been published or filmed is filled with myth or misrepresentation. Therefore, I was pleased to find a book on one of the most exciting periods of the old west with details that ensure accuracy and honesty. Stagecoaching has been presented before, but never so completely as in the Encyclopedia of Stagecoach Robbery in Arizona. There are some stories included which have little to say about the event, except to record that a robbery occurred, but the completeness of the other stories shows that these few must have been all the documentation the author could find. For the first time I have a clear picture of stagecoach robbery in the old west, at least in Arizona, and I hope other books on this subject in other states will follow.

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"Stagecoach West" -- History Come Alive

Stagecoach West
Ralph Moody
Manufacturer: Bison Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0803282451

Book Description

Stagecoach West is a comprehensive history of stagecoaching west of the Missouri. Starting with the evolution of overland passenger transportation, Moody moves on to paint a lively and informative picture of western stagecoaching, from its early short runs through its rise with the gold rush, its zenith of 1858–68, and beyond. Its story is one of grand rivalries, political chicanery, and gaudy publicity stunts, traders, fortune hunters, outlaws, courageous drivers, and indefatigable detectives. We meet colorful characters such as Charlie Parkhurst, a stagecoach driver who took an amazing secret to his death: “he” was actually a woman. Using contemporary accounts, illustrations, maps, and photographs to flesh out his narrative, Moody creates one of the most important accounts of transportation history to date.

Customer Reviews:

"Stagecoach West" -- History Come Alive.......2007-03-15

I'm having a wonderful time with this book! Ralph Moody does a great job of bringing the period of the Western stagecoach to life. He puts flesh on the bones of the historical names of that period, complete with the "warts" that characterized so many of them. Not just a dry, date-quoting tome, this book is a "must-read" for anyone who wants to learn more about the development of the West in the 1800's.

Stagecoach: Wells Fargo and the American West

Average customer rating:

Great Historical book
Excellent history of Wells Fargo
A Nice History Of An Early Business
Too many details
Needed a Bit More Focus...

Stagecoach: Wells Fargo and the American West
Philip L. Fradkin
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0743234367

Amazon.com

Today, most of us know the iconic red and yellow image of the Wells Fargo stagecoach only as the omnipresent logo of a huge national financial institution. Philip L. Fradkin's Stagecoach reminds us of the far more complex and colorful history of the 150-year-old enterprise it symbolizes, beginning with its heyday as an unpolished but honorable "express company" that dependably linked, by means of the stagecoach, an upstart West Coast and roughshod Rockies with everything else back East. Fradkin, author of eight books on the American West, ties the company's and region's fates together as mining, agriculture, and then more contemporary commercial interests (with help from the federal government) indelibly shaped them both. From the time of the dusty stage driver to the era of the wing-tipped banker, the book recounts it all but wisely focuses on the period from 1852 to 1918, a time when the firm "served as the principal communications conduit between East and West ... contributed to the Union victory in the Civil War ... and shipped fresh vegetables and fruits via fast refrigerated express." After reading it, you'll be hard-pressed to look at the enduring stagecoach imagery in quite the same way ever again. --Howard Rothman

Book Description

Sweeping in scope, as revealing of an era as it is of a company, Stagecoach is the epic story of Wells Fargo and the American West. The trail of Wells Fargo runs through nearly every imaginable landscape and icon of frontier folklore: the California Gold Rush, the Pony Express, the transcontinental railroad, the Civil War, and the Indian wars. From the Great Plains to the Rockies to the Pacific Ocean, the company's operations embraced almost all social, cultural, and economic activities west of the Mississippi. As its reputation for speed and dependability grew after the Gold Rush, the sight of a red-and-yellow Wells Fargo stagecoach racing across the prairie came to symbolize faith in a nation's progress. For a time, Wells Fargo was the most powerful and widespread institution in the American West, even surpassing the presence of the federal government. Stagecoach is a fascinating and rare combination of Western and business history. Along with its rich association with the frontier, readers will discover that swiftness, security, and connectivity have been constants in Wells Fargo's 150 years.

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"Sweeping in scope, as revealing of an era as it is of a company, Stagecoach is the epic story of Wells Fargo and the American West, by award-winning writer Philip L. Fradkin. The trail of Wells Fargo runs through nearly every imaginable landscape and icon of frontier folklore: the California Gold Rush, the Pony Express, the transcontinental railroad, the Civil and Indian Wars. From the Great Plains to the Rockies to the Pacific Ocean, the company's operations embraced almost all social, cultural, and economic activities west of the Mississippi, following one of the greatest migrations in American history. Fortune seekers arriving in California after the discovery of gold in 1849 couldn't bring the necessities of home with them. So Wells Fargo express offices began providing basic services such as the exchange of gold dust for coin, short-term deposits and loans, and reliable delivery and receipt of letters, money, and goods to and from distant places. As its reputation for speed and dependability grew, the sight of a red-and-yellow Wells Fargo stagecoach racing across the prairie came to symbolize not only safe passage but faith in a nation's progress. In fact, for a time Wells Fargo was the most powerful and widespread institution in the American West, even surpassing the presence of the federal government. Stagecoach is a fascinating and rare combination of Western and business history. Along with its colorful association with the frontier -- Wyatt Earp, Black Bart, Buffalo Bill -- readers will discover that swiftness, security, and connectivity have been constants in Wells Fargo's history, and that these themes remain just as important today, 150 years later. "

Customer Reviews:

Great Historical book.......2007-01-11

Great history on not only Wells Fargo but the early growing west. Very well written.

Excellent history of Wells Fargo.......2006-11-02

Wells, Fargo and Co., the freighting and banking company, got its start in 1852 at the height of the Gold Rush period in California. It bought out a number of smaller stagecoach lines running between towns and mining camps in the gold fields and eventually established a monopoly in the business in the area. To finance its business ends, the company also started a banking business, with profits being obtained from the gold dust being shipped from the gold fields on its stagecoaches. Packages, gold, mail, and finally passengers were soon being hauled throughout central California and points east by Wells Fargo stages. The company was also very involved with the Overland Mail Company, operating all its express services west of Salt Lake, and even administered to the fabled Pony Express along its route across the central plains for a few years before its demise. With the coming of the transcontinental railroad in 1869, Wells Fargo was able to expand its express business while the stagecoach operations disappeared.

Philip Fradkin tells the story of the Wells Fargo company superbly and with careful attention to historical accuracy. He relates many stories of stagecoach holdups, of what it was like traveling by stage in the West, and what the stage stations were like - all told with flair and excitement. And the business operations of the company, especially after the merger with the American Express Company and into the twentieth century, are explained fully without becoming deadly dull. Fradkin's scholarship is praiseworthy in his use of original source material, especially company records and the files of the Wells Fargo Historical Services department. It's an enjoyable book and is the definitive book on the company today.

A Nice History Of An Early Business.......2005-11-29

I thought this book was very insightful and must be regarded as a serious history book of the founding blocks of American business. Of course certain parts were more exciting than others but it delivers what was expected : a very well written account of an ever changing business during the earliest days of recorded westward expansion to present. I salute the author for what must have been an incredible amount of material to put into a sensible chronology. I enjoyed it thoroughly and think it is underrated.

Too many details.......2005-09-12

This book is actually composed of two parts. The first part traces the history of Wells Fargo from its foundings by friends Wells and Fargo in the early 1800s, to its spread through the American West in places like California, Utah, and Arizona. It shows how Wells Fargo provided mail services first, followed by carriage, and finally entry into the banking business to satisfy the needs of miners to transfer gold to money during the California Gold Rush. Many important facts are provided as the book gives insight into frontier life, banking and commerce in the 1800's, and the often minute separation between government officials and businessmen. Some of this history is quite interesting; for example, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and others involved at the OK Corral did business with Wells Fargo. This first part covers up through the San Francisco earthquake of 1906.

The second part of the book focuses on Wells Fargo and Norwest Bank in the 20th century. The latter bank is included because it merged with Wells Fargo recently to create one of the world's largest banks. The bulk of the second half focuses on Norwest such as its origins in Minnesota, its history, and major changes it and the rest of the banking world underwent. The latter includes the change from a male-dominated business to a female-dominated business. The book ends by describing the merger of equals between Norwest and Wells Fargo, and how both adopted the policy of retain and retrain instead of laying of workers in redundant areas.

The first half of the book was very interesting, even for someone like me who has little interest in the cowboys, the Old West, and related history. I give this part 4 stars. The second half of the book was quite boring, and emphasized the growth of financial services, mergers, legal issues, international banking, etc... I give this part 2 stars. So averaging out both parts gives 3 stars out of 5.

Needed a Bit More Focus..........2004-09-06

Stagecoach was an attempt to cover the history of the Wells Fargo company. Frankly, it read a little bit like it was the product of the Wells Fargo pr Department, but the real "problem" is that the author tried to cover both the days of the Historic Wells Fargo entity AND the mergers which led to the present day bank. In doing this, the author ended up really giving the short shrift to both.

The author also made some rather "strange" errors. For example, on p182 the author wrote:

"Sometimes small amounts of salt were added to the ice to slow the melting process.." Uh.. no. Salt water melts at a lower tempature. That's why it is used in the winter time to melt ice on streets and why it is used in Ice Cream freezers as well. Adding salt to the ice melts the ice FASTER (but also imparts more cool, faster...)

I would hope that this author were to revisit this subject and produce a new edition which focuses and expands on the pre-split Company and ignores, or at best relegates to a footnote, the Norwest merger...

John Ford's Stagecoach (Cambridge Film Handbooks)

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John Ford's Stagecoach (Cambridge Film Handbooks)

Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0521793319

Book Description

Stagecoach is one of the classics of Hollywood cinema. Made in 1939, it revitalized the Western genre, served as a milestone for John Ford's career, and made John Wayne a star. This volume offers a rich overview of the film in essays by six leading film critics. Approaching Stagecoach from a variety of critical perspectives, it considers it within the contexts of authorship, genre, American history and culture. It also examines the film's commentary on race, class, gender and democracy, while remaining attentive to the film's artistry.

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Stagecoach is one of the classics of Hollywood cinema. Made in 1939, it revitalized the Western genre, served as a milestone in John Ford's career, and made John Wayne a star. This volume offers a rich overview of the film in essays by six leading film critics. Approaching Stagecoach from a variety of critical perspectives, they place the film within the contexts of authorship, genre, American history and culture. Also examined are the film's commentary on race, class, gender and democracy, while remaining attentive to the film's artistry.

Horse-Drawn Commercial Vehicles: 255 Illustrations of Nineteenth-Century Stagecoaches, Delivery Wagons, Fire Engines, etc. (Dover Pictorial Archive Series)

Average customer rating:

Fun and informative
Wonderful history/reference book

Horse-Drawn Commercial Vehicles: 255 Illustrations of Nineteenth-Century Stagecoaches, Delivery Wagons, Fire Engines, etc. (Dover Pictorial Archive Series)

Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0486260208

Book Description

Over 250 authentic royalty-free depictions of lunch wagons, ice wagons, freight wagons, fire engines, stagecoaches, hearses, many other vintage vehicles, shown in detailed engravings and photographs, culled from rare trade periodicals in the Smithsonian Institution. Detailed captions. Introduction.

Customer Reviews:

Fun and informative .......2007-03-16

A fun and informative little book. Most insightful on pre motor transport technology. Most fascinating for those interested in history or in Horse drawn Transport.

Some of these little carriages, such as the double decker omnibus and the tree transport, blow the mind in regards to the genius of our forbears in how they applied the technology they had. Then there are the dump wagons.

A must for any library of anyone interested in pre-motor technology.

Wonderful history/reference book.......2003-12-04

A unique book covering vintage horse drawn vehicles of the 19th century. Besides the well written text, I found the illustrations, photos and diagrams amazing in their detail. There are over 250 illustrations. Truly a wonderful reference for anyone into antique transportation history.

Stagecoach station, Santa Fe (A Nightingale western in large print)

Average customer rating:

A captivating narrative performance by Charlie O'Dowd

Stagecoach station, Santa Fe (A Nightingale western in large print)
Hank Mitchum
Manufacturer: G.K. Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Customer Reviews:

A captivating narrative performance by Charlie O'Dowd.......2002-07-12

A dramatic audiobook adventure set in the Wild West, Hank Mitchum's Santa Fe is the riveting story of a western troubleshooter in for the deadliest test of his life when he has to bodyguard the grueling four and a half day run of a westbound stagecoach to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Indian warriors, ruthless outlaws, and a menacing stalker focused on one particular passenger are the several and blended ingredients for a danger-filled saga in this exciting and highly recommended western saga. Santa Fe is presented in the complete and unabridged audiobook recording in a captivating narrative performance by Charlie O'Dowd.

The Clue in the Old Stagecoach (Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, No 37)

Average customer rating:

what a mystery
It's Worth Reading
where is the Stagecoach
I think this is a great book
Nancy Drew outdoes herself!

The Clue in the Old Stagecoach (Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, No 37)
Carolyn Keene
Manufacturer: Grosset & Dunlap
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0448095378

Customer Reviews:

what a mystery.......2006-03-21

This book is awsome! I think that teachers should read this book to there class! You always want to get to the end of the chapter because at the end of every chapter something scary or cool happens! You should read this book!

It's Worth Reading.......2003-09-06

While staying at a camp, Nancy is asked by an elderly woman to locate a stagecoach which had belonged to the woman's great-uncle. The stagecoach is supposed to a contain a clue to something which would be of great help to the town. This book was alright, it's not one of the best of the series, but it certainly isn't one of the worst. The mystery is okay and there is a reasonable amount of action. I wasn't glued to the book with every page, but it did manage to keep me more-or-less interested throughout. This isn't a book I'd highly recommend; although, it is worth reading.

where is the Stagecoach.......2002-10-23

The Clue in the Old Stagecoach
By Carolyn Keene
September 20,2002

In the book The Clue in the Old Stagecoach Nancy Drew is a detective. Nancy has gold hair and blue eyes. She is also tall and slender. Her best friend George also has gold hair but her eyes are brown unlike Nancy's George is tall and slender and has a personality just like Nancy. She loves adventure and likes to get things done and over with. Bess is way different from both girls. She has brown hair and green eyes. She is told to be short and stubby.. She is Goerge's cousin and has the same great trate of loving mysteries.

The book The Clue in the Old Stagecoach is an great mystery book. If you like mysteries you will enjoy this book. At the beginning of the book ,all of these girls are best friends and do everything together. One sunny day the three girls were climbing up a hill when they saw an old stagecoach rolling down the road. When they noticed that nothing was pushing or pulling it they started to chase after the old stagecoach. The girls were running after the stagecoach they ran into a truck driver. The truck driver was searching for an old stagecoach in the bushes behind tree's and on the side of everything. The girls told him that they had seen a stagecoach and it was probably the same one. By this time the stagecoach was far out of their sight. When they finally build up the courage to tell the lady that had just bought the coach they find out the coach had rolled its way to her house. When the carpenter she had hired came they replaced the carpet and you won't believe what they found.

My opinion on the book The Clue in the old Stagecoach is that the book isn't all that great at the beginning but near the end it all comes together. I would recommend this book to a mystery reader. I would recommend it to them because there are a bunch of mysteries going on at once. If you like reading mysteries and adventure than this is the book for you.

I think this is a great book.......1999-08-07

This book has many surprises in it. When you think that she has almost solved the mystery, she finds out that she is on the trail so starts over and reviews everything from the begining . Well I suggest that if you like mysterys, read the clue in the old stagecoach. Also read all the other Nancy Drew books.

Nancy Drew outdoes herself!.......1998-12-30

This was a great book! In my opinion it deserved 5 stars. Plenty of characters made it an absolute page-turner!

Stagecoach: The Ride of a Century (Building America Series (Watertown, Mass.).)

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Stagecoach: The Ride of a Century (Building America Series (Watertown, Mass.).)
A. Richard Mansir
Manufacturer: Charlesbridge Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1570919550

Book Description

In this book, journal entries, photographs, maps, diagrams, and original paintings help you imagine what travel was really like in the 1800s. Could you live up to the challenge of a Wells Fargo(r) stagecoach ride across our huge country? Climb on up and hold on tight-you're about to find out!

The Story of Stagecoach Mary Fields (Stories of the Forgotten West)

Average customer rating:

Excellent Story

The Story of Stagecoach Mary Fields (Stories of the Forgotten West)
Robert H. Miller
Manufacturer: Silver Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0382243900

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Story.......2000-04-27

The author profiles the life of Mary Fields, a freed slave who,as the first African American woman letter carrier, delivered theU.S. mail via stagecoach between Cascade, Montana, and St. Peter's Mission in the late 1800s. Although Miller cites no sources and relates this tale in a style more suited to folklore than to biography, he does present a picture of a strong, independent woman who never allowed others to take advantage of her. Hanna's lively colored pencil drawings bring the cigar-chomping, gun-slinging heroine to life and include many details of the Montana frontier. A useful addition to units on African Americans and U.S. history, or, pair it with Geis' The First Ride , another perspective on pioneer mail delivery. Kay Weisman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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