Subject
Pennsylvania -- Description and travel Books
Best books
Theodore Dreiser
A Hoosier holiday
"A Hoosier Holiday" by Theodore Dreiser is a travel narrative written in the early 20th century. The book chronicles the author's journey back to his native Indiana, accompanied by an illustrator named Franklin. In this work, Dreiser reflects on his memories, childhood experiences, and the landscape of Indiana, expressing a deep nostalgia for his roots and the simple American life. At the start of the book, Dreiser shares the catalyst for his journey — a chance encounter with Franklin, who suggests a road trip to Indiana. The narrative unfolds with Dreiser reminiscing about his early years in various towns across Indiana, including Terre Haute and Warsaw, while detailing their modest circumstances and rich experiences. The opening chapters set the tone for a reflective journey filled with personal anecdotes, insights on rural life, and observations about the changing American landscape, hinting at the broader themes of nostalgia and the complexity of revisiting one’s past.
Fortescue Cuming
Cuming's tour to the western country (1807-1809)
"Cuming's Tour to the Western Country (1807-1809)" by Fortescue Cuming is a historical account that was compiled in the early 20th century but reflects on travels from the early 19th century. The narrative captures Cuming's extensive travels through the burgeoning regions of Ohio, Kentucky, the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, and parts of West Florida during the early days of American settlement. The text serves to provide insights into the social and economic conditions of the American West at the time and reflects Cuming's observations about the land and its inhabitants. At the start of the narrative, Cuming begins his journey on foot from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, detailing his experiences and the landscape he encounters along the way. He describes various towns, rivers, and the people he meets, showcasing both the challenges and the beauty of the land. The opening chapters emphasize his interest in observing the natural environment, the emerging communities, and the unique customs of early settlers. As Cuming progresses in his journey, he paints a vivid picture of the contrasts between civilization and the wilderness, laying the groundwork for a deeper exploration of life in early 19th-century America.
Archer Butler Hulbert
Pioneer Roads and Experiences of Travelers (Volume 2)
"Pioneer Roads and Experiences of Travelers (Volume 2)" by Archer Butler Hulbert is a historical account written in the early 20th century. This volume explores the significant pioneer routes that facilitated westward expansion in America during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, particularly focusing on the Old Northwestern Turnpike and the Genesee Road. The book delves into the transformative experiences of travelers along these vital pathways, highlighting both the hardships and the sense of adventure amidst the American frontier. The opening of the work introduces readers to the historical significance of the Old Northwestern Turnpike, tracing its origins and development as a crucial route from Winchester, Virginia, to the Ohio River. The author discusses the legislative efforts that led to its creation and includes compelling journal entries from early travelers like Thomas Wallcutt, who documented his arduous journey through challenging terrain and unpredictable weather as he navigated the early American landscape. This sets the tone for a rich exploration of the socio-cultural context of these routes, illuminating the encounters and experiences of those who traversed them in pursuit of opportunity and adventure.
Archer Butler Hulbert
Pioneer Roads and Experiences of Travelers (Volume 1)
"Pioneer Roads and Experiences of Travelers (Volume 1)" by Archer Butler Hulbert is a historical account written in the early 20th century. The book delves into the evolution of American highways, tracing their origins from Indian trails to the macadamized roads that began defining travel in the United States. It explores significant routes such as Braddock's Road and Zane's Trace, along with the experiences of early travelers who navigated these increasingly vital pathways. The opening of the book sets the stage for an in-depth exploration of how early American roads developed over time. It discusses the primitive conditions of trails established by Indigenous peoples and the early settlers' adaptations to enhance them for larger loads, particularly during the burgeoning pack-horse era. Through rich descriptions, Hulbert invites readers to visualize the challenging and often agonizing journeys taken by travelers in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, detailing the impact of road conditions on daily life and commerce, while foreshadowing the changes that would accompany the advent of more advanced road systems.
André Michaux
André Michaux's Travels into Kentucky, 1793-96; François André Michaux's Travels West of Alleghany Mountains, 1802; Thaddeus Mason Harris's Journal of a Tour Northwest of Alleghany Mountains, 1803.
"André Michaux's Travels into Kentucky, 1793-96; François André Michaux's…" by André Michaux and François André Michaux is a collection of travel journals written in the late 18th and early 19th century. The work chronicles scientific and exploratory journeys across the trans-Appalachian West, weaving meticulous botanical observations with firsthand notes on routes, rivers, settlements, and the realities of frontier travel, occasionally touching on contemporary political aims. The opening of the volume presents a transcriber’s note and an editor’s preface that sketches the lives of the Michauxs, explains the series’ purpose, and frames the journals’ significance for Western settlement, botany, and travel conditions. It then launches into André Michaux’s 1793 diary, following him from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh and down the Ohio toward Kentucky, where he records dense plant lists alongside stops at Gallipolis, Limestone, Washington, Lexington, Danville, and Louisville. In Kentucky he meets figures such as Benjamin Logan, Isaac Shelby, and George Rogers Clark while discreetly advancing a French diplomatic errand, before returning east via the Wilderness Road and the Valley of Virginia. Subsequent early entries cover his 1795 push from the Carolinas into East Tennessee, the hazardous Cumberland crossing to Nashville, and back through Kentucky to Louisville and the salt licks. He then heads toward Vincennes and the Illinois country—Kaskaskia, Prairie du Rocher, Cahokia, and Fort Massac—intermixing candid notes on French villages, game, saltworks, and river travel with exhaustive botanical catalogues, concluding this opening portion amid his late-1795 Tennessee and Cumberland river observations.
Margaret Van Horn Dwight
A Journey to Ohio in 1810, as Recorded in the Journal of Margaret Van Horn Dwight
"A Journey to Ohio in 1810" as recorded in the journal of Margaret Van Horn Dwight is a historical account written in the early 20th century. The narrative details the author's poignant journey from New England to Ohio, reflecting on the challenges faced during her travels, including the company she keeps and the various encounters along the way. This journal offers readers a personal glimpse into the life of Margaret Van Horn Dwight, who ultimately seeks a new beginning in the expanding frontier. The beginning of the text introduces readers to Margaret as she embarks on her journey with a group, expressing her bittersweet feelings about leaving friends behind. As they travel by wagon, she chronicles her emotional reflections, the stark realities of their journey, and the varied accommodations—ranging from hospitable to quite unsettling—along the route. Margaret's detailed observations of fellow travelers, local customs, and the natural landscape establish both the physical and emotional terrains she navigates, setting an immersive stage for what promises to be a profound exploration of resilience and adaptation in the face of adversity.
Recently surfaced classics