Christmas in the Old West: A Historical Scrapbook [Paperback]

Sam Travers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2003

Far away from the tinsel, eggnog, and colorfully wrapped packages of civilized life in the East, explorers, mountain men, and pioneers usually celebrated Christmas with homemade gifts and humble fare. As the West became settled, affluent westerners could order by mail virtually all the trimmings of Christmas, from toy trains to canned oysters. Christmas in the Old West: A Historical Scrapbook, a mosaic of stories, reminiscences, recipes, photographs, newspaper clippings, magazine advertisements, and more, brings alive the spirit of Christmas on the American frontier. Through diary quotes, letters, and stories we can feel the icy December wind as a lone trapper sips rum by his campfire, hear the gruff caroling of soldiers at their remote outpost, see candlelight flicker as a pioneer mother pieces together a rag doll for her little girl, and smell the venison roasting over an open hearth. Newspaper clippings announce town celebrations where a glorious time is assured. From the Corps of Discovery s hungry, lonely Christmas at Fort Clatsop to mining-camp turkey shoots to ranchers Christmas dances, Sam Travers show us the joys and challenges of keeping Christmas in a rough frontier setting. Color illustrations keep the mood merry as we discover the Old and New World Christmas traditions our forebears brought west.

Product Details

• Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: Mountain Press Publishing Company (July 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0878424601
• ISBN-13: 978-0878424603
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 8.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,899,592 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Christmas in the West, January 6, 2004

By 

Cindy (Ft Worth) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Christmas in the Old West: A Historical Scrapbook (Paperback)

It is more than just a Christmas book and more than a history book, it's both and fun too. The stories will make you laugh and cry plus the recipes and ads are a hoot. Thank you Ms. Travers for giving the West some Christmas attention. I gave several of these to teachers as Christmas gifts and they all raved. I just had to say, this is a good read all year long.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Western Christmas history at its best, January 1, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Christmas in the Old West: A Historical Scrapbook (Paperback)

For anyone interested in the Old West, this book is a must read. It's about Christmas and how it was celebrated in the American West, but it's a lot more. It preserves the heritage of the pioneers, the cowboys and everyone else who settled that land. The stories and diary exerpts are really very moving, and the illustrations really take you back in time. Travers presents the personal side of the whole Western movement in the context of Christmas, and no one could have done it better. And the recipies range from being fun to quite interesting! Try the pork cake! This book is an authentic trip through history, and is most entertaining too.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great school resource!!!, January 8, 2004

By 

"anonymousstudent" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Christmas in the Old West: A Historical Scrapbook (Paperback)

As a student, I found this book to be an incredible resource for a research paper I had in history. I have found no other book like it. I got so much more from this book than any other source I used. Also, after using it for my research, I ended up getting a copy for myself for fun. The recipes are tons of fun. I've been recommending this book to all my friends and teachers.