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To and Through Nebraska: By a Pennsylvania Girl. By Frances Sims Fulton. 273 pages. First edition. First-hand pioneer travel narrative and memoir. Serves as a vital historical record of Late-Gilded Age western emigration, chronicling the journey and settlement of the Nebraska Mutual Aid Colony.
Frances I. Sims Fulton was born and raised in Bradford, Pennsylvania. Her brother, C. T. Fulton, founded the Nebraska Mutual Aid Colony in 1883.
The author\'s family and neighbors originally formed a colony to claim agricultural land in northern Nebraska. When the chosen region was deemed too remote for the elder parents, Frances and her brother ventured west to navigate the frontier alone.Fulton captures the emotional weight and logistical challenges of leaving a well-established home in Pennsylvania to head toward the unknown. She tracks the transition from industrial Eastern rail travel to rough Western stagecoaches.
The text systematically reviews the topography, climate, soil resources, and homesteading laws of Nebraska\'s major river valleys. It heavily features the Elhorn, Niobrara, Keya Paha, Platte, Big Blue, and Republican valleys.
Fulton details the day-to-day work, struggles, and first harvests of the 1883 colonists. She provides candid observations of the diverse populations she encountered, including native populations, local ranchers, and homesteaders.
The narrative is highly regarded by historians for containing rare, contemporary accounts of real-life frontier characters, including encounters involving the infamous outlaw \"Doc\" Middleton and showman Buffalo Bill Cody.
Published 1884 by Journal Company, Lincoln, NE. Good condition with some wear. Bright cover, good binding, clean text.
