Reports of explorations and surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean (1855) (14757542404)

Identifier: reportsofexplora121unit (find matches)

Title: Reports of explorations and surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean

Year: 1855 (1850s)

Authors: United States. War Dept Henry, Joseph, 1797-1878 Baird, Spencer Fullerton, 1823-1887 United States. Army. Corps of Engineers

Subjects: Pacific railroads Discoveries in geography Natural history Indians of North America

Publisher: Washington : A.O.P. Nicholson, printer (etc.)

Contributing Library: San Francisco Public Library

Digitizing Sponsor: California State Library Califa/LSTA Grant

Text Appearing Before Image:

Fork, and thence to Cantonment Stevens, in the BitterRoot valley. On the 6th of March Garry reached Olympia, with Lieutenant Mullans report ofhis trip to the waters of the Missouri in October and November, and of his trip to Fort Halland back in November and January. These trips caused him and his little party to travel over990 miles, aud to cross the divide of the Rocky mountains six times—three crossings havingbeen made in the month of December and one in the month of January. LIEUTENANT MULLANS EXPLORATIONS SOUTH OF THE BLACKFOOT RIVER. The country south of the Blackfoot river, and between the Rocky mountains and Bitter Rootriver, was thoroughly explored by Lieutenant Mullan in 1853 and 1854. In the latter part ofOctober he ascended the Bitter Root to its sources, and crossed the dividing ridge to Wisdomand Jefferson rivers; and, returning to Cantonment Stevens, he again travelled over the sameroute between the 28th of November and 13th of December, when he reached Fort Hall, on

Text Appearing After Image:

! NARRATIVE OF 1853. 169 Snake river. Bitter Root or St. Marys valley is about eighty miles long from north to south,and from four to seven wide; well adapted for agriculture, the soil being a rich, dark loam,mingled with sand and gravel, in which wheat, oats, and potatoes have been found to growexceedingly well, and is naturally covered with luxuriant grass, supplying inexhaustible pasture,over which already several thousand cattle and horses were roaming and were scarcely noticedin the vast area. It has been noted, that when other valleys of the mountains are coveredwith snow, in this valley perpetual spring is found to reign during the whole of nearly everyyear. At that time (November) the mountains on each side were covered with snow from baseto summit, though no traces of snow were to be met with in the valley. The river banks are lined with cottonwood sixty or seventy feet high, and pines much largerand superior than elsewhere found, sometimes a hundred and fifty feet high and p

reports of explorations and surveys to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the mississippi river to the pacific ocean volume 12 book 1 book illustrations geography botany indians of north america rocky mountains united states army ultra high resolution high resolution images from internet archive

1855

San Francisco Public Library

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