[Manuscript overland diary/herbarium].

Kansas to California, 13 May to 25 September, 1863. 8vo diary, full black leather with flap at fore-edge. 44 pp. with ms. notes, numerous pressed flowers affixed to leaves with pins, adhesive or thread, some mounted on the same page as notes, others opposite, additional blank pp.

A most unusual and evocative overland migration record consisting of pressed flowers with annotations relating to both the flowers and the places where they were collected, compiled by Lucy Nettleton during her journey from Marysville, Kansas to California on the Oregon and California Trail.

This remarkable diary provides rare documentation of the experiences of a pioneer woman en route to California, as seen through the lens of her interest in wildflowers. Nettleton’s party evidently embarked in May of 1863, her earliest note being dated May 13th at Marysville. Among the places she mentions are the Platte River, the North Platte, Fort Kearny, Fort Laramie, Scott’s Bluff, Court House Rock, Independence Rock, Devil’s Gate, Fort Bridger, Salt Lake, and others. While her notes are not numerous or extensive they combine with the specimens she preserved to conjure a vivid sense of her passage across the west, presenting an image of a spirited woman venturing off the trail in search of wildflowers whenever the opportunity arose.

Some representative passages:

“This beautiful little flower was procured on the bank of the big Blue near the village of Marysville May 13th 1863 Marysville is a town of about two hundred inhabitants. it has a fine picturesque location Blue River is a handsome stream its banks seem well clothed with timber which is very good I should think. And timber is quite an object in this Prairie country…”

“These flowers I gathered on the banks of the Platte River May 25 I walked an long way and got very weary— I did not find anything interesting, but a broad prairie on one hand and the broad smooth river that looks like a lake on the other hand.”

“These flowers I took from a Prickly Pear and I pricked my hands very badly to procure just look at them One by one each word of kindness / One by one each act of love / Help to make a lasting treasure / For our home sweet home above. Platt River May 31st”

“These flowers I got on Freemonts Slough not far from O’Fallan Bluff June 1st 1863.”

“This moss I gathered on the summit of court house rock this is a large square rock it covers about 3/4 of an acre and is near North Platt east of Fort Laramie with several benches around its sides like gallery seats it gradually becomes smaller as you ascend until its summit is I believe about one foot broad I did not go but this moss was given me one of our company that did go”

“These flowers I gathered on Chimney Rock June 12th—63—I climbed the rock myself and picked these flowers at the height of one hundred feet I believe they said I went up a hundred and twenty feet there was some that went higher than I did”

“June 24th we are now on Deer Creek 100 miles west of Fort Laramie there are thousands of roses on the margin of the stream but few other flowers it is a very pretty stream and we have a very good camping place”

“I gathered these flowers on the top of Independence Rock this rock is a very great natural curiosity”

“These I got at the entrance of Devil’s gate or Devil’s hole June 30th Sweet Water River passes through a canon that is called Devil’s gate it has got an ugly name but it is a most magnificent place I never expect to see another such a grand sight if I live a long time”

“This flower grows in great abundance all along the road to California. But I got these off a little fertile spot on the banks of Salt Lake July 29th 1863”

“This a production of Goose Creek Mountains [?] this is a rough country I procured this beautiful little specimen of a flower Aug. 11th in a very wild barren looking place where the road is so rough I could not ride the rocks were high above my head where it grew that it was almost black in the middle of the day”

“These flowers are the first that I have seen on the banks of the Truckee River”

“these flowers are the first that I have picked in California they looked very beautiful growing among the tall pines”

While background information on Nettleton is scant, the Kansas State Historical Society holds a group of Nettleton letters describing her journey, dating from March to October of 1863.

A truly remarkable and evocative artifact of a woman’s passage overland to California.

CONDITION: Front cover detached, loss of roughly one third of the flap and partial detachment of another third; all leaves intact and attached; damp-stain affecting lower half of most leaves, various stains from flowers throughout; some flower specimens have perished or partially perished (the crumbled remains of some occasionally still present), while quite a few remain reasonably intact.