People of the Moonshell is an award-winning history of the Platte River, the primary way west during the frontier era. Peterson focuses on people, some well-known, some unknown, who had some extraordinary experience along the Platte. Subjects range from Spanish explorers to Mormon settlers, from Buffalo Bill Cody and Robert Louis Stevenson to Native Americans fighting for their homeland. Written largely from diaries and journals, the tales weave into an overview of Plate River history described by the El Paso Corral of Westerners as "one of those rare treasures."

People of the Moonshell

History

Nancy M. Peterson

Americas

American Traveler Press

Human beings inhabited Colorado for the past 12,000 years. The earliest people migrated across the land bridge between Asia and Alaska and made their way down the eastern side of the Rockies into Colorado. Some of the earliest people were hunters who herded mammoths over the edge of cliffs, pelting them with rocks and spears. Clovis man lived near Greeley as early as 9200 B.C. Flosom Man (distinguished from Clovis Man by the type of spearheads he crafted) hunted bison in eastern Colorado. By 7000 B.C., the desert people inhabited western Colorado, surviving on small game, berries and plants. Over thousands of years, the desert People evolved into the Basket Makers, whose culture was centered around the beautiful baskets they created for cooking, hauling water, carrying babies, and many other functions. Their descendants were the Indians of Mesa Verde the Anasazi who created the intriguing civilization today preserved in Mesa Verde National Park. At the end of the Basket Makers period in the southwest, Fremont Man inhabited the northern/central portions of western Colorado. Near Grand Junction, you can see petroglyphs scratched into the rock by these early people.Following the disappearance of the Cliff Dwellers from Mesa Verde in 1300 A.D., Spanish explorers began working their way north from Mexico, among them Francisco Vasquez de Coronado who may have entered what is today Colorado on his exploration to the Seven Cities of Gold in 1540. The Ute Indians inhabited the western and mountain sections of Colorado; by 1800, the Arapaho and Cheyenne Indians were moving into the eastern plains, soon to be driven out by the white man in his pursuit of Manifest Destiny. In preparing this selection of Colorado profiles, we are most grateful to Maxine Benson, former Colorado State Historian, for her critical evaluation of the historical data. A Colorado History, which she co-authored with Carl Ubbelohde and Duane Smith, is an excellent survey of the states past. For additional reading, there are full biographies of nearly all the people presented in the following vignettes.

Colorado Traveler Hall of Fame

Biographies & Memoirs

Ayer, Eleanor

Reference & Collections

Road Trip Adventures are for people who like to explore intriguing side roads, wander into curious seaside towns, hike over hills for picnics, and imagine what might be around that next turn. From the Mexico-U.S. border to southwestern British Columbia, Pacific Coast Adventures covers everything you need to know when you hit the road!Inside, you?ll find fully revised, updated, and accurate information on:The best routes and side tripsWhere to find the most spectacular viewsRecommended resorts, bed and breakfasts, inns, and lodgesPreferred RV parks and campgroundsFavored restaurants, cafes, pubs, and tavernsIdeal spots to picnic, fish, swim, canoe, or take a walkThe best beaches from San Diego to VancouverSpecial attractions from local street fairs to seasonal festivalsWineries, landmarks, parks, and historic monuments

Pacific Coast Adventures: The Driver's Guide

Travel

Bridges, Fraser

United States

People of the Troubled Water focuses on stories of people involved in early years of Missouri River history. It describes the adventures of explorers Lewis and Clark, trappers John Colter and Hugh Glass, artist George Catlin and scientist John James Audubon. The Hidatsa girl, Waheenee, finds her life forever changes by smallpox, and Mormon wife Jane Richards struggles to keep her faith through an incredible winter. The Missouri's raging waters change nearly everyone who challenge them. The Overland Journal described the book as "a joy to read."

People of the Troubled Water: A Missouri River Journal

Peterson, Nancy Mayborn

Each mission has a story. And the entire chain of 21 missions has its own story as well. Author Gregory Lee does a wonderful job of describing the locations and history of the Missions established in the 1700s by Padre Junipero Serra. Book was updated with new photos in 2019. Striking full-color guide. Extensive center-spread map of the state highlights locations featured in the book.

California Missions: A Guide to the State Spanish Heritage (California Traveler)

Lee, Gregory