On the Kentucky Frontier: A Story of the Fighting Pioneers of the West

On the Kentucky Frontier: A Story of the Fighting Pioneers of the West Review

In the history of our country there is no more thrilling story than that of the work done on the Mississippi River by a handful of frontiersmen. Mr.Otis takes the reader on that famous expedition from the arrival of Major Clarke's force at Corn Island, until Kaskaskia was captured. He relates that part of Simon Kenton's life history which is not usually touched upon by either the historian or the story teller. This is one of the most entertaining books for young people which was originally published in 1900,

James Otis (James Otis Kaler) (1848-1912), held various jobs, including journalist, editor, publicity man for the P. T. Barnum circus, and superintendent of schools of South Portland, Maine. While still a teenager worked on the Boston Journal. During his life, he was noted primarily for his authorship of books for children, including many on American history.

Running Mad for Kentucky: Frontier Travel Accounts

Running Mad for Kentucky: Frontier Travel Accounts Review

" The crossing of America's first great divide -- the Appalachian Mountains -- has been a source of much fascination but has received little attention from modern historians. In the eighteenth century, the Wilderness Road and Ohio River routes into Kentucky presented daunting natural barriers and the threat of Indian attack. Running Mad for Kentucky brings this adventure to life. Primarily a collection of travel diaries, it includes day-to-day accounts that illustrate the dangers thousands of Americans, adult and child, black and white, endured to establish roots in the wilderness. Ellen Eslinger's vivid and extensive introductory essay draws on numerous diaries, letters, and oral histories of trans-Appalachian travelers to examine the historic consequences of the journey, a pivotal point in the saga of the continent's indigenous people. The book demonstrates how the fabled soil of Kentucky captured the imagination of a young nation.