Farnham's Travels in the Great Western Prairies, etc., part 2, October 21-December 4, 1839 and De Smet's Oregon Missions and Travels over the Rocky Mountains, 1845-1846

This volume gathers two rare first‑hand accounts that plunge listeners into the unsettled heart of the American West before the railroads ever arrived. The narratives blend practical detail with vivid observation, sketching the raw geography of the Columbia, Willamette, and Rocky Mountain corridors while recording the customs of the Indigenous peoples the travelers met. Together they create a textured portrait of a continent in transition, where wilderness, trade, and nascent settlements intersect.

In the first half, a determined explorer departs from Vancouver and navigates the winding Willamette River, pausing at fledgling farms, a modest gristmill, and a Methodist mission that strives to adapt European practices to the new soil. Along the way he notes the vigor of early agrarians, the precariousness of river travel, and the looming presence of the Cascade foothills, all while offering candid reflections on the land’s promise and its challenges.

The second portion follows a Jesuit missionary as he journeys across the Rockies to the Flat‑head and other tribal territories. He records lively buffalo hunts, solemn church services, and the intricate diplomacy between missionaries and tribal leaders, providing a rare glimpse into the cultural exchanges that shaped the Oregon frontier. The listeners will hear the sounds of river rapids, campfire prayers, and the distant thunder of migrating herds, echoing a world on the cusp of profound change.