The Columbia : The 50th Rivers of America Book (Lewis and Clark Edition) by Holbrook, Stewart H - 1956

New York: Rinehart, 1956. Very Good+ in a Very Good+ dustjacket in a Good acetate sleeve (printed in yellow and issued with the Lewis and Clark Edition). Bound in full navy-blue cloth. The spine is stamped in gilt and black; the front panel in gilt. Octavo. Blue topstain. 393pps., with numerous illustrations. There is mild rubbing to the edges of the cloth and some faint tanning to the endpapers (only). Otherwise clean, bright, square, and soundly bound. No previous ownership markings. The price-clipped dustjacket, well preserved in its original sleeve, has only light edgewear and faint touches of foxing. The acetate outer sleeve has a large chip in its rear flap, overall yellowing, a some tearing at the head of the spine. Number A349 of an edition limited to 2500 copies SIGNED by the author on a special limitation page.<b><font color=#003366><br><br> "...The 'Oregon' was the famed river of the West in men's imagination, but when it was finally seen by white men, in 1792, it was named for the Columbia, first ship to come in over the bar, commanded by Captain Robert Gray. It was not until 1805 that Lewis and Clark's famous expedition reached the river, opening the area to a vast flood of American settlers, which eventually insured that by and large the Columbia would belong to the United States. The river rises in Canada, the British Captain Vancouver came soon after Gray, and among the earliest explorers was David Thompson of the Northwest Company of Montreal. But in the long run, the fur forts of the Nor'westers and the Hudson's Bay Company became less important than the people who came to stay -- to farm, fish or work in timber. West of the Cascade Mountains, the 'Oregon Country' was a paradise of incredibly rich farmland, huge fir forests, endless salmon, and the story of the Columbia is inevitably one of lumbering, canning, steamboats and railroads. Recently, great dams have changed the face of the desert country east of the mountains, and a whole new chapter has been added to the colorful history of this majestic river. But above all it is the story of the people -- big and small -- who faced a new, tremendous country and made it their own."</b></font><br><br> Purchase with confidence: all books, gradings, and descriptions are rendered the care of a genuine bibliophile. Satisfaction guaranteed or all costs you've incurred will be promptly refunded. Thanks for your interest in Nooks Of Books. To assist with your decision, photos can be emailed upon request.. SIGNED by the Author. Limited First Edition. Hardcover. Illus. by Richardson, Ernest.