Death Valley in '49: The Autobiography of a Pioneer

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Summary: The Deadly Discovery of Death Valley
Review: In 1849, a party of a hunded men, women, and children set off for California. By the time they reached Salt Lake City, it was so late in the season that people advised against trying to cross the snow-locked Sierras, lest they suffer the same fate as the Donner Party three years earlier. They headed south, but became lost in desert country. Exhausted and starving, they were trapped in a deep, barren valley. William Manley volunteered to try to climb out of the valley and get help. He made an incredible journey on foot to Los Angeles. Although most of the party died, those that survived until rescued named the place Death Valley. In this volume, Manley tells the story of the trapped party and his struggle to reach Los Angeles to get help. Settle down with the book and a good set of maps, and enjoy the tale told first-hand.