Up and Down California in 1860-1864

The Journal of William H. Brewer

By: William Henry Brewer

Narrated by: Tom Stechschulte

In 1860 William Brewer, a young Yale-educated teacher of the natural sciences and a recent widower, eagerly accepted an offer from Josiah Whitney to assist in the first geological survey of the state of California. Brewer was not a geologist, but his training in agriculture and botany made him an invaluable member of the team. He traveled more than 14,000 miles in the four years he spent in California and spent much of his leisure time writing lively, detailed letters to his brother back East.

These warmly affectionate letters, presented here in their entirety, describe the new state in all its spectacular beauty and paint a vivid picture of California in the mid-19th century. This fourth edition includes a new foreword by William Bright (1500 California Place Names).

©2003 William Henry Brewer (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

I LOVE IT!

This is a wonderful historical description of my beloved state of California. This is an interesting accounting of Brewers insightful views about the war going on in the south and of the rugged individuals who inhabited this state in the early days.
I think the narrator did a beautiful job of keeping the right attitude and tone throughout the reading. He makes me appreciate the man who was William Brewer. I think I would have liked him if I'd known him.
This was excellent all the way around!

Super book

What did you love best about Up and Down California in 1860-1864?

A must read. Especially for Californians, its not just earthquakes that your government lies to you about. The 200 year Arcflood has occurred every 200 years in California, and it will cover the Central Valley 30 ft deep, 6,000 Square Miles of water. Thats miles, no mistake. This has occurred for 2,000 years and we are within the time frame for another one. Most of the book is about fascinating descriptions of old California life and mining, and nature, but he did witness and write about the last Arcflood in California in 1862. The one that is NOT on the floodplain maps for California. Duh, wonder why? The same reason Daly City did not allow the plaque to be erected commemorating thats wehre the 1906 quake came ashore, right through their pretty new mall. Duh, why didnt they allow that piece of true history???

Explains so much about California history!

What a book, and what a perfect narrator for this exciting story of the first, historic California Geologic Survey! I enjoyed this narrator’s voice, and his style of telling this story. It really brought everything to life in a believable way.

This grand tale, told through letters and journal entries of the actual adventures of William Henry Brewer and the survey which he mostly led over the course of four years starting in 1860, gives a better overall survey of the life and times of Californians of the era than any other book I’ve ever read. There is plenty of information about the laborious nitty-gritty of scaling a mountain with a barometer to establish (often for the first time) its actual height; to making camp and occasionally dealing with sick teammates and mules; ensuring enough provisions in the wilderness despite the nascent California legislature eternally delaying survey salaries and funds; protecting papers and sensitive instruments blown over with tents during sudden overnight rainstorms; killing rattlesnakes and worrying about California grizzly bears; to attempting to scout a new path forward out of Kings Canyon to the north for the survey team to cross the Sierra Nevada range to Mono Lake yet again. In every instance, he paints vivid scenes of the landscapes, architecture, settlements and cultures they visited.

One of my favorite scenes is also one of the last of his adventure: riding up beside the driver on the stage leaving at noon from Virginia City in Nevada, with supper near “Starvation Camp” at Donner Lake, singing loud to wake the echoes on a moonlit night over the pass, Dawn at Auburn, then arriving for breakfast at Sacramento. What a glimpse of the speed of public transportation available back in the day!

I was sad to reach the end of this account by this fine writer, and I know I’ll listen to this book again, which is the highest praise I can offer.

Next time, I’ll keep a map handy as I listen…

Need to be able to see the maps

All is well with this performance and content. But the front page advertises the fourth edition 'with maps'. Audible needs to provide a link allowing the viewer to see those maps. These are critical to the text.

Great historical journal.

History of early California very well done. Narrator gave life to the historical text of geographical survey on foot-horse.