Yo Semite Valley and the big trees. Via the Big Oak Flat direct route. Which is the shortest, cheapest, and best route to the big trees and the Yo Semite Valley? San Francisco: Alta California Print, 529 California Street, 1881. 17.5 x 12.5 cm (small octavo), pp. [1-16] (not paginated), 8 woodcut illustrations (including two on covers, one duplicated in text), 1 folded map (inserted as frontispiece), original buff pictorial wrappers, printed in red and black, sewn. First edition. Cover title reads: "Yo Semite Valley via the Big Oak Flat direct Calaveras big tree routes. Which is the best route? For tickets and information to Yo Semite, geysers, springs, etc. apply to Thos. T. Walton, Agent Nevada Stage Co. 3 Montgomery St." Signed in type on page [14]: "T. J. Matteson, Supt. Nevada Stage Co. Thos T. Walton, Agent, 3 Montgomery Street, San Francisco." Issued to promote the use of the Big Oak Flat route, which is claimed to be "... the shortest, the most picturesque and the best route," having "the cheapest as well as the best accommodations of any route in the state." In addition to description of points of interest along the route, provides brief "Yo Semite Valley Notes" giving hotel and guide service rates, short descriptions of the Calaveras big trees and Mammoth Grove Hotel, 1881 schedule for trips from San Francisco to the Calaveras Grove and Yosemite Valley, and 1881 stage and rail rates for travel to the Calaveras Grove, Yosemite Valley, and Monterey. The folded map is "Hutchings' Outline Map of Tourist Travel to the Yo-Semite Valley, Big Tree Groves, etc. California," with the Big Oak Flat route traced in red. In the 1870s the Nevada Stage Company moved a large portion of their equipment and many of their drivers from Nevada to California. The company's stage route from the rail terminus at Milton to Yosemite Valley was via the Big Oak Flat Road. When John Shine of Sonora became manager of the company he convinced Henry Crocker to build a stage station on the route to serve the stage line's customers. Crocker's Station commenced operation in 1881. Currey and Kruska 264. Wear and soiling to wrappers, some light foxing to back side of the map and some page edges, a very good copy. (#157213).
No statement of printing.