The Emigrants’ Guide to Oregon and California: The 1845 Pioneers’ Guide for the Westward Traveler, by Lansford W. Hastings

Prepare yourself for a trip westward through time-back to 1845 and the days of the pioneers. The book is rich with practical information about how to go and what to bring, but is even richer in describing what you’ll see along the way and when you get there. Interestingly, the book has its dark side in history. It was the guidebook used by the Donner Party on their fateful journey. Because of Hastings’ “shortcut” route through the inhospitable Rockies, which resulted in tragedy, a new guidebook became absolutely necessary