University of Arizona

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The Rise and Decline of High Plains Wagon Freighting

1822 to 1880
MS 081
Collection Guide

Henry Pickering Walker (1911-1984) was an American historian and the author of Historical Atlas of Arizona. Walker's research concerns the importance of wagon freighting in the economic development of the American West. The time period under discussion begins in 1822 with early merchandise wagons making the trip from Franklin, MO to Santa Fe, NM. It concludes in 1880 when the railroad system reached the mining towns of Montana. Charts and graphs follow the extensive bibliography, and some show the number of wagons by year while others depict comparative prices of wool and grocery items such as coffee, bacon, sugar, and flour.

The collection includes a typescript of Walker's Ph.D. dissertation for the History Department at the University of Colorado, written in 1965.

Included materials:
Manuscript
Subject Area:
Transportation
Business
Collection Area:
Arizona & Southwest

Land Acknowledgement

We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples. Today, Arizona is home to 22 federally recognized tribes, with Tucson being home to the O’odham and the Yaqui. Committed to diversity and inclusion, the University strives to build sustainable relationships with sovereign Native Nations and Indigenous communities through education offerings, partnerships, and community service.