Swan Among the Indians. Life of James G. Swan.
Portland: Binfords & Mort, 1972. First Printing of the First US Edition. A Fine tight copy in a Fine, bright price clipped dust jacket. James G. Swan lived one of the most varied and colorful lives in the early history of Washington Territory. He was variously an oysterman, customs inspector, secretary to Congressional delegate Isaac Stevens, journalist, reservation schoolteacher, lawyer, judge, school superintendent, railroad promoter, natural historian, and ethnographer. Above all, Swan was a chronicler. He wrote one of the earliest books describing life in Washington Territory, two Smithsonian monographs, many newspaper articles and technical publications, and more than 60 volumes of still-unpublished diaries. These works document not just pioneer society but also the Northwest Indian cultures that pre-dated white settlement and existed along-side it. Swan's appreciation of and efforts to record Indian art, technology, history, legends, and language made him a rarity among early Washington settlers. Item #29219
Price: $150.00