North America: 1895 - The Pacific Northwest

Mark Twain and company complete the journey from Elmira, New York to the Pacific Ocean, in preparation for his around the world tour. He speaks in Portland, Oregon, Olympia, Washington and Tacoma, Seattle, Whatcom, which became Bellingham, and Vancouver, British Columbia. The entire Pacific Northwest was envolped in smoke from forest fires and Mark suffered from respiratory problems. He visits one more city, Victoria, British Columbia, to speak and depart on the voyage to Australia.

Maria McManus, Wet Nurse

An excerpt from Autobiography of Mark Twain, volume 3. Maria McManus was Clara Clemens' wet nurse until she was weaned. In a later reference Twain wrote "give her all the beer and whisky and brandy and tobacco and green fruit and lemon-pie she might want, and turn her loose on the nursery, and have no solicitude about the results."

North America: 1895 - Skykomish to Tacoma

Mark Twain and his party complete their journey to the Pacific on this leg from Skykomish to Tacoma. The railroad terminus was Seattle followed by a steamboat ride to Tacoma. This video explores the histories of Snohomish, Index, Monroe and Everett. We ponder the loses of the native Americans with the Treaty of Point Elliot and marvel at the performance of the fast little steamboat called The Flyer of Puget Sound.

North America: 1895 - Spokane to the Cascades Switchbacks

Taking credit, or at least the money, for James Fennimore Cooper's literary offenses; Great Northern Railway equipment, club life along the journey; Harrington, Washington; the Channeled Scablands and Missoula Floods; Wilson Creek, a railway division point; Wild Horse herds in Ephrata; Packing for travel and shaving; the Rock Island Bridge, boon and bane; Wenatchee Valley, once a salmon fishery; Leavenworth and the Tumwater Canyon Route; Pullman Carbuncles.

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