Skookum: An Oregon Pioneer Family's History and Lore

by Shannon Applegate

Book Overview

In 1843, brothers Jesse, Lindsay, and Charley Applegate-accompanied by their wives and twenty-two children-led the first major wagon train from Missouri to Oregon. By the end of the decade, the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0870711199
• ISBN13: 9780870711190
• Release Date: October 2005
• Publisher: Oregon State University Press
• Length: 460 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.5" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Oregon Republican League gives "Skookum" text five stars !!

Thank you, Shannon. Homey feeling for a book that works through the ins and outs of one of Southwest Oregon best known pioneer families. As the Applegates were all strong supporters of the Oregon Republican League,.. we couldn't be prouder than to give this work two thumbs up. A nonpartisan text, for a populist nation, from a fiercely independent time in our regions history.

History Up Close: Personal and Passionate

Shannon Applegate spent seventeen years researching the copious and rich family documents that provide the basis for this extraordinary history. It is clear that she not only combed the documents with a scholar's eye but also lived them with a family member's passion. The very public history of the pioneering Applegate men--Jesse, Charles, and Lindsay--is balanced by intimate portraits of the private--and sometimes even secret--lives of the Applegate women. The blend of epic drama, domestic detail, and quiet pathos is irresistible.

Of interest to Oregon History fans!

Well, the first part of the book was too lengthy and disjointed as it built up to the family disaster. I would have appreciated just a straight tale. The later profiles of people were a lot easier to follow and very entertaining. The information included on the local Native Americans was great and thus the 4 star rating. As a local Oregonian, the farming and political information was also intriguing. I also feel the author missed out by not detailing her own life but maybe this could be a subject for another book.