Oregon-California Trails Association | Barker, Anselm Holcomb

Barker, Anselm Holcomb – Diary, 1858

Merrill J. Mattes Collection·

Printed pages from a book

Anselm Holcomb Barker 1822-1895 Pioneer Builder and Early Settler of Auraria, His diary of 1858 from Plattsmouth, Nebraska Territory, to Cherry Creek Diggings, the present site of Denver, Colorado With a number of keepsake rarities. Edited by Nolie Mumey. Denver, Colorado: Golden Bell Press, 1959.

The collection was begun in 1991 by the late Merrill J. Mattes, a co-founder of the Oregon-California Trails Association. That original nucleus was a result of a generous donation from Merrill and reflected his many years as an award-winning National Park Service historian and also included works of his own authorship. The collection is housed at the national Frontier Trails Museum in Independence, Missouri. Here, you have access to many of the original trail diaries he collected in digital form.