Nicodemus

Today I picked up the book GOING HOME TO NICODEMUS. INTERESTING HISTORY! It explains a lot about how African-Americans were first talked into going to Nicodemus and what they saw there. Told about the promised land, and seeing the promised land were two totally different experiences. The first pioneers arrived to see the first homes were dugouts. At least one woman cried. 

Also, how could a government give people free or low cost property when all they do is show up? The rest of the pioneers had to improve the land. How much was truthful, a stretch of the truth, or an outright lie?! I'll keep you posted as I read the book. 

Migration maps

Sears catalog from the turn of the century

You can tell a lot about a culture by what they shop for. Note an ad for a bicycle. "Sell your horse and buy a bicycle." Typewriters, stoves, shotguns(arms), sewing machines... I think the pics if the ladies in their underwear was after 1894. In my opinion in 1894 only drawings would've been allowed culturally. 

http://www.searsarchives.com/catalogs/history.htm

The previous site mentioned here is a Sears catalog archive. 

Modern American Atlas

I forgot to take down the correct name of  the book. 

Frederick Smoot map of western migration

I don't know why it's such a Looong URL. It's embarrassing. However, please check out Mr. Amit's website. He created it. He has many pre-1920's letters from around pioneer America. 

http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A2KJkCDgHVZSfhAArsGJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTFxMDVja210BHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1nBG9pZAM3YWNkZGJiYWQwNTczM2EyMzYyZjAzNjA1MGQwNThlOQRncG9zAzM-?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3Dpioneer%2Btrails%2Batlas%26fr%3Dyfp-t-900%26fr2%3Dpiv-web%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D3&w=618&h=522&imgurl=www.tngenweb.org%2Ftnletters%2Fwest-usa.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tngenweb.org%2Ftnletters%2Fusa-west.htm&size=100.7KB&name=%3Cb%3ETrails+%3C%2Fb%3EWest%2C+a+map+of+early+western+migration+%3Cb%3Etrails%3C%2Fb%3E.+TNGenNet+Inc+...&p=pioneer+trails+atlas&oid=7acddbbad05733a2362f036050d058e9&fr2=piv-web&fr=yfp-t-900&tt=%3Cb%3ETrails+%3C%2Fb%3EWest%2C+a+map+of+early+western+migration+%3Cb%3Etrails%3C%2Fb%3E.+TNGenNet+Inc+...&b=0&ni=21&no=3&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=11eojd0ui&sigb=13duhr92u&sigi=117druq6r&.crumb=xscc5OU/lAX&fr=yfp-t-900

letters from pre-1920's

Frederick Smoot copyright 2000 all rights reserved

website with migration trail map by Beverly Whitaker

Beverly Whitaker made this website. 

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~gentutor/migration.html

Books for references PUBLIC ROADS OF THE PAST;1952

Here are a few books I looked at for reference. This is the cover page, the first few pages of titles,

And a 1952 who's who for the American Association of State Highway Officials 

A table if context page 

And two pages from the book. The last page has a table of years, work and workers hired.