Monthly Archives: September 2018

Who Was J.R. Poynter?

The author of Entewa, the Mountain Bird was J.R. Poynter, M.D. What can we find out about Dr. Poynter? The book was published by the Marysville Herald in 1852. Possibly it was serialized in that newspaper, but I don’t know … Continue reading

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Entewa, the Mountain Bird — The Conclusion

Would it surprise you if I told you that since Entewa is an Indian and Barkley is a “paleface,” their love is doomed? Probably not. And since you are not likely to ever read the book, I will go ahead … Continue reading

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J.R. Poynter and the American Indian

J.R. Poynter, author of Entewa, the Mountain Bird, had an attitude towards Native Americans that was typical of 19th century Americans — ambivalent. It may have been based as much on his reading of popular American authors as it was … Continue reading

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Entewa — 4

Sorry to keep you in suspense about the fate of Entewa, the Mountain Bird and her dashing young lover, “No First Name” Barkley. I have been busy finishing up my chapter on John Bidwell and the Humboldt Road for ANCHR’s … Continue reading

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Entewa – 3 (At last!)

As they approached Barkley, his eyes were fixed upon the lovely form of an Indian girl, clad in the russet garb of her native home, half-concealed by the graceful folds of a Mexican Sirappo,* that had been carelessly thrown about … Continue reading

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Entewa — 2

I told you about Barkley, the hero of Entewa; the Mountain Bird. Now I’ll tell you about the villain. He is Spendower (first name unknown, like Barkley), who goes by the nickname “Old Cub,” a name acquired from his “apparent … Continue reading

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Entewa; the Mountain Bird

The first fictional work ever published in California was a tale of romance and adventure in the gold-mining camps, written by a young doctor and printed in Marysville. The title is Entewa; the Mountain Bird, and the author was J. … Continue reading

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The Lost States of America

I came across this fun book titled Lost States: True Stories of Texlahoma, Transylvania, and other states that never made it, by Michael J. Trinklein (Quirk Books, 2010). This is a light-hearted and well-illustrated look at dozens of proposed states … Continue reading

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A Lady in the Northern Mines

Just a snippet from a book I was looking at yesterday. I always enjoy reading about women pioneers and the reaction they engendered when they arrived at a mining camp. The book is The Pierce Chronicle: Personal Reminiscences of E. … Continue reading

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