The Indian [and] The Northwest 1600…1900

Indigenous erasure along the lines of the North-Western Railway.

“The Indian was never negative in character…what survives of him to-day, in the descendants that miserably crawl out their existence, is scarcely an apology for what he was.” – pg. 11.

This stereotypical early 20th-century guidebook presents the tragic indigenous history of the American West as a mere novelty to be enjoyed by travelers aboard the Chicago & North-Western Railways. Three distinct ‘eras’ are presented with pseudo-scientific historical summaries (from a distinctly white American perspective), maps, and illustrated plates – the Red Man, the War Man, and the White Man. A large folding map at the back of the volume presents the railroads’ lines (and connections) from Chicago to the West Coast. Native American reservations are highlighted in yellow as various stops where intrepid travelers can gawk at the former inhabitants of the nation.