Tough Trip Through Paradise facts for kids
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| Author | Andrew Garcia |
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| Translator | The first edition of Andrew Garcia's memoir, with Garcia himself on the cover. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Autobiography |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin |
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Publication date
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January 1, 1967 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 446 |
| OCLC | 576084564 |
Tough Trip Through Paradise 1878-1879 is a book about the life of Andrew Garcia. He was born in 1853 and passed away in 1943. Andrew Garcia was a man of Hispanic background from El Paso. He moved north to Montana in 1876 and became a mountain man. A mountain man was someone who explored and lived in the wilderness.
Garcia wrote his life story when he was older. However, he never tried to publish it. His family did not approve of some parts. Also, he worried that writers of cheap adventure stories might twist his true experiences. The book covers Garcia's adventures in Montana from 1878 to 1879.
Andrew Garcia worked for the U.S. Army in Montana. He herded animals and carried supplies. He worked for Colonel Samuel D. Sturgis's soldiers from 1876 to 1878. Garcia was in the Yellowstone and Musselshell areas. He was also present during the Nez Perce War. The book begins in 1878. At this time, Garcia left the army. He started a business with a man named Beaver Tom. They trapped beavers and traded for buffalo robes.
While trading, Garcia met a Nez Perce woman. She was known as In-who-lise, which means 'Broken Tooth'. Her original name was Kot-kot-hy-hih, or White Feather. She had been with Chief Joseph's tribe. Her tribe was trying to escape from the U.S. Cavalry. Garcia married her. The book includes her story of the final battle. This was the Battle of the Big Hole against the 7th Infantry.
Contents
How Was the Book Written?
Andrew Garcia's Original Writings
In 1928, Andrew Garcia met a historian named L.V. McWhorter. McWhorter was studying the Nez Perce Native American people. Garcia offered to share information. He had learned much about the Nez Perce War of 1877 from his first wife, In-who-lise. McWhorter accepted Garcia's offer. They wrote letters to each other until Garcia died in 1943.
Garcia kept writing during this time. His writings covered much of his life story. This included events from the 1860s through the 1880s. Garcia worked on his writings late at night. He would write after working on his ranch all day. Garcia's original writings were thousands of pages long. He told McWhorter that he wanted to create a three-book series. He planned to call it In-who-lise.
Finding and Publishing the Story
Andrew Garcia's great-grandson, Doug Garcia, shared a family secret. He said that many family members did not like Garcia's story. Andrew Garcia's later wife did not want to hear about his past relationships. One of his daughters-in-law, Evelyn Gladys Garcia, strongly disliked the rough language in the story. Also, Andrew's grandsons were punished if they tried to read it secretly.
In 1960, the family sold Garcia's papers. Bennett H. Stein bought them. He later edited parts of these writings. This became the book Tough Trip through Paradise 1878-1879. It was published in 1967. The original writings were kept safe in dynamite boxes.
The writings stayed with the Rock Foundation. This foundation was started by Bennett Stein and Hugh Galusha. After Stein passed away, Dorothy Bradley led the foundation. She decided to keep the writings at the Park County Museum. The foundation still owned the materials. In 2004, they were moved again. This time, they went to the Montana Historical Society.
Later, the Rock Foundation closed down. The ownership of Ben Stein's research collection then went to the Montana Historical Society. This collection includes Andrew Garcia's original writings. It also has materials Stein used for his writing. There are also letters and other writings from both men. As of November 2012, researchers can use this collection.
Images for kids
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The first edition of Andrew Garcia's memoir, with Garcia himself on the cover.
