Stagecoach Wells Fargo and the American West

Sweeping in scope, as revealing of an era as it is of a company,Stagecoachis the epic story of Wells Fargo and the American West.The trail of Wells Fargo runs through nearly every imaginable landscape andicon of frontier folklore: the California Gold Rush, the Pony Express, thetranscontinental railroad, the Civil War, and the Indian wars. From the GreatPlains to the Rockies to the Pacific Ocean, the company's operations embracedalmost all social, cultural, and economic activities west of the Mississippi.As its reputation for speed and dependability grew after the Gold Rush, thesight of a red-and-yellow Wells Fargo stagecoach racing across the prairie cameto symbolize faith in a nation's progress. For a time, Wells Fargo was the mostpowerful and widespread institution in the American West, even surpassing thepresence of the federal government.Stagecoachis a fascinating and rare combination of Western and businesshistory. Along with its rich association with the frontier, readers willdiscover that swiftness, security, and connectivity have been constants inWells Fargo's 150 years.

Philip L. Fradkin is the author of nine critically acclaimed books about the American West and Alaska. He shared a Pulitzer Prize for his work at the Los Angeles Times, and he has taught writing courses at the University of California at Berkeley and at Stanford University. He lives in San Francisco.