Inborden, Thomas Sewell
"A trip to California" by Thomas Sewell Inborden is a travel memoir and collection of addresses written in the early 20th century. It chronicles an educator’s five-month transcontinental journey, using vivid observation of landscapes, industry, and cities to assess opportunities and challenges for African Americans in the West. The work blends scenic travel writing with social commentary on race relations, education, religion, and practical guidance for Black farmers.The opening of this volume begins with a letter announcing the author’s return and outlines a sweeping rail itinerary from the Midwest through the Dakotas and Montana to the Pacific Northwest, then down into California and back east via Utah and Colorado. He offers lively sketches of mountains, canyons, orchards, irrigation systems, and bustling public markets in places like Seattle, Tacoma, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and the coastal towns, noting especially the region’s apples, citrus, prunes, pears, walnuts, and the infrastructure—power lines, aqueducts, and fine roads—that fuels growth. Along the way he visits churches and universities, attends meetings and performances, talks with Japanese and Chinese farmers, and surveys living and working conditions for Black residents, arguing that the West holds strong prospects for skilled, capital-ready Black farmers and professionals. These first pages mix travelogue and advocacy, closing with a segue toward a focused discussion of farm life. (This is an aut…
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