Stagecoach: Wells Fargo and the American West

Item shipped quickly, packaged well and delivered as described.

Very good historical book. It could use some photos and maps throughout each section.

Interesting read on the history of a very large company with a very storied background

Enjoyed reading the history of Wells Fargo as an express and banking company serving the West coast of the U.S.

I went to the Harold Washington Library in Chicago, on 11/12/2009 and while skimming the shelves saw the titled book on the shelf"Stagecoach-Book One", started reading this book around 2:00Pm and left around 7:00PM. I ordered the book through the interlibrary loan system in Fairfax,Virginia a great book rich in substance about the Pinkerton men American Express the Overland stage .I decided this was a must have in my library.Reading this book was almost like visualizing the movies, "Open Range and Silverado",you are there.

Well done and a good read.

Wells, Fargo and Co., the freighting and banking company, got its start in 1852 at the height of the Gold Rush period in California. It bought out a number of smaller stagecoach lines running between towns and mining camps in the gold fields and eventually established a monopoly in the business in the area. To finance its business ends, the company also started a banking business, with profits being obtained from the gold dust being shipped from the gold fields on its stagecoaches. Packages, gold, mail, and finally passengers were soon being hauled throughout central California and points east by Wells Fargo stages. The company was also very involved with the Overland Mail Company, operating all its express services west of Salt Lake, and even administered to the fabled Pony Express along its route across the central plains for a few years before its demise. With the coming of the transcontinental railroad in 1869, Wells Fargo was able to expand its express business while the stagecoach operations disappeared.Philip Fradkin tells the story of the Wells Fargo company superbly and with careful attention to historical accuracy. He relates many stories of stagecoach holdups, of what it was like traveling by stage in the West, and what the stage stations were like - all told with flair and excitement. And the business operations of the company, especially after the merger with the American Express Company and into the twentieth century, are explained fully without becoming deadly dull. Fradkin's scholarship is praiseworthy in his use of original source material, especially company records and the files of the Wells Fargo Historical Services department. It's an enjoyable book and is the definitive book on the company today.

This book is actually composed of two parts. The first part traces the history of Wells Fargo from its foundings by friends Wells and Fargo in the early 1800s, to its spread through the American West in places like California, Utah, and Arizona. It shows how Wells Fargo provided mail services first, followed by carriage, and finally entry into the banking business to satisfy the needs of miners to transfer gold to money during the California Gold Rush. Many important facts are provided as the book gives insight into frontier life, banking and commerce in the 1800's, and the often minute separation between government officials and businessmen. Some of this history is quite interesting; for example, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and others involved at the OK Corral did business with Wells Fargo. This first part covers up through the San Francisco earthquake of 1906.The second part of the book focuses on Wells Fargo and Norwest Bank in the 20th century. The latter bank is included because it merged with Wells Fargo recently to create one of the world's largest banks. The bulk of the second half focuses on Norwest such as its origins in Minnesota, its history, and major changes it and the rest of the banking world underwent. The latter includes the change from a male-dominated business to a female-dominated business. The book ends by describing the merger of equals between Norwest and Wells Fargo, and how both adopted the policy of retain and retrain instead of laying of workers in redundant areas.The first half of the book was very interesting, even for someone like me who has little interest in the cowboys, the Old West, and related history. I give this part 4 stars. The second half of the book was quite boring, and emphasized the growth of financial services, mergers, legal issues, international banking, etc... I give this part 2 stars. So averaging out both parts gives 3 stars out of 5.