By Mike Stillman

Last time, I began my search looking for one title, Francis Parkman’s classic Oregon Trail. The AE Database taught me how to distinguish one edition from another, and how to estimate what the value of this book should be. Armed with this information, I went to Abebooks.com and located half a dozen first editions for sale, some later editions with updated forwards printed during Parkman’s lifetime, and many much later and very cheap copies perfect for someone who wants to read this book rather than collect it.

Where do I go next? That’s easy. West, of course. Along the Oregon Trail. Like Parkman, I may never physically make it to Oregon, but in my imagination, the wagons are already hitched. Isn’t that what books let you do? So it’s back into the AE Database to locate a ticket for the next wagon train to Oregon.

When I was looking for information about Parkman’s Oregon Trail, I used the “Primary Search” in the AED. This allows you to search for specific authors and titles. This time, I want to find more books about the Oregon Trail, but I don’t yet know their authors or titles. So instead I will use the more general “Keyword Search.” This allows me to locate any book or other material that mentions the Oregon Trail anywhere in its description. And, remembering that Parkman’s book was actually called The California and Oregon Trail, I’m going to add “California Trail” to my search for “Oregon Trail.” And “Mormon Trail,” as many of the Mormon pioneers traversed at least part of this trail before veering off to Utah. I just enter “Oregon Trail,” “California Trail,” and “Mormon Trail,” each separated by a “/” (a slash, database-ese for “or”) into my "Keyword Search" and all listings for any of these trails come up.

What I find are 226 listings, though well-known titles, such as Parkman’s, have multiple records. I’m looking for the early ones. Many books have been written about the Oregon Trail after the fact. I’m looking for the occasional book or document printed while these pioneers were still traversing the trail, not the interstate. Immediately one title stands out. It’s a Journal of Travels over the Rocky Mountains, to the mouth of the Columbia River; Made during the years 1845 and 1846; Containing minute descriptions of the Valleys of the Willamette, Umpqua, and Clamet; A general description of Oregon Territory; its inhabitants, climate, soil, productions… Enough already! Titles were too long back then. I can’t repeat all of this each time I mention this book, so we’ll describe it simply by the author’s name: Joel Palmer.