Bible

The 1860 Freighters Bible is currently on display. There, in the museum is an 1860 printing of a Russell, Majors, & Waddell Freighters Bible. There were two printing runs for those Bibles, one in 1858 and again in 1860.

Between 800-1000 printed during each run. The 1858 printing is far more common and there are approximately a few dozen that still exist both in private collections and museums nationwide. Of the 1860 printing, only two exist. There is one at the Pony Express Museum in St. Joseph, MO and the other resides at the Old Freighters Museum on site in Nebraska City, NE.

The company issued Bibles to every "bullwhacker" who worked for them over the years with the expectation that they would read them along the trail. Many of them did not. Most of the Bibles were either accidentally destroyed or lost on the journey. Quite a few ended up out west in family collections. The majority of 1858 printings are in collections in California and Oregon. A letter of authentication was received and came from a historian with the California State Historical Society.

It was then brought to the Nebraska City Historical Society, by an independent scholar of Russell, Major, & Waddell and the Westward Trails who also agreed that it was authentic. It is believed to be an 1860 Bible. While there is a question regarding the Alexander Majors signature on the frontispiece. Interesting enough it doesn't appear as similar to his other signatures. As his actual signature, it would make the Bible the only known copy in existence signed by Majors.

The cat photograph from Harper's Weekly glued inside the front cover is just a fun feature! Probably pasted in by a later owner, likely a young girl who was given the Bible. Sharing pictures of cats was apparently not a new phenomenon!