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NEW RELEASES FOR JUNE 2026
THE GOLD RUSH
A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune.
Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in the United States, Canada, Australia, Greece, New Zealand, Brazil, Chile, and South Africa.
Gold rushes were typically marked by a general buoyant feeling of a “free for all”, in which any single individual might become abundantly wealthy almost instantly, as expressed in the California Dream!
Gold rushes helped spur waves of immigration that often led to the permanent settlement of new regions. Activities propelled by gold rushes define significant aspects of the culture of the Australian and North American frontiers.
At a time when the world’s money supply was based on gold, the newly mined gold provided economic stimulus far beyond the goldfields, feeding into local and wider economic booms.
The California Gold Rush of 1848-1855 in the Sierra Nevada captured the popular imagination, and led to an influx of gold miners, which led to California’s rapid industrialization, as businesses sprung up to serve the increased population and financial institutions to handle the increased wealth.
One of these political institutions was statehood; the need for new laws in a sparsely governed land led to the state’s rapid entry into the Union in 1850.
Various gold rushes occurred in Australia over the second half of the 19th Century. The most significant of these although not the only ones, were the New South Wales gold rush and Victorian gold rush in 1851, and the Western Australia gold rushes of the 1890’s.
These were highly significant to their respective colonies political and economic development as they brought many immigrants, and promoted massive government spending on infrastructure to support the new arrivals who came looking for gold.
While some found their fortune, those who did not often remained in the colonies and took advantage of extremely liberal land laws to take up farming.
One of the last “great gold rushes” was the Klondike gold rush in the Yukon Territory in 1896 – 1899. This gold rush is featured in the novels of Jack London, and in Charlie Chaplin’s film “The Gold Rush”.
The main goldfield was along the south flank of the Klondike River near its confluence with the Yukon River, close to what was to become Dawson city in the Yukon Territory. It also helped to open up the relatively new US possession of Alaska to exploration and settlement, and promoted the discovery of other gold finds.
WSP-135
THE GOLD RUSH,
THE WATERBOY #2
THE MOUNTAIN MEN
JOHN COLTER
John Colter (c.1770-1775 – May 7th 1812 or Novemebr 22nd 1813). Was a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804 – 1806), but is probably best remembered for explorations he made during the winter of 1807 -1808, when he became the first known person of European descent to enter the region which later became Yellowstone National Park, and to see the Teton Mountain Range.
Colter spent months alone in the wilderness and is widely considered to be the first known Mountain Man.
WSP-45
THE MOUNTAIN MEN,
JOHN COLTER
John Colter is believed to have been born in Stuarts Draft, Colony of Virginia in 1774.
His outdoor skills developed from a frontier style upbringing and lifestyle impressed Meriwether Lewis, and on October 15th 1803, Lewis offered Colter the rank of private and a pay of five dollars per month, when he was recruited to join what became the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Colter was considered to be one of the best hunters in the group and was routinely sent out alone into the surrounding countryside for game meat. He was often trusted with responsibilities that went beyond hunting and woodsman activities, and was instrumental in helping the expedition find passes through the rocky mountains.
In 1808, Colter teamed up with John Potts who was another former member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. They set out from Fort Raymond in Montana to negotiate trade agreements with local nations. While leading a group of 800 Flathead and Crow Indians back to the trading fort, they were attacked by over 1,500 Blackfeet. Despite forcing the Blackfeet into a retreat, Colter suffered a leg wound.
In 1809 another altercation with the Blackfeet resulted in Pott’s death, and Colter’s capture.
While traveling by canoe up the Jefferson River, Potts and Colter encountered several hundred Blackeet who demanded they come ashore.
Colter went ashore and was stripped naked and disarmed.
Potts refused, shot one of the Indian warriors and was instantly pierced with arrows. His body was brought ashore and hacked to pieces.
After a council, Colter was told to leave and encouraged to run. It soon became apparent that he was running for his life pursued by a group of warriors. Despite being a fast runner, after several miles the naked Colter was exhausted, but was far ahead of most of the group, with only one assailant still close to him. Coming to a sudden halt, which surprised the pursuing warrior Colter managed to overcome the lone man.
Colter took a blanket from the man he had killed, and continued his run with the remaining pack of Indians following. He reached the Madison River five miles from his start and hiding inside a beaver lodge managed to escape capture. Emerging at night he climbe and walked for eleven days to a trader’s fort on the Little Big Horn.
To Commemorate this achievement a John Colter’s Run event is held every April in the Missouri Headwaters State Park.
**PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DEALER TO PLACE YOUR PRE-ORDERS**
THE GOLD RUSH
A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune.
Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in the United States, Canada, Australia, Greece, New Zealand, Brazil, Chile, and South Africa.
Gold rushes were typically marked by a general buoyant feeling of a “free for all”, in which any single individual might become abundantly wealthy almost instantly, as expressed in the California Dream!
Gold rushes helped spur waves of immigration that often led to the permanent settlement of new regions. Activities propelled by gold rushes define significant aspects of the culture of the Australian and North American frontiers.
At a time when the world’s money supply was based on gold, the newly mined gold provided economic stimulus far beyond the goldfields, feeding into local and wider economic booms.
The California Gold Rush of 1848-1855 in the Sierra Nevada captured the popular imagination, and led to an influx of gold miners, which led to California’s rapid industrialization, as businesses sprung up to serve the increased population and financial institutions to handle the increased wealth.
One of these political institutions was statehood; the need for new laws in a sparsely governed land led to the state’s rapid entry into the Union in 1850.
Various gold rushes occurred in Australia over the second half of the 19th Century. The most significant of these although not the only ones, were the New South Wales gold rush and Victorian gold rush in 1851, and the Western Australia gold rushes of the 1890’s.
These were highly significant to their respective colonies political and economic development as they brought many immigrants, and promoted massive government spending on infrastructure to support the new arrivals who came looking for gold.
While some found their fortune, those who did not often remained in the colonies and took advantage of extremely liberal land laws to take up farming.
One of the last “great gold rushes” was the Klondike gold rush in the Yukon Territory in 1896 – 1899. This gold rush is featured in the novels of Jack London, and in Charlie Chaplin’s film “The Gold Rush”.
The main goldfield was along the south flank of the Klondike River near its confluence with the Yukon River, close to what was to become Dawson city in the Yukon Territory. It also helped to open up the relatively new US possession of Alaska to exploration and settlement, and promoted the discovery of other gold finds.
WSP-135
THE GOLD RUSH,
THE WATERBOY #2
THE MOUNTAIN MEN
JOHN COLTER
John Colter (c.1770-1775 – May 7th 1812 or Novemebr 22nd 1813). Was a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804 – 1806), but is probably best remembered for explorations he made during the winter of 1807 -1808, when he became the first known person of European descent to enter the region which later became Yellowstone National Park, and to see the Teton Mountain Range.
Colter spent months alone in the wilderness and is widely considered to be the first known Mountain Man.
WSP-45
THE MOUNTAIN MEN,
JOHN COLTER
John Colter is believed to have been born in Stuarts Draft, Colony of Virginia in 1774.
His outdoor skills developed from a frontier style upbringing and lifestyle impressed Meriwether Lewis, and on October 15th 1803, Lewis offered Colter the rank of private and a pay of five dollars per month, when he was recruited to join what became the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Colter was considered to be one of the best hunters in the group and was routinely sent out alone into the surrounding countryside for game meat. He was often trusted with responsibilities that went beyond hunting and woodsman activities, and was instrumental in helping the expedition find passes through the rocky mountains.
In 1808, Colter teamed up with John Potts who was another former member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. They set out from Fort Raymond in Montana to negotiate trade agreements with local nations. While leading a group of 800 Flathead and Crow Indians back to the trading fort, they were attacked by over 1,500 Blackfeet. Despite forcing the Blackfeet into a retreat, Colter suffered a leg wound.
In 1809 another altercation with the Blackfeet resulted in Pott’s death, and Colter’s capture.
While traveling by canoe up the Jefferson River, Potts and Colter encountered several hundred Blackeet who demanded they come ashore.
Colter went ashore and was stripped naked and disarmed.
Potts refused, shot one of the Indian warriors and was instantly pierced with arrows. His body was brought ashore and hacked to pieces.
After a council, Colter was told to leave and encouraged to run. It soon became apparent that he was running for his life pursued by a group of warriors. Despite being a fast runner, after several miles the naked Colter was exhausted, but was far ahead of most of the group, with only one assailant still close to him. Coming to a sudden halt, which surprised the pursuing warrior Colter managed to overcome the lone man.
Colter took a blanket from the man he had killed, and continued his run with the remaining pack of Indians following. He reached the Madison River five miles from his start and hiding inside a beaver lodge managed to escape capture. Emerging at night he climbe and walked for eleven days to a trader’s fort on the Little Big Horn.
To Commemorate this achievement a John Colter’s Run event is held every April in the Missouri Headwaters State Park.
**PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DEALER TO PLACE YOUR PRE-ORDERS**
. Robin.