Book Notes
The Covered Bridges of Pennsylvania:
A Guide. By Susan M. Zacher. (Harris-
burg: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum
Commission, 1982. vi + 141p.; il-
lustrations, maps, bibliography, index.)
As its title might indicate, this book
functions primarily as a tourist guide
to the covered bridges which are found
throughout Pennsylvania. Following a
brief introduction to truss types, the
book consists of a list of the 227
extant covered bridges in the state, with the
bridges grouped by region and by county.
Though some attempt is made to
characterize the bridges remaining in
the various areas, the book's basic
emphasis is upon large, attractive
photographs of bridges and directions for
finding them. Factual information such
as builder, length, construction date,
and condition is recorded for each
bridge. Each bridge is also the subject
of an extremely brief description or
history. These narratives range from the
informative to the cryptic and
inconsequential which, unfortunately, predom-
inate. Lacking any true historical
perspective, analysis of its subject matter, or
interpretation of significance, this
book offers a useful illustrated listing of
bridges for travelers wishing to examine
them in person and supplies undi-
gested arcana for covered bridge mavens.
Christopher Bensch
Transportation and the Early Nation:
Papers Presented at an Indiana Amer-
ican Revolution Bicentennial
Symposium. (Indianapolis: Indiana
Historical
Society, 1982. vii + 156p.;
illustrations, maps, notes.) Transportation and the
Early Nation is a collection of six papers delivered at the fourth
Indiana
American Revolution Bicentennial
Symposium. The papers are: "The Trans-
portation Revolution and American Law:
Constitutionalism and Public Poli-
cy" by Harry N. Scheiber,
"Internal Improvements in National Politics" by
Douglas E. Clanin, "The Ohio River:
Pathway to Settlement" by Donald T.
Zimmer, "The Canal Era in the Old
Northwest" by Ralph D Gray, and
"Iron Roads in the Old Northwest:
The Railroads and the Growing Nation"
by John F. Stover. This book is an
excellent overview of early transportation.
Roger Meade
Benjamin Holt: The Story of the
Caterpillar Tractor. Edited by Walter
A.
Payne. (Stockton, California: University of the
Pacific, 1982. x + 102p.; illus-
trations.) Number 1 of Monograph Series II from the
Holt-Atherton Pacific
Center for Western Studies, this slim
slip-covered volume manages to cram a
plethora of interesting and unusual
photographs and illustrations into a seri-
ous study of an uncommon man and the
distinctive community that devel-
oped the caterpillar. Authors Roger T.
Barnett, Erling A. Erickson, Leonard
A. Humphreys, Ronald H. Limbaugh, and
general editor Walter A. Payne
trace the history of Benjamin Holt and
the development of his caterpillar