Hiking Westward / Being the Story of Two Boys Whose Ambition Led Them to Face Privations and Hardships in Their Quest of a Home in the Great West

Two teenage brothers, prompted by their mother's failing health and scant finances, leave urban life to file a free homestead in Washington State. The story traces their arduous travel by river and rail, work in lumber camps, and the practical labor of clearing land, building an irrigation system and a home. They face natural dangers, financial setbacks, legal and human threats to their claim, and personal trials that demand ingenuity, courage and community help. Along the way they form friendships, win neighbors' respect, and learn self-reliance while striving to make the farm a secure home for their family.