Clifton Johnson

   Clifton Johnson wrote many books, some of which are about rambling along roads in the United States and abroad. The subtitle of one book about travelling in Florida early in the last century includes these words: "... human interest information for travellers in Florida; and for those other travellers who are kept at home by chance or necessity, but who journey far and wide on the wings of fancy."

More Reading For the Recumbent

   Since we are kept indoors and have to remain in-country because of the Great Covid Flu, here are some more books which you can read from the comfort of your couch. Although some 'publisher' on Amazon will offer to print and then sell you these books, you can read them for free since they are in the public domain. If you want to buy a copy, purchase a real one from AbeBooks. 

Highways and Byways of America

   Here are the titles in this series:

Highways and Byways of the South

Highways and Byways of the Mississippi Valley

Highways and Byways of the Rocky Mountains

The Highways and Byways of the Pacific Coast

Highways and Byways of the Great Lakes

Highways and Byways from the St. Lawrence to Virginia

Highways and Byways of New England

Highways and Byways of California

Highways and Byways of Florida

   If you choose to go to Florida since we are having snow flurries on Mother's Day eve, here is a review of the book about that state:

(The review is from the Journal of American History, Vol.6, No.1, June, 1919.) Copies of books such as these can be found in different places on the Internet. As mentioned, he wrote books about other countries, for example: Along French Byways and Along English Hedgerows. He also wrote about rivers: The Picturesque St. Lawrence and The Picturesque Hudson. These books are also available for free. Sources: Johnson was an interesting fellow as you will learn from the good Wikipedia essay about him. His archives are located at the Jones Library in Amherst where there is also another biographical profile. The Library up at Western University has a few of his books and that is where I got the copy of Highways and Byways of Florida. I recently posted about a related series: Historic Highways of America, by Archer Butler Hulbert. The Bonus: Surely Clifton Johnson must have had an interesting life travelling along all those roads. Perhaps his son had a more exciting one since he and his wife Electa "Exy" Search, sailed around the world several times. If you are too busy to start reading the books recommended, simply go to the Wikipedia entry for Irving Johnson. Their archives are, suitably enough, at the Mystic Seaport Museum.

Highways and Byways of Britain

   Having just posted about the new coastal paths that will soon allow you to circumnavigate all of England, here is some information for those who might want to learn what it was like to ramble about the country during the early years of the last century.
   MacMillan & Company published this "Highways and Byways" series from around 1907 to the 1940s. The volumes typically contained illustrations and maps and many of them are found on AbeBooks and some are now in the public domain and can be accessed over the Internet. The recently published book contains selections from some of the volumes and a list of those volumes is provided below.

 "Between the end of the nineteenth century and the Second World War Macmillan published a much-loved and extremely successful series of books under the title of 'Highways and Byways'. In them, the authors took readers on a delightful guided tour of the country, county by county, pointing out places of interest, key historical events and local lore and legend. Now, Macmillan is reissuing - in one beautifully designed volume - a selection of those highways and byways, which affords contemporary readers both a charming period piece and a wonderful glimpse of the very best of Britain." Here is a list of the books in the series.
Highways and Byways in Berkshire (1906) by J. E. Vincent
"The book will certainly serve as an invaluable companion to the reader who decides to explore Berkshire for himself, telling him what spots to seek diligently and indicating the districts that may be treated lightly. The indolent man, who eschews travel as troublesome, will be able, without leaving his armchair by the fire, now that he can have the assistance of Messrs. Vincent and Griggs, thoroughly to enjoy Berkshire scenes, make the acquaintance of Berkshire men and women, and learn the importance of the county in English history." Nature, Dec. 13, 1906
Highways and Byways in Buckinghamshire (1910) by Clement King Shorter
Highways and Byways in Cambridge and Ely (1910) by Rev. Edward Conybeare
Highways and Byways in Devon and Cornwall (1911) by Arthur H. Norway
Highways and Byways in Donegal and Antrim (1899) by Stephen Gwynn
Highways and byways in Dorset (1906) by Sir Frederick Treves
Highways and byways in East Anglia (1901) by William A. Dutt
Highways and Byways in Essex (1939) by Clifford Bax
Highways and Byways in Galloway and Carrick (1916) by Rev. C. H. Dick (Charles Hill Dick)
Highways and Byways in Gloucestershire (1932) by Edward Hutton
Highways and Byways in Hampshire (1908) by D. H. Moutray Read
Highways and Byways in Hardy's Wessex (1913) by Hermann Lea
Highways and Byways in Hertfordshire (1902) by Herbert W. Tompkins
Highways and Byways in Kent (1907) by Walter Jerrold
Highways and Byways in Leicestershire (1926) by J. B. Firth
Highways and Byways in Lincolnshire (1914) by Willingham Franklin Rawnsley
Highways and Byways in London (1902) by Mrs. E. T. Cook
Highways and Byways in Middlesex (1909) by Walter Jerrold
Highways and Byways in Normandy (1900) by Percy Dearmer
Highways and Byways in Northamptonshire and Rutland (1918) by Herbert A. Evans
Highways and Byways in Northumbria (1920) by P. Anderson Graham
Highways and Byways in North Wales (1898) by A. G. Bradley
Highways and Byways in Nottinghamshire (1910) by J. B. Firth
Highways and Byways in Oxford and the Cotswolds (1905) by Herbert A. Evans
Highways and Byways in Shakespeare's Country (1914) by W. H. Hutton
Highways and Byways in Somerset (1912) by Edward Hutton
Highways and Byways in South Wales (1903) by A. G. Bradley
Highways and Byways in Surrey (1908) by Eric Parker
Highways and Byways in Sussex (1904) by E. V. Lucas
Highways and Byways in The Border (1913) by Andrew Lang and John Lang
Highways and Byways in the Central Highlands (1948) by Seton Gordon
Highways and Byways in the Lake District (1901) by A. G. Bradley [Arthur Granville Bradley]
Highways and Byways in the Welsh Marches (1939) by S. B. P. Mais
Highways and Byways in the West Highlands (1935) by Seton Gordon
Highways and Byways in Wiltshire (1917) by Edward Hutton
Highways and Byways in Yorkshire (1899) by Arthur H. Norway


(From a review in The Geographical Teacher, Autumn, 1923)