Blog

  Recent press articles and reviews of Beyond the Land of Gold have focused on the rich collection of family photographs included in the book and connections to the home of Dr. Levi Cheney, the uncle of Perry. I’ve also received numerous questions regarding my family’s connections to the LDS and the RLDS, known today as the Community of Christ Church. I will attempt to provide some further details regarding my background and its relevance to the Burgess story.  Read More

   Following the death of his father Abram during the Mormon Exodus, Perry's mother remarried Dr. Ben White, a gold rush pioneer who briefly owned property in early Steamboat Springs. He was not only the brother-in-law of Lewis and Dr. Levi Cheney, but was also their neighbor across multiple states. Ben joined both men during the California gold rush, and as pioneer doctors, Ben and Levi practiced Indian and patent medicine. They spent years living as neighbors in California, Illinois and Missouri. 
   One of Perry's first stops in 1866 as he began his "Journey to the Land of Gold" was that of his Uncle Levi's home. We know from Perry's Bozeman Trail diary that during his brief visit, Perry played his fiddle, and the children enjoyed dancing. Perhaps they also discussed various trail tips and pioneer medicine before Perry and his Cheney uncles joined the frenzy considered The Montana Gold Rush.  Read More