Unique Journeys, 1905: To the Far East with Alice Roosevelt and E.H. Harriman

Written by Patricia M. Almond Inspired by the letters and journals of her grandfather, John Calvin McKnight, Almond’s Unique Journeys explores the adventures of two highly prominent Americans as they traveled to countries throughout East Asia at the end of the Russo-Japanese War and negotiations of the Treaty of Portsmouth. As part of a congressional mission led by the Secretary of War, William Howard Taft, President Theodore Roosevelt sent his daughter, Alice, in hopes she would serve as a goodwill ambassador during meetings with Heads of State in East Asia. Meanwhile, Edward Henry Harriman, who employed McKnight as his personal secretary, controlled both the Union Pacific and Southern Pacific Railroads, as well as a continent-wide network of connecting railroads and a steamship line. He traveled in pursuit of the missing link in a vision he had for extending the reach of American railroads far beyond the United States. The travelers were transported by private railway car, steamer, chartered freighter, sailboat, jin rickshaw, horseback, small boat, and the US battleship Ohio. They encountered heads of state in Japan, China, and Korea, and cruised to some of the most remote islands in the Philippines. Through the pages of this riveting narrative, readers will join the profound experiences that made Alice and Edward’s journeys truly unique.