
Pioneer Life; or, Thirty Years a Hunter
Being Scenes and Adventures in the Life of Philip Tome
Philip Tome
Pioneer Life; or, Thirty Years a Hunter
Being Scenes and Adventures in the Life of Philip Tome
Philip Tome
Pioneer Life is a mostly autobiographical narrative of the life of Philip Tome. Tome was born in 1782 near present-day Harrisburg and lived on the upper Susquehanna for much of his life. He tells colorful (and mostly true) tales about his hunting exploits in the Pennsylvania wilderness, as he tracked elk, wolves, bears, panthers, foxes, and other large animals through the state’s north-central mountains, earning wide renown among his contemporaries. His stories contain suspenseful chase scenes, accidents, and narrow escapes, inviting the reader to view a still-wild Pennsylvania through the eyes of one who “was never conquered by man or animal.” Pioneer Life, originally published in 1854, has since been reprinted several times; this edition includes a preface by folklorist Henry Shoemaker.
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An Open Access edition of Pioneer Life; or, Thirty Years a Hunter is available through PSU Press Unlocked. To access this free electronic edition click here. Print editions are also available.
Pioneer Life is a mostly autobiographical narrative of the life of Philip Tome. Tome was born in 1782 near present-day Harrisburg and lived on the upper Susquehanna for much of his life. He tells colorful (and mostly true) tales about his hunting exploits in the Pennsylvania wilderness, as he tracked elk, wolves, bears, panthers, foxes, and other large animals through the state’s north-central mountains, earning wide renown among his contemporaries. His stories contain suspenseful chase scenes, accidents, and narrow escapes, inviting the reader to view a still-wild Pennsylvania through the eyes of one who “was never conquered by man or animal.” Pioneer Life, originally published in 1854, has since been reprinted several times; this edition includes a preface by folklorist Henry Shoemaker.
Philip Tome (1782–1855) was a renowned hunter, adventurer, and early settler in north-central Pennsylvania who served as an interpreter for the Seneca chiefs Cornplanter and Governor Blacksnake for fifteen years.
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