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$24.99
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The Springs area of Sonoma Valley has a fascinating history going back to Spanish colonization of California, continuing through the Mexican period with Vallejo and the mid-19th-century sojourns of Hooker and Leavenworth, and moving into the flowering of the geothermal resort era in the 1880s. Eventually, the unincorporated towns of Boyes Hot Springs, Fetters Hot Springs, Agua Caliente, and El Verano became collectively known as The Springs, which were thriving resort communities from the 1880s through the 1960s. Sharing an illustrious history with the adjacent city of Sonoma, they continue to thrive in new ways into the 21st century. In this volume, the story of the valley is well documented in postcards, snapshots, and newspaper photographs and articles.
Theatres of San Francisco
9780738530208
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$24.99
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You read the sad stories in the papers: another ornate, 1920s, single-screen theatre closes, to be demolished and replaced by a strip mall. That's progress, and in this 20-screen multiplex world, it's happening more and more. Only a handful of the 100 or so neighborhood theatres that once graced these streets are left in San Francisco, but they live on in the photographs featured in this book. The heyday of such venues as the Clay, Noe, Metro, New Mission, Alexandria, Coronet, Fox, Uptown, Coliseum, Surf, El Rey, and Royal was a time when San Franciscans thronged to the movies and vaudeville shows, dressed to the hilt, to see and be seen in majestic art deco palaces. Unfortunately, this era has passed into history despite the dedicated efforts of many neighborhood preservation groups.
Ghosts of the Queen Mary
9781626193147
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$21.99
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For thirty-one years, the RMS "Queen Mary" sailed the North Atlantic. It helped defeat Hitler and was the ship of choice for the world's rich and famous. Now in retirement in the Port of Long Beach, the "Stateliest Ship Afloat" plays host to tourists, travelers and more than six hundred spirits that roam her halls and passageways. These choice decks remain the floating home of a few regulars, including the oft-glimpsed White Lady, as well as Little Jackie, John Henry and, of course, Grumpy. Join paranormal investigators Brian Clune and Bob Davis as they take you to the hot spots of activity from port to starboard and relate tales from the dockside about the spirits that haunt the grandest liner ever built.
Early Mendocino Coast
9780738559469
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$24.99
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Driving Highway 1 along the Mendocino coast is a scenic adventure that draws thousands of visitors every year. Following the coast from Gualala on the south to Needle Rock in the north can be a challenge and features back-road driving. But imagine 100 years ago. Were there roads then too? How did people move along the coast? And what were they doing? Why did they settle here? Forget the Gold Rush and the forty-niners--timber was king here. Logging, milling, and shipping wood was the focus of the economy. Railcars steamed through the forests, and ships pulled up to rickety landings to load shipments for faraway places. Today some coast views remain the same, while others have changed dramatically, and whole towns have vanished over the century.
The Pullman Porters and West Oakland
9780738547893
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$24.99
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A hub of transportation and industry since the mid-19th century, West Oakland is today a vital commercial conduit and an inimitably distinct and diverse community within the Greater Oakland metropolitan area. The catalyst that transformed this neighborhood from a transcontinental rail terminal into a true settlement was the arrival of the railroad porters, employed by the Pullman Palace Car Company as early as 1867. After years of struggling in labor battles and negotiations, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters Union became the first African American-led union to sign a contract with a large American company. The union's West Coast headquarters were established at Fifth and Wood Streets in West Oakland. Soon families, benevolent societies, and churches followed, and a true community came into being.
California Apricots
9781609497958
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$21.99
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Picked warm from a tree, a California apricot opens into halves as easily as if it came with a dotted line down its center. The seed infuses the core with a hint of almond; the fruit carries the scent of citrus and jasmine; and it tastes, some say, like manna from heaven. In these pages, Robin Chapman recalls the season when the Santa Clara Valley was the largest apricot producer in the world and recounts the stories of Silicon Valley's now lost orchards. From the Spaniards in the eighteenth century who first planted apricots in the Mission Santa Clara gardens to the post-World War II families who built their homes among subdivided orchards, relive the long summer days ripe with bumper crops of this much-anticipated delicacy.
Murder in Pleasanton:
9781467117654
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$21.99
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In April 1984, Foothill High freshman Tina Faelz took a shortcut on her walk home. About an hour later, she was found in a ditch, brutally stabbed to death. The murder shook the quiet East Bay suburb of Pleasanton and left investigators baffled. With no witnesses or leads, the case went cold and remained so for nearly thirty years. In 2011, the investigation finally got a break. Improved forensics recovered DNA from a drop of blood found at the scene matching Tina's classmate, Steven Carlson. Through dusty police files, personal interviews, letters and firsthand accounts, journalist Joshua Suchon revisits his childhood home to uncover the story of a disturbing crime and the controversial sentencing that brought long-awaited answers to a city tormented by questions.
Lindsay
9781467115728
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$24.99
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A picturesque town nestled among the wildflower-covered foothills of the Sierras, Lindsay is the epitome of the ideal California life--one of health, wealth and sunshine. Lindsay became the heart of the state's second gold rush, when large-scale farming became popular, by hitting the mother lode with oranges. With over 16 citrus packinghouses, people initially came to Lindsay to seek their fortune. The success of the citrus groves attracted not only many skilled Japanese farmers but also many immigrants who were new to the trade. By the 1920s, Lindsay's most famous crop became Lindsay Ripe Olives. Lindsay is a town of surprising inventions and innovations that revolutionized agriculture, citrus farming, irrigation, and especially the olive industry.
Truckee
9780738574950
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$24.99
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At 5,980 feet, Truckee enchants visitors with a quaintness that belies the mountain town's rugged past. The very environment in which Truckee exists--high elevation, cold, deep snows--forced its founding fathers, residents, immigrants, and transient workers to make tough decisions while attempting to keep peace in a wildly remote area. In just over 150 years, Truckee has morphed from a collection of lawless rough-and-tumble settlements to a close-knit community with a sense of adventure at its core. The Truckee area was also at the cornerstone of many 19th-century technological innovations. From logging that kept trains stoked and fed Nevada mines to an ice-harvesting industry that transformed refrigerated transportation and the largest paper mill west of the Mississippi, Truckee proved its engineering mettle.
Amador County
9780738547015
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$24.99
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Located in the heart of California's gold country, rural Amador County has retained much of its gold rush?era atmosphere, even as modern times have influenced the populace and the landscape. In the early days, life was quite rugged here, and lumberjacks, hard-rock miners, and railroad men were a common sight. Today much of the community's stunning natural setting remains nearly as sylvan and pristine as it was when the county was incorporated in 1854. Proud of an extensive and colorful history that includes mining, lumber, mountaineering, Native Americans, wine making, agriculture, and railroads, Amador County residents truly enjoy this slowly evolving place they call home.
Haunted Heart of San Diego
9781467149891
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$21.99
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San Diego is known for its sunshine and beautiful beaches, but a dark history lurks beneath the surface. Shades of gamblers, thieves and gunfighters wander the streets, and the spirit of a young woman who died mysteriously haunts the halls of the Del. On the oldest sailing vessel in San Diego Harbor, the ghost of a small child stowaway plays with guests, and the Old Town Saloon occasionally hosts an eerie visitor seeking libations. Wyatt Earp haunts the very room he stayed in at the Horton Grand Hotel, and the former crewmembers of the USS Midway steadfastly man their posts, even after death. Join authors Brian Clune and Bob Davis as they recount the eerie tales of what may be California's most haunted city.
Inyo National Forest
9780738593050
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$24.99
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The great eastern front of California's Sierra Nevada and the parallel, similarly high White and Inyo Mountains; these are the lands of "the Inyo," one of the most spectacular and popular national forests in America. Established at the dawn of the 20th century to secure more water for Los Angeles, the forest now spans 165 miles and two million acres. From the Kern Plateau south of Mount Whitney to the peaks above Yosemite, plus Mono Lake, the mountains, lake basins, and canyons here have become some of America's favorite places for fishing, hiking, climbing, and skiing. The Inyo National Forest is also America's refuge for Sierra bighorn, golden trout, and bristlecone pines, the world's oldest living trees.
San Pedro's Cabrillo Beach
9780738559971
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$24.99
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Named after the famous European explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro is a recreational complex established in 1927 and located at the foot of one of the world's largest breakwaters protecting the Port of Los Angeles. A regional destination for beachgoers, the wave-swept Cabrillo attracts beachcombers to the tide pools in the adjacent rocky shores of the rugged Palos Verdes Peninsula. During spring and summer, onlookers watch the grunion mate and lay their eggs in the outer beach's wet sand. The protected beach has long been popular with young families who enjoy the calm harbor waters. A public boat launch allows easy access, and the breakwater's boulders have traditionally attracted fishermen and pelicans. Many of the million annual beach visitors enjoy exploring local marine life at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, Los Angeles's regional clearinghouse for ocean issues, which began in 1935 as the Cabrillo Marine Museum in the Cabrillo Beach Bathhouse.
Santa Cruz's Seabright
9781467124737
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$24.99
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Seabright, located atop towering sandstone cliffs and bordered by the Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor and San Lorenzo Point, overlooks the famous Santa Cruz Boardwalk and a state beach where locals and lifeguards have performed many valiant acts of ocean rescue. Originally a Victorian-era campground, the neighborhood features special amenities, including a natural history museum, thanks to a long tradition of community activism. The creation of the Santa Cruz Harbor in the 1960s completed Seabright's transition from a summer resort to a year-round neighborhood. The beach doubled in size due to the littoral drift of sand blocked by the harbor seawall, protecting the vulnerable cliffs from the assault of winter waves.
Los Angeles International Airport
9780738555829
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$24.99
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Growth on the flatlands along the western extents of Imperial Highway in the 1920s was once measured in beans, barley, and jackrabbits. After 2000, the site that became Los Angeles International Airport would be measured by the more than 60 million passengers and nearly two million tons of cargo passing through it each year. One of the world's busiest airports grew out of Mines Field and expanded quickly in the 1930s with the exploits of Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart, Howard Hughes and Will Rogers, Curtiss and Martin, and Boeing and Lockheed. After World War II, this large portion of coastal Los Angeles between El Segundo and Marina del Rey became the main airport for Greater Los Angeles. With the advent of the jet age in the town of the jet set, LAX became a nexus of international travel and a symbol of sophistication as the "Gateway to the World," a cutting-edge center for the overlapping spheres of aviation, business, politics, and entertainment.
Native Americans of San Diego County
9780738559841
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$24.99
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Archeological findings verify the occupation of San Diego County by Native Americans going back over 10,000 years, though little is recorded of their history before 1542, when Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo sailed into San Diego Bay and claimed the local territory for Spain. The native population at that time is estimated to have been 20,000, just as it is today. There are 18 reservations in the San Diego County area (17 of which are currently functioning), more than in any other county in the United States. The four primary tribal groups making up the Native Americans of the San Diego County area are the Kumeyaay (also known as Diegueño), Luiseño, Cupeño, and Cahuilla. Each of these groups has faced many hardships and setbacks while attempting to rebuild their nations to the proud peoples they once were, still are, and always shall be.
Loomis
9780738570198
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$24.99
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A small town set along Interstate 80 in the Sierra Nevada foothills, Loomis anchors what was once an internationally known agricultural area, a distinction it gained after early settlers came for gold mining along the rivers. The Central Pacific Railroad soon laid tracks here, providing a means for transporting fruit crops to market. Established first as Pine Grove in the 1850s, the town later became Placer, then Smithville, and later Pino. This led to confusion with Reno, so in 1890 it officially became Loomis, in honor of postmaster and saloon keeper James Oscar Loomis. Agriculture is mostly gone now, but many downtown businesses retain their original architecture, and the restored railroad depot helps keep Loomis's heritage alive.
The Palace Hotel
9780738559698
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$24.99
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When it opened in 1875, the Palace Hotel was the largest and most luxurious hotel in the world, a perfect symbol of one of the most remarkable eras in San Francisco history. Built at a time when Nevada's fabulously rich silver mines were pouring millions of dollars each month into San Francisco, it typified the color and grandiose extravagances of the whole bonanza period. After the original hotel was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and fire, a successor Palace Hotel took its place and remains one of the most prestigious hotels in San Francisco today.
Caltrain and the Peninsula Commute Service
9780738576220
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$24.99
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The rail line now called Caltrain was started in the 1860s to create a faster alternative to stagecoaches and ships between the key cities of San Francisco and San Jose. Operated by Southern Pacific for many years, the Peninsula Commute Service is the oldest continuously operating passenger railroad in the West and boasts seven depots in the National Register of Historic Places. This indomitable iron horse has filled a vital transportation role, from evacuating San Franciscans during the 1906 earthquake to getting commuters to work. With the dawn of the 21st century, Caltrain reinvented itself yet again with its innovative Baby Bullet express trains.
Newport Beach's Balboa and Balboa Island
9780738555751
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$24.99
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The village of Balboa lies on the eastern half of a 4-mile-long peninsula, a natural barrier that protects the neighboring Balboa Island from Pacific storms. Both the village and the island have constituted a sun-soaked paradise for residents and vacationers from all over the world for more than a century. Famous for luxury homes, miles of beautiful, sandy beaches, and one of the largest pleasure harbors on the West Coast, Balboa has enjoyed a colorful history filled with backroom gambling, midnight deliveries during Prohibition, and frequent visits from Hollywood's biggest stars. Such legends as John Wayne, James Cagney, Errol Flynn, Humphrey Bogart, and Lauren Bacall spent many a day sailing Balboa's harbor and many nights enjoying its justifiably famous nightlife of dance halls, restaurants, and clubs. Balboa and Balboa Island represent all of the extremes, perhaps best exemplified in the quaintness of today's city of Newport Beach, an Orange County enclave where great wealth commingles with the carefree charm of a barefoot community.
Soquel
9780738570815
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$24.99
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Soquel is a scenic town known for its antique shops, restaurants, and wineries. Winding through it is Soquel Creek, a once-powerful stream that defines the nature of the landscape and its history. The name Soquel is linked to Suquer, a leader of the native people living along the stream when nearby Mission Santa Cruz was founded in 1791. Later, during the Californio era, cattle grazed on the Soquel and Soquel Augmentation Ranchos. Fortune seekers, arriving after 1848, quickly discovered "red gold"--redwood forests, which they cut to build the pioneer settlements of California. Founded in 1852, the town expanded in the 1860s, as the sounds of logging rang in the mountains and goods were shipped from the wharf at Soquel Landing. By 1874, a railroad was charted along the coast and a resort called Camp Capitola was established at the beach. Gradually, as the mills grew quiet, Soquel shifted toward agriculture.
Azusa
9780738547107
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$24.99
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If Azusa lived up to the reputation aggrandized from the glib assessment that it was the city with "everything from A to Z in the U.S.A.," no one would want to live anywhere else. Hyperbole aside, many Azusa residents love the place just as it is. This vibrant city grew from a citrus town to a bustling suburb nestled in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. Also known as the "Canyon City" on the banks of the San Gabriel River, Azusa initially was a village of the Gabrieleno tribe before becoming Henry Dalton's Rancho Azusa during rule by Spain and later Mexico, and continued to grow during California's fledgling era of U.S. statehood. Founded by Los Angeles banker Jonathan Sayer Slauson in 1887 as a stop on the Santa Fe Railroad, the city was incorporated in 1898.
Santa Maria Valley
9780738588803
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$24.99
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Located in the heart of California's central coast, the Santa Maria Valley covers an area of mountains and hills that reaches the Pacific Ocean in Santa Barbara County. The valley's early history dates back to the Portola Expedition, which passed through Santa Maria on the California Mission Trail--called El Camino Real--and ended near Monterey Bay. When early settlers arrived, the valley was dry and desolate. Nearby water sources, however, helped transform the land into one of the most fertile and beautiful valleys in California. The valley became a leader in innovative agriculture transport, a depot on the busiest short-line railroad system in the country, and a training ground for many World War II pilots at its renowned aeronautic college. Today, its landscape of richly colored agricultural fields is framed by rolling hills and scenic miles of grapevines that produce some of the world's most coveted wines. The valley is also famous for its Santa Maria-style barbecue.
Pacific Beach
9780738520827
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$24.99
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Pacific Beach, California, was founded in 1887 by land speculators after the establishment of the railroad to San Diego, which resulted in the formation of many ocean-side communities. A "land boom" ensued, yet was short-lived due to the Great Depression of the 1890s. World War II brought a torrent of people to Pacific Beach--workers, sailors, and Marines, as well as their families--increasing its population five-fold. After the war, many residents remained, thus ensuring the growth of the community and the number of businesses, schools, and local services. A photographic history, Pacific Beach includes images that illustrate the community's birth, hardships, and prosperity since its incorporation, as well as the people, places, and attractions that today make the area a well-known destination for visitors from around the world. Featuring images of some of Pacific Beach's most historic landmarks, including the Crystal Pier and the Brown Military Academy, as well as local businesses, architecture, and churches, this pictorial tribute celebrates the history of this San Diego suburb from its earliest days.
Sacramento's Land Park
9780738529653
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$24.99
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Sacramento wasn't always so proud of the area now called Land Park. In fact, due to a notorious roadhouse at Sutterville and Riverside roads, the city took great pains to distance itself from here in the early days, calling the roadhouse and environs a "foul plaguespot" and a "sink of iniquity," and purposely excluding it from city borders! But times change, and the 1911 death of hotelier and philanthropist William Land set the stage for Land Park's remarkable renaissance. A bequest in Land's will directed that some monies be used to find "a recreation spot for the children and a pleasure ground for the poor," and so began the pleasant area of homes, parklands and riverfront paths we know today.
San Ramon Valley:
9780738530819
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$24.99
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The San Ramon Valley stretches for 20 beautiful miles under the shadow of Mount Diablo and includes the bustling communities of San Ramon, Alamo, and Danville. Some 113,000 people make their homes here in a scenic area of open spaces, gracious homes, and tree-lined streets. Also here are major business hubs and the winding Interstate 680 freeway. Of course, this valley wasn't always so populous. In the 1850s, while nearby San Francisco boomed and Oakland grew up, this valley remained rural. Mount Diablo became an important early survey marker during California's gold rush, but only in recent decades have the early ranchos and small villages given way to the modern cities we know today.
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar
9780738530581
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$24.99
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The U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Miramar is an essential component of America's homeland security, as aircraft from this base patrols the country's border with Mexico as well as the international waters of the open Pacific. The Marines operated part of the base during World War II, when their island-hopping campaign was crucial to Allied victory in the Far East. The Navy took over operations on the base after the war and until 1997, when the Marines regained control and established both jet and helicopter squadrons there--the aviation combat units of the 3rd Marine Air Wing and the reserves of the 4th Marine Air Wing. During the Navy years, the popular 1986 Tom Cruise movie Top Gun was filmed on the base, which is the largest singular piece of dedicated land on the City of San Diego map.
Paso Robles
9780738547213
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$24.99
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Halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, the historic town of Paso Robles became known for its abundance of hot mineral springs that brought relief from pain--first for the Salinan Indians, then for the Franciscan friars. As word of the springs' healing powers spread, hotels and bathhouses were built to accommodate the tourists who came seeking cures. The little community developed steadily after 1886, when the railroad arrived and town lots were auctioned. Area homesteaders raised cattle, grew grain, and planted fruit, walnut, and almond orchards--all without irrigation. Once known as the almond capital of the world, Paso Robles' agriculture has gradually changed from dry-land farms to irrigated vineyards. Tourists are attracted to Paso Robles for its mild climate, beautiful scenery, and mineral baths, which are being revived. The area's rich heritage is portrayed through more than 200 images from public and private historical collections.
Sacramento Northern Railway
9780738530529
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$24.99
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The Sacramento Northern Railway was once a critical interurban link between California's northern Central Valley communities, the state capital, and the Bay Area. Running through orchards, farmland, swamps, and cities, this electric railway began its life in 1905. Service eventually ran from Chico to Oakland, but after the Bay Bridge opened in 1939, the 186-mile route started in San Francisco's Financial District, crossed the bridge on the lower deck, ran through Contra Costa County towns like Moraga, Lafayette, and Pittsburg, across the Suisun straits on the massive rail ferry Ramon (which could hold an entire train), and into Sacramento, the halfway point. From there, the train continued through rolling hills and farms on to Marysville, and finally to Chico before making its return journey. The Sacramento Northern soldiered on until World War II, but eventually the growing car culture, along with competing diesel railroads, undid this splendid line. Interurban passenger service ended in 1941, and the various lines were gradually abandoned or dieselized. Today a 22-mile segment of the route remains in operation at the Bay Area Electric Railway Museum in Solano County.
Santa Ana 1940-2007
9780738558349
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$24.99
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Before World War II, agriculture was still a mainstay in Orange County and Santa Ana was a small community of only 32,000 residents. The war brought military personnel to the area, and many of them chose to stay or return after the war. By 1960, the county seat had 100,000 residents, and the rapid growth continued throughout the next several decades. By the 21st century, more than 350,000 residents called Santa Ana home. With the increased growth in population came more houses, more government and retail centers, expanded and reconstructed streets, and the development of a significant industry base, as well as a shift in culture and lifestyle. Today Santa Ana continues to be both a government and cultural center in Orange County, as well as home to many landmarks and events that have shaped Orange County history.
Los Gatos
9780738529035
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$24.99
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Nestled in the heart of a dramatic natural amphitheater formed by the Santa Cruz Mountains, Los Gatos serves as the gateway from the Santa Clara Valley to the Pacific Ocean. This happy accident of location allowed historic Los Gatos to witness a colorful parade of swashbuckling explorers, Franciscan padres, and hearty American pioneers, many of whom came to harvest virgin redwood forests from the mountains and grow fruit in exceptionally fertile soil. Los Gatos grew up around the 1850s flour mill established by Scotsman James Alexander Forbes. In 1878 the railroad arrived and was a powerful influence for more than 80 years. Named for the mountain lions that still inhabit the area, Los Gatos has reflected the expansive richness of the California Dream for 150 years.
Carmel
9780738547053
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$24.99
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Carmel is a microcosm of California's architectural heritage, sited at one of the most scenic meetings of land and sea in the world. Mission San Carlos Borromeo became a root building for California's first regional building style, the Mission Revival. "Carmel City," as it was called in the 1880s, was marketed as a seaside resort for Catholics. Its pine-studded sand dunes survived the imposition of a standard American gridiron street pattern, with a Western, false-front main street, to become "Carmel-by-the-Sea." Artists, academics, and writers embraced the arts-and-crafts aesthetic of handcrafted homes built from native materials, informally sited in the landscape. In the mid-1920s, Tudor Revival and Spanish Romantic Revival styles enhanced the storybook quality of the community. Carmel's architectural character is primarily the product of working builders. Its design traditions have been interpreted and modified for modern times by noted architects, building designers, and craftsmen. Individual expression continues as an ongoing aesthetic theme.
Pismo Beach
9781467130233
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$24.99
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Pismo Beach was home to some of America's earliest people. They thrived in the mild climate and were sustained by abundant natural resources, including the now famous Pismo clam. European settlers developed Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa and Rancho Pismo. With the breakup of the rancho, a small town grew at the beach. The spectacular wide, sandy beach, stretching away from hills and a rugged shoreline, has drawn many photographers to the town, its people, and its progress. An early aerial photograph of Pismo Beach was taken not from an airplane but from kites.
Yreka Western Railroad
9780738574301
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$24.99
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The city of Yreka was determined to have a railroad. When the Southern Pacific Railroad decided in 1883 to bypass Yreka, the citizens constructed their own railroad known as the Yreka Railroad Company. This railroad managed to eke out a living over the next few decades. In the 1930s, the railroad was reincorporated as the Yreka Western Railroad. By the mid-1930s, the railroad went bankrupt and was forced into receivership, and a new manager was put in charge. Through perseverance of the new manager, the railroad began to grow and prosper. By the late 1970s, the railroad once again started to decline, but as in the past, it managed to hold on. In 1986, the railroad started an excursion train known as the "Blue Goose," and steam locomotive No. 19 was added in 1989. Throughout all the hardships, the railroad still continues today and has been given the nickname "the Little Railroad that Refuses to Die."
The Owens Valley
9780738595931
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$24.99
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The Owens Valley is a bold and beautiful land where rugged alpine peaks tower over the deep trough of high desert that John Muir called "a country of wonderful contrasts." Inhabiting a rich and complex past are native people, miners, cattlemen, farmers, and city builders who laid claim, often violently, to its resources. By 1913, Owens River water was flowing south through the Los Angeles Aqueduct, and from the long and bitter conflicts that followed emerged an Owens Valley future far removed from the agrarian Eden envisioned by 19th-century pioneers. Today, unparalleled recreational opportunities draw millions of visitors annually to this "long brown land" even as reminders of a quintessential Western past linger in its open vistas, epic landscape, and enduring traditions.