Name: A Brief History of Phoenix
Brand: Jon Talton
SKU: 9781467118446
Price: 21.99 USD
Availability: InStock

A Brief History of Phoenix

9781467118446

$21.99

Though the new metropolis is one of America's largest, many are unaware of Phoenix's rich and compelling history. Built on land once occupied by the most advanced pre-Columbian irrigation society, Phoenix overcame its hostile desert surroundings to become a thriving agricultural center. After World War II, its population exploded with the mid-century mass migration to the Sun Belt. In times of rapid expansion or decline, Phoenicians proved themselves to be adaptable and optimistic. Phoenix's past is an engaging and surprising story of audacity, vision, greed and a never-ending fight to secure its future. Chronicling the challenges of growth and change, fourth-generation Arizonan Jon Talton tells the story of the city that remains one of American civilization's great accomplishments.

A Legal History of Maricopa County

9780738548159

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The roots of Maricopa County's legal community reach as far back as the Spanish conquest of the New World. Since that time, soldiers, farmers, miners, adventurers, and others transformed this wild, lawless desert into a productive agricultural community, a tourist destination, and a center for commercial, financial, and political activity in the Southwest. The region's legal community--populated by diverse, distinguished, and sometimes infamous men and women--participated in every aspect of this development of Phoenix and the surrounding metropolitan area. The history of Maricopa County law, illustrated here in vintage photographs, reflects the social, political, economic, environmental, architectural, and cultural journey of what has become one of America's fastest growing and most populous counties.

Ada

9780738584362

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Ada, named after the eldest daughter of Jeff Reed, a founder of the town, is located in the east central part of Oklahoma. It is the county seat of Pontotoc County and was called the worst town for criminal activity in the Indian Territory for the lack of justice. The west end block of Main Street was called the "Bucket of Blood" and harbored many murderers and outlaws until, in 1909, the hanging of four men in a stable advised all who would hide in Ada to leave or suffer the same fate. The murder of former U.S. marshal Gus Bobbitt was the catalyst for this desperate action. The hanging is one of the most talked about tales of the early West. Growing from the oil, cotton, and cement industries, Ada is known as the city of clear spring water. The Chickasaw Nation has its headquarters in Ada and has been a fount of industry and beauty in the town.

Alamogordo

9780738584515

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In 1898, the El Paso and Northeastern Railroad established New Mexico's first preplanned development community at Alamogordo. This city and its satellite communities of Tularosa, La Luz, and Cloudcroft are the only urban settlements in an area almost as large as Connecticut--the vast deserts and mountains of the Tularosa Basin are where people "climb for water and dig for wood." Alamogordo became the county seat after Otero County was created to modify the trial venue for the murder of Albert Fountain and his son Henry. West Texas ranching families moved into the Tularosa Basin in the 1880s and depended on ranching, farming, and tourism until World War II led to the creation of the Alamogordo Army Air Field (Holloman Air Force Base) and White Sands Proving Ground, the birthplace of the U.S. space and missile program. The first atomic explosion, Trinity, took place in White Sand's northwest corner on July 16, 1945. Col. John Stapp, pioneer of aerospace medicine, rode rocket sleds at the Holloman Test Track, leading to modern automotive seat belts.

Albuquerque's Huning Castle Neighborhoods

9780738596778

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As a 21-year-old German immigrant, Franz Huning could not have envisioned his future in New Mexico when, in 1849, he signed on as a "bull whacker" for a wagon train heading down the Santa Fe Trail. From his beginnings as a clerk in Albuquerque's Old Town, Huning's entrepreneurial talents flourished over the next half-century. He took on the roles of merchant, flour mill operator, and land speculator, helping to secure Albuquerque as a division point with a depot, offices, and major repair shops for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway. Huning's 700-acre estate, home to the once-legendary but now-demolished Castle Huning, fronted Albuquerque's main thoroughfare midway between Old Town and the bustling new downtown one mile east. It was a front-row seat to the city's development after the flood-prone Rio Grande was stabilized. Huning's former estate is now home to fine, diverse homes near the Albuquerque Country Club, as well as historic Route 66, Tingley Beach, the zoo, the Little Theatre, and a Christmas Eve luminaria tradition.

Albuquerque's Huning Castle Neighborhoods

Albuquerque's Parks and Open Space

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Albuquerque is a city of crossroads and cultures. Located at the southern end of the Rocky Mountains, at the edge of the Great Plains, and in the high desert along the banks of the Rio Grande, it is the junction where historic Camino Real crosses venerable Route 66. Although officially founded as a Spanish Colonial villa in 1706, native people have lived in the Albuquerque area for over 10,000 years. Thousands of ancient petroglyphs are testimony to the endurance of today's pueblo peoples. Explorer Francisco Vazquez de Coronado overwintered his famed expedition here in 1540-1542. Albuquerque has been a boomtown several times, from the coming of the railroad to its role as a health mecca, and from postwar urban growth to recent sunbelt immigration. This mile-high city has always attracted outdoor enthusiasts, as this chronicle of its parks and magnificent open space system attests. Contributions of Aldo Leopold, Clyde Tingley, Harry Kinney, and many community activists have melded with native and Hispanic traditions to create a place unlike any other.

Alpine

9780738578941

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Alpine was born a railroad town, but long before the whistle of the steam locomotive broke the silence of Alpine Valley, the nearby spring was a favored campground for prehistoric nomads and later for Spanish explorers and freighters along the Chihuahua Trail. When the Southern Pacific unfurled its line down from Paisano Pass in 1882, landowner Thomas Murphy saw opportunity and platted the town. In 1887, Alpine was chosen as the county seat, and with the opening of Sul Ross Normal College in 1920, the town became the academic hub of the region. Following a decade of prosperity, the Great Depression and recurrent droughts triggered a slow decline. But since the early 1990s, Alpine has enjoyed a surge in regional art and culture, allowing it to reclaim its former glory as a proud little cosmopolitan cowtown perched at the top of the Texas Big Bend.

Amarillo's Historic Wolflin District

9780738579160

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In September 1887, J. T. Berry bought 640 acres of school land from the State of Texas. Several years earlier, this raw section of prairie had been home to buffalo herds and the Kiowa and Comanche Nations. Berry could not have known that this land would one day become home to cattle barons, oil and gas pioneers, and a U.S. ambassador. When Charles Oldham Wolflin married Alpha Eunice McVean a decade later and acquired that same section of land, he never dreamed that his son would develop that land from a dairy farm into a premier residential development. Today the Wolflin Historic District is a vibrant, lush neighborhood with tree-lined brick streets and stately houses. It is home to several thousand residents, including descendants of pioneer families, modern-day professionals, and public servants who contribute to the arts, are involved in philanthropy, and are active in community service.

Andrews

9780738579801

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Andrews County was named for Richard Andrews, the first casualty in Texas's fight for independence from Mexico in 1835 at the battle of Concepción. Before the creation of the county in 1876 by the Texas legislature, the area had been largely ignored by state officials and avoided by ranchers and settlers because of its remoteness, scarcity of water, and attacks by local Native Americans. That all changed in 1875 after an expedition by U.S. cavalry troops led by Col. William R. Shafter opened the region up to settlers. The town of Andrews became the county seat in 1910 after a close election race with nearby Shafter Lake. Ranching was the first economic driver in the county, but the discovery of oil in 1929 changed everything. The oil boom created jobs, brought in revenue, and attracted new residents. Today Andrews is experiencing growth thanks to renewed demand for oil, nuclear-related industries, first-class sporting venues, and other amenities that have rejuvenated the community.

Apache Junction and the Superstition Mountains

9780738530406

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In pioneer lore, the Lost Dutchman's Mine remains an intriguing mystery of the Old West. What became Apache Junction in the Salt River Valley was already an established home for prehistoric Native Americans and the Apache tribe, when it was further settled and cultivated by Spanish and Mexican expeditions, American wagon trains, mountain men, and the U.S. military in the late 19th century. But Apache Junction became legendary when German immigrant Jacob Waltz discovered a secret gold mine. Thousands of prospectors traversed the "crooked top" Superstition Mountains in search of this treasure, enriching the area's history and leading to the development of a unique community that has endured and grown alongside the famous legend.

Apache Junction and the Superstition Mountains

Ardmore

9780738560854

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Although part of the Chickasaw Nation, virgin soil lured pioneers into Indian Territory, and by 1900, intruders outnumbered Native Americans 10 to 1, building communities throughout Native American lands. In 1887, on a grassy prairie where buffalo had roamed, men gathered where the Santa Fe Railroad planned to build a station. By 1898, Ardmore was a thriving city with businesses, churches, electricity, and telephones. Under a new federal law in late 1898, Ardmore became an incorporated city. Several disasters including a massive explosion and two major fires almost destroyed the town, but the people who built Ardmore came from sturdy stock. After each disaster, they rebuilt, and Ardmore continued to prosper.

Argyle

9780738584966

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With its large trees and rolling hills, the small town of Argyle is nestled between the Grand Prairie and the Blackland Prairie. In the 1850s, settlers found Argyle's natural resources perfect for growing crops and raising cattle. In 1881, when the Texas and Pacific Railroad built tracks through Denton County, Argyle became a town. Those who led the way to bring modern conveniences and provide protection for the people of Argyle are pointed out in this book, which tracks Argyle's history from a farming community to a modern town. Through the years, Argyle's citizens have worked together to benefit the community through local charitable organizations that include the Argyle Food Pantry, the Argyle Seniors' Activities Center, the Communities Civic League, Inc., and the Argyle Education Foundation.

Arizona's Historic Bridges

9781467133449

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Arizona was once just a passage for pioneers headed west for gold, religious freedom, and cheap land. Native Americans had lived in and explored the territory for years, but it was Manifest Destiny and the western expansionist philosophy of the burgeoning US government that created the impetus for better and faster routes across the vast territory with its topographical challenges. In the 1880s, the railroads first booted their way across the landscape, following historic trails before the highways were built. The Grand Canyon and Colorado River were obvious challenges, but there were also seasonal waterways that needed crossings. The history of the state unfolds with this book, profiling the bridges that define these historic transportation routes. Many of them have been proudly restored by their communities or the state, while others are gone or are in a sad state of decline.

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

9780738586717

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Since 1952, Bill Carr and Arthur Pack, the founders of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, have inspired visitors to live in harmony with the natural world by fostering love, appreciation, and understanding of the Sonoran Desert. When the museum opened it had only four employees. Today it has more than 100 paid employees, nearly 200 docents, and close to 300 volunteers. About 85 percent of the museum is outside, where visitors can enjoy native and the endangered animals exhibited in award-winning naturalistic habitat enclosures, an innovation in exhibitory developed by the museum. Most visitors spend between two and three hours touring the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, but as the museum continues to grow, it is becoming harder and harder to see it all in such a short amount of time. Visitors should plan to come early and stay late!

Arlington

9780738579818

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Historians dispute the founding of Arlington. Some say Arlington started in 1848 when Col. Middleton Tate Johnson started the settlement called Johnson's Station, a forerunner of Arlington. Others say it was 1876, when the railroad arrived, or 1877, when the post office was established. Still others claim 1884 as the founding, because that was when city leaders incorporated Arlington, naming the town after the home of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Whatever date one chooses for the founding, there is no question that Arlington has grown from its frontier origins into the entertainment center of North Texas. Highlights of Arlington's development include Depression-era gambling at Top O' Hill and Arlington Downs, Progressive values in the Berachah Home for Erring Girls, higher education through the University of Texas at Arlington, and economic expansion with General Motors. More recently, energetic citizens like former mayor Tommy Vandergriff helped bring two professional sports teams to Arlington. Today the Texas Rangers and Dallas Cowboys share top billing with the city's other signature attractions--Six Flags Over Texas and Hurricane Harbor.

Around Aledo

9780738579115

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In the mid-19th century, a few hardy settlers of European descent carved out farms in the Clear Fork Valley of present-day Parker County, attracted by the area's springs, tributaries, and a burgeoning market in nearby Fort Worth. For centuries, Comanche and Kiowa had inhabited the land, and a period of dramatic conflict ensued, exacerbated by the Civil War absence of able-bodied husbands and sons. By 1880, ranches and settlements flourished, aided by the Fort Worth-Yuma cattle trail and a Texas and Pacific Railway line connecting Fort Worth to the county seat of Weatherford. As the first mail stop in the newly formed county, Aledo was briefly dubbed Parker Station before having its name changed in 1882--a bow to a railroad engineer's Illinois hometown. Today segments of Bankhead Highway, the nation's first paved transcontinental highway, wind around Aledo, the Annettas, Willow Park, and Hudson Oaks, thriving communities that offer a pastoral lifestyle minutes from the urban amenities of the Fort Worth-Dallas Metroplex. Mere fragments remain of Newburg, Prairie Hill, Willow Springs, and other old settlements, visible only to old-timers and lost to living memory.

Around Benson

9780738558929

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In 1880, the rowdy town of Benson was born when the Southern Pacific Railroad Company recognized a market for transporting mining and ranching products to growing enterprises in the southeastern Arizona Territory. Leading up to the town's incorporation in 1924, nearly all railroads in the Southwest led to Benson, which by that time boasted several hotels, liveries, taverns, churches, and a smelter. By the 1940s, U.S. Highway 80 and State Route 86 junction brought weary travelers to enjoy Benson's clean air, artesian water, and mountain vistas, creating the core of a multiethnic city whose progeny continue to keep the town alive today as the "Gateway to the Land of Cochise."

Around Clear Lake

9781467130783

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With the coming of the Manned Spacecraft Center in the early 1960s, the Clear Lake Area became the center for cutting-edge technology and space travel. Soon to follow were numerous aerospace contracting firms and other high-tech enterprises, giving the area one of the highest concentrations of aerospace expertise in the nation. Nine distinct cities make up what is referred to as the "Clear Lake Area." From east to west along the north shore are Seabrook, El Lago, Taylor Lake Village, Nassau Bay, Houston, and Webster. From west to east on the south shore are League City, Clear Lake Shores, and Kemah. The lake feeds into Galveston Bay, creating a waterfront lifestyle with the third largest boating community in the United States.

Around Columbus

9780738585444

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Welcome to Columbus! The county seat of Colorado County, Columbus is the oldest surveyed and platted Anglo American town in Texas. It was first platted in 1823 by Stephen F. Austin and Baron DeBastrop as a possible site for the Texas capital. It was platted again in 1837 by W.B. DeWees and J.W.E. Wallace. Many of Austin's "Old 300" settled in Columbus and the surrounding area, including Alleyton and Glidden, which were founded as railroad towns. The area played an important role in the history of Texas, including Santa Anna's pursuit of Sam Houston's Texas army that resulted in the burning of Columbus during the "Runaway Scrape." Columbus suffered other setbacks, such as the long-running Stafford-Townsend feud and lawlessness resulting in disincorporation in the early 1900s, and enjoyed the good fortune of its reincorporation in the 1920s. However, today, it is a town of people who greatly value their heritage and seek to preserve it.

Around Dewey-Humboldt

9781467131124

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Nestled in the Arizona mountains are several small, unassuming towns that belie the importance of their heyday. These towns are all intrinsic to each other for one reason: mining. The nearby ranches were established to feed the miners, and in many cases, residents moved back and forth among them depending on which mines were prosperous or closed. Some no longer exist, evidenced now by rock walls or other harder-to-find clues. Some have turned into tourist attractions. The first legislative meetings of the Arizona Territory were held at the Woolsey Ranch in nearby Dewey, where the first building in Yavapai County was constructed. Indian wars occurred here, and many of the natural resources used to support the growing country came from iron and copper mines found deep within the bowels of the Dewey-Humboldt area. The towns of Cherry, Dewey, Humboldt, Mayer, Cordes Junction, Crown King, and Bumble Bee still exist. Others, like Agua Fria, Chaparral, Stoddard, McCabe, Poland, and Cleator, have mostly vanished, but their pioneering spirit and importance will never be forgotten.

Around Dripping Springs

9780738585222

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Now known as the "Gateway to the Hill Country," this small, historic town was once just a stagecoach stop between Austin and San Antonio. Founded by three pioneer families arriving from Mississippi in early 1854, the area was originally occupied by Tonkawa Indians. Despite an increasing pace of growth, the agrarian lifestyle established by the founding families continues to be preserved by farmers and ranchers, and the town remains committed to preserving its history. A local walking tour features a variety of sites, from the namesake Indian watering hole in town to the restored Dr. Pound Pioneer Farmstead at Founder's Park. Another landmark is the world-famous Salt Lick BBQ, where hundreds of visitors gather nightly to mingle with the locals and enjoy a delicious "taste" of history. Still, the main attractions to life in Dripping Springs continue to be what drew the original founders: simple charm, a family lifestyle, and lifelong friendships--all set in the beauty of the central Texas hill country.

Around Farmersville

9780738579719

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In 1900, due to its cotton production, Farmersville was the wealthiest Texas town of its size, with a population of 1,856. Originally called Sugar Hill, the town gradually moved to another location a few miles away. Because most residents during those years survived by farming and raising their own food, they named their community Farmersville. Fortunate to have such rich black soil, Farmersville became a hub of cotton production. During the 1920s and 1930s, onions became the money crop. Nearly every farmer had onions planted, and 1,000 railroad cars a year were filled with onions that shipped throughout the nation. Farmersville had certainly lived up to its name. In later years, farming declined in Collin County, but the town has adjusted to that loss and thrives today without forgetting its farming roots.

Around Hillsboro

9780738579528

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Hillsboro, Kingston, and Lake Valley developed in 1877 with the discovery of gold and silver. The towns were interconnected, and the history of one cannot be discussed without the others. Hillsboro became the center of commerce and law, and from 1884 to 1939 it was the Sierra County seat. Mining created the towns, but cattle, sheep, and goat ranching provided a more stable economic base. The towns remain surrounded by large ranches, some still owned by the original families' descendants. When the mines played out, Lake Valley became a ghost town; Hillsboro and Kingston are now quiet villages with a mix of old families, writers, artists, and retirees. The area had its share of Indian wars, range conflicts, prostitutes, rustlers, floods, and politicos who rose to fame and fell in shame, but it also had hardworking businessmen, miners, and cowboys who lived peaceful daily lives. The authors of Around Hillsboro acknowledge the sensational and newsworthy events of the area's history while heralding the people who provided a productive but less visible part of it.

Around La Porte

9780738584904

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The city of La Porte and the surrounding communities are laden with historical events and characters. Pioneers began settling 10 years before the Battle of San Jacinto, where Texas gained its independence. The land that was to become the cities of Morgan's Point, Shoreacres, Lomax, and La Porte was home to such Texas luminaries as Gen. Sidney Sherman, Gov. Ross Sterling, Andrew Jackson Houston, and James Morgan. The beauty of the area attracted legions of summer visitors, including Sam Houston and Dr. Ashbel Smith. Years later, pioneers of the Texas oil industry looked to the shores of Galveston Bay in La Porte to entertain and build summer places. La Porte was legally organized January 1, 1892, and for over a century of ups and downs has remained steadfast in preserving the natural beauty that is its legacy, the friendliness that is its nature, and the educational excellence to which the city's founders aspired. Today, La Porte is a unique combination of quaint small-town living with big-city amenities.

Around Miami

9780738585123

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During the late 1800s, prospectors in search of gold, silver, and copper began to settle around the Pinal Mountains area in Miami. By 1918, several mining companies had established roots and contributed to the town's booming growth. The community established housing, schools, a hospital, and a town government, and the population grew to 5,000. Soon, Miami achieved recognition as one of the main mining towns in the state, along with neighboring Globe, Jerome, Morenci, Superior, Ajo, and Ray-Sonora. The new mining opportunities brought immigrants from around the world to settle in the area and eventually turned Arizona into a leading contributor to the copper industry. Although mining's hold on the local economy has changed over the years, today at least 20 percent of Miami-area employment is centered around copper mining, which remains close to the heart of the first hardy miners' descendants.

Around San Antonio

9780738503110

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Around San Antonio provides readers with an incisive history, not only of the city itself--its missions, festive traditions, schools, military bases--but also of the surrounding Hill Country and ranches. Covering a time span from the early 1900s to the 1960s, this book provides a concise background of local folklore and traditions to visitors and other interested persons who wish to gain a deeper insight and appreciation of San Antonio and the surrounding area.

Around San Tan Mountain

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Within a few years of 1912--the year Arizona became the 48th state admitted to the Union--families began to settle on homesteads 30 miles southeast of Phoenix. These early settlers were primarily farmers
of diverse heritage and faith. San Tan Mountain provided the backdrop for the arduous task of clearing cactus and thorny scrub brush from the
desert. As irrigation water was pumped from drilled wells, crops took root on newly cultivated fields, and the communities of Rittenhouse, Higley, Combs, and Chandler Heights were established. Rittenhouse later became the town of Queen Creek. These communities were influenced--like many others across the Southwest--by war, the Depression, and immigration, all of which challenged and enriched the area.

Around Sanger

9780738585055

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Originally incorporated in 1886, the city of Sanger began as a watering station for the railroad. The Gulf, Colorado, and Santa Fe Railway purchased land from Elizabeth Bullock Huling and laid tracks that went to Kansas City. Area ranchers could now ship their cattle to market rather than drive them up the Chisholm Trail, which lay a few miles to the west. Among the well-known people who called Sanger home were Marijohn Melson Wilkin and Perle Mesta. John Chisum had a ranch north of Bolivar. Additionally, local citizens such as Dr. Roma Alva King, an acknowledged scholar on Robert Browning; Lt. Gen. James F. Hollingsworth; and Fulbright scholar Dr. Diane Hughes Barentine received recognition. Sam Bass was a known outlaw who found a haven nearby. A 520-foot mural painted in 2008 at the southernmost exit of Interstate 35 illustrates bits of Sanger's past as well as its present.

Around Terlingua

9781467132015

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The origin of the name "Terlingua" is obscure and lost in time. For the past century and a half, the area covered by the name has expanded to include numerous concentrations of people engaged to varying degrees in ranching, farming, and mining, or the support thereof. Farmers and ranchers produced agricultural products, woodcutters supplied timbers for the mines or fuel for the furnaces, and storekeepers supplied the goods needed for sustenance of this diverse community that was spread over much of south Brewster County in West Texas. Hispanic people who began settling the region in the 18th century were the backbone of the mining industry. Many of the families here today are descendants of the mine workers and continue contributing to the community. This story tells of the establishment and abandonment of Terlingua following the rise and decline in demand for mercury and how the ghost town was resurrected in the 20th century.

Around Timpson

9780738584843

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A chant used by dice players during both world wars and later made into a song recorded by Tex Ritter, Tenaha, Timpson, Bobo, and Blair made the rural area surrounding Timpson internationally recognized. Situated along the northwest border of Shelby County, the city of Timpson sprang up almost overnight when the Houston East and West Texas Railroad reached its present site in 1885. The city quickly became the major shipping point for the area, with four railroads connecting at Timpson by 1904. Notable in the city's history is its sacrifice of young lives during two world wars. The Timpson Guard Company was called into national service during both wars, and during World War I, Company B, 3rd Texas Infantry was said to have had more commissioned officers than any unit from towns of comparable size. Beginning in the mid-1940s, population slowly declined as families sought opportunities elsewhere. Still predominately rural, Timpson is set to enjoy a steady revitalization as recent gas exploration spurs its growth. Timpson has had its share of tragedy, intrigue, and notable residents, but its lasting legacy comes from the honest, hardworking people who have called Timpson home.

Cover image for Around Timpson, isbn: 9780738584843

Around Yavapai County

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On February 23, 1863, Pres. Abraham Lincoln signed the bill creating the Territory of Arizona. The first Arizona Territorial Legislature established the capital at Prescott and met in September 1864. They divided the territory into four counties: Mohave, Pima, Yavapai, and Yuma. Yavapai County, the "mother county," consisted of approximately 65,000 square miles and was believed to be the largest county in the United States. By the time Arizona attained statehood on February 14, 1912, there were 14 counties, and Yavapai County had been reduced in size to 8,125 square miles. Yavapai County has a rich history in mining, ranching, farming, military, and business. Today, Yavapai County is a thriving, growing county with nine incorporated cities and towns and numerous unincorporated communities, such as Ash Fork, Black Canyon City, Cornville, Mayer, and Skull Valley. Historic sites include Sharlot Hall Museum in Prescott, the town of Jerome, Fort Verde, Montezuma's Castle and Well, and Tuzigoot.

Artesia

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Before New Mexico became a state in 1912, hardy pioneers had already established the village of Miller, known today as Artesia, on the dusty southeastern plains of the territory. Abundant artesian wells and, later, oil wells drew settlers from far and wide to make a living and a home in Artesia. As with any town, Artesia has evolved and changed throughout the years; businesses have come and gone, while the love for Bulldog sports still attracts the young and old. Today, Artesia continues to grow as the community takes pride in preserving and displaying the history of the town. Artesia captures this story in photographs, tracing the growth of Miller to Stegman to Artesia.

Ash Fork

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The tiny community of Ash Fork lies on the juniper-studded hills some 15 miles west of Bill Williams Mountain. Founded in 1882 when the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad was laying tracks for a transcontinental railroad, Ash Fork became an important rail junction by 1895 when another new line was built, this one south to Phoenix. The storied Route 66 opened in 1926 and U.S. Highway 89 not long after, making Ash Fork the most important link between Northern and Southern Arizona by both rail and highway. By the mid-20th century, however, rail routes changed and Interstate 40 opened a half-mile south of town, stopping overnight the flow of traffic through Ash Fork. While many residents were forced to leave, those who remained stubbornly refused to concede defeat. As the new century dawned, the citizens of Ash Fork had developed a new community spirit and hopes for a brighter future.

Atlanta

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Atlanta is located in Cass County in East Texas, an agricultural area that focuses on livestock and timber. Cass County was named for Lewis Cass, a Michigan senator who was in favor of Texas annexation. However, during the Civil War, Cass fell out of favor with the locals because he was against Texas secession. In 1872, Atlanta became an official town, and settlers named their new settlement after their hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. In 1954, Texas acquired 1,475 acres of land that would become the Atlanta State Park. Football is also a very popular part of life here, second only to hunting and fishing. The plentiful woods and beautiful lakes in the area draw many visitors and retirees.

Austin's Montopolis Neighborhood

9781467131766

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Montopolis is a multiethnic neighborhood located approximately four miles southeast of downtown Austin. The area was long visited and occasionally occupied by various Texas Indian nations; the first documented European or American to settle here was Jessie C. Tannehill, who in 1830 built a cabin and townsite and gave the new community its pretentious name. Instead of establishing a permanent presence in Montopolis, however, subsequent European colonizers looked a few miles upriver to the new settlement of Waterloo, later to be called Austin. Rural and sparsely populated, the remainder of the 19th century saw the Montopolis area used primarily for plantation agriculture. In the 1920s, succeeding waves of Mexican migrants helped establish the modern neighborhood that exists today. Between the 1950s and 1970s, the City of Austin annexed Montopolis, although the area retains much of its rural character.