Name: Eddy County
Brand: Donna Blake Birchell
SKU: 9780738579412
Price: 24.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Eddy County

9780738579412

$24.99

Eddy County's 4,198 square miles were carved from the massive land holdings of Lincoln County, then the largest county in the United States, on February 25, 1889. Early Spanish explorers and Native Americans had used the seemingly endless water supply of the Pecos River, which bisects the county, as a trail to the north. Seven Rivers, the first settlement in the Pecos Valley, battled the newly formed town of Eddy for the honor of remaining county seat. Eddy won by a vote of 331 for and 83 against. Although born in lawlessness and diversity, the county flourished as the discoveries of oil, gas, and potash brought industry to support the established fertile agricultural and cattle foundations. This volume explores the early founding families and pioneers and brings to light many of the long-forgotten towns of Dayton, Lookout, Oriental, and Globe that helped form the Eddy County of today.

Foley's

9780738579283

$24.99

The story of Foley's began in Ireland in the late 1800s when William L. Foley set sail for America. Ambition led him to Houston, where he opened a store and hired his two nephews, Pat C. and James. The nephews quickly felt an entrepreneurial urge to run their own store, so their uncle gave them $2,000 to get started. On February 12, 1900, the Foley Brothers Dry Goods Company at 507 Main Street opened for business. Approximately 44,000 residents visited the store that day, and sales of $128.29 were tabulated. Soon after Spindletop was discovered, Robert I. Cohen of Galveston bought the Foley Brothers company for his son George S. Cohen to operate. Cohen, along with the aid of six of the eight Meyer brothers from Galveston, built it into the largest store in Texas. In 1945, Fred Lazarus, from the department store clan in Ohio, came to Houston to visit his son at Ellington Field. He saw Houston's potential, and in 1946, Foley Brothers became Foley's, owned by Federated Department Stores.

Pinetop-Lakeside

9781467132169

$24.99

In 1984, the White Mountain communities of Pinetop and Lakeside in east-central Arizona undertook a "marriage of convenience" and incorporated. Historically, they could not be more different. Like rival sisters, one was pious and churchgoing while the other was wayward and fun loving. But in the best of American traditions, they formed a town government to provide services for their combined residents. Pinetop-Lakeside's history is as rough-and-tumble as that of any Western town. Settlement began with the establishment of Fort Apache in 1871. The cavalry post provided employment for freighters and skilled laborers, as well as a market for beef, hay, and grain. The 1880s brought colonists from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They built the dams and lakes that in the next century would become the basis for an economy based on outdoor recreational tourism. Today, Pinetop-Lakeside is a thriving community of approximately 4,500 residents. One thing that hasn't changed since the time of the pioneers is the natural beauty that defines life on the mountain.

Muskogee

9781467112680

$24.99

Muskogee was formed in 1872, when the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad (MKT or "the Katy") established a depot on an open plain just a few miles to the south of the confluence of the Arkansas, Grand, and Verdigris Rivers in Indian Territory. A small settlement there soon grew to become the center of political and commercial activity in the territory prior to Oklahoma becoming a state in 1907. Muskogee, once known as the "Queen City of the Southwest," enjoyed major growth after statehood due to oil, cattle, cotton, and the railroads. This book features a diverse collection of Muskogee postcard images that take readers on a trip back in time on a virtual tour of the city.

Cover image for Muskogee, isbn: 9781467112680

Shawnee and Pottawatomie County

9781467125468

$24.99 $12.50 Save 50%

Restless pioneers surrounded the border of what would become Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, on September 22, 1891, with the goal of staking prime land. The crowd was diverse and not always well-behaved, but chaos eventually turned to order. Businesses opened quickly, and towns were established. Tecumseh would be designated the county seat, but it would not be long before Shawnee would steal it away and even have aspirations of becoming the state capital. Shawnee and Tecumseh would become the focus of the county, but other towns like Asher, Dale, Earlsboro, Macomb, Maud, McLoud, St. Louis, and Wanette persevered in their own ways, bringing a unique version of small-town charm. Pottawatomie County today is home to just over 70,000 citizens. Shawnee, still the county seat, boasts a prestigious college and university and is known as the birthplace of Sonic Drive-In. Sixteen sites listed in the National Register of Historic Places are in the county. Jim Thorpe, Gordon Cooper Jr., Wanda Jackson, and Brad Pitt have all called Pottawatomie County home.

Pilot Point

9780738571003

$24.99

The oldest town in Denton County, Pilot Point is situated atop the highest point in North Texas at a place that was once a landmark for wagon train pilots traveling through the region. In 1854, the town was platted and lots were sold, many to cross-country pioneers who were drawn to the abundance of fresh water, game, and fertile soil. The city began to grow more quickly after incorporation in 1867, and when the railroad arrived in 1880, Pilot Point became one of the busiest trading centers in North Texas, boasting both the largest cotton gin and university. From the early days of cowboys and cotton in the 1800s, to oil and cattle in the 1930s, to the changes that came with the 1960s, this new volume tells the unique story of Pilot Point.

Around Sonoita

9780738571430

$24.99

Located at the foot of the majestic Santa Rita Mountains in southeastern Arizona, Sonoita is known for its rolling grasslands, grazing cattle, and working cowboys in well-worn jeans. Ranching blossomed in the early 1880s when the Southern Pacific Railroad linked Benson to Nogales, allowing local cattlemen to ship their livestock to market by train. It would be another 30 years before the first Sonoita Post Office was established, with postmistress Clara Hummel dispensing the mail from her home. The area would remain unincorporated--the closest pioneer neighbors were miles away over dirt roads--but the citizenry grew in friendship and cooperation, developing a community spirit that still exists today. Locals and visitors alike enjoy Sonoita's neighboring communities of Patagonia, where a historic train depot evokes memories of the town's role as a distribution center for area mines and ranches, and Elgin, where old-time cattle ranches now share fence lines with the lush vineyards of Winery Row.

Show Low

9780738571386

$24.99

In true Old West fashion, Corydon Cooley and Marion Clark decided ownership of their ranch in the White Mountains with a game of "seven-up." Cooley turned over the winning low card, and the name, Show Low, became history. Today the main street is the "Deuce of Clubs," and visitors learn the town was "Named by the Turn of a Card." Mormon settlers and Apaches, sawmills and logging, hunting and fishing, and rodeos and ranching all add to the history of this tiny community. When Highway 60 was completed through Salt River Canyon in the 1930s, adequate access from Phoenix and the nation was finally available. At an elevation of 6,500 feet, there is usually a slight wind moving through the ponderosa pines, and Show Low stands ready to welcome visitors.

Haunted Santa Fe

9781467138345

$21.99

Santa Fe boasts an incredibly rich multicultural history, and the gorgeous Pueblo architecture conceals a chilling past. Indian spirits haunt the city and the nearby Sangre de Cristo Mountain range. La Llorona, the Wailing Woman, cries along the banks of the Santa Fe River. The unnerving ghost of Julia Staab wanders endlessly through the hallways of the La Posada Hotel. And strange noises and unexplained movements stir in the PERA Building basement. Join local historian and author Ray John de Aragón for a frightening journey into the unknown and the forbidden world of phantasms and the beyond.

A History of Spirituality in Santa Fe

9781467118194

$21.99

Shaped by early volcanic activity, the Sangre De Cristo and Jemez Mountain ranges surrounding Santa Fe create a uniquely spiritual landscape. Centuries ago, the Anasazi and their Pueblo Indian descendants believed the land was sacred and established communities in the area. In the early seventeenth century, the Spanish brought Catholicism to Santa Fe and christened it the City of Holy Faith. Other European faiths arrived in the mid-nineteenth century. By the twentieth century, religions from the East, along with New Thought and New Age practitioners, had established a foothold in the capital city. Sikhism, the fifth-largest religion in the world, was introduced to the western hemisphere from Santa Fe. The nature-based UDV religion of Brazil founded its first center in the United States in Santa Fe, which also includes the four major lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. Santa Fe city historian Ana Pacheco documents the rich religious and spiritual history of this high-mountain metaphysical community.

New Mexico Mission Churches

9781467144933

$21.99

Before Spanish rule, the land now known as New Mexico was inhabited by many indigenous tribes and pueblos with their own religious beliefs. When conquistadors arrived to search for the Seven Cities of Gold, they created settlements in the pueblos they conquered and forced Catholicism on the people they enslaved. While several of these original missions were destroyed during the Revolt of 1680, the surviving churches are cherished by the communities they now serve. Author Donna Blake Birchell guides you through the unique histories of more than twenty mission churches, their struggles and triumphs over the centuries and the preservation challenges they now face.

Verde Valley

9780738585147

$24.99

This book celebrates the colorful history of the Verde Valley from its prehistoric settlements to the Arizona State Centennial Celebration in 2012. Located in the heart of Arizona, between the Sonoran Desert and the mountain highlands of the Colorado Plateau, the Verde Valley has been a pleasant refuge for man and beast for thousands of years. In a land known for its lack of water, the Verde River and its tributaries--Clear Creek, Beaver Creek, Oak Creek, and Sycamore Creek--have attracted prehistoric people and American pioneers alike. This book will illustrate the history of the "Verde" from the ruins of the lost civilization to the first Anglo farming efforts along Clear Creek and the military presence at Camp Verde. It will illustrate the settlements at Middle Verde and along Beaver Creek, Rimrock, Oak Creek, Cornville, and Sedona. Finally, it will visit the settlement near the Cottonwoods, the exploitation of the Billion Dollar Copper Camp at Jerome, the smoke-belching furnaces of the smelters, and the elegant architecture of the planned company town of Clarkdale.

Camelback Mountain

9780738548401

$24.99

Camelback Mountain, a 2,704-foot peak that bears a remarkable resemblance to a kneeling camel, is one of Phoenix's most visible and cherished landmarks. From the city's earliest days, Camelback has been a magnet for promoters and developers, drawing Phoenix's most colorful characters to it either for profit or rest. But these modern dreamers were not the first to come under Camelback's spell. Many centuries ago, the earliest known inhabitants of the area made the mountain a sacred place. Today most hikers are unaware of the rich history that surrounds them as they explore the natural beauty of Camelback Mountain.

The Tohono O'odham and Pimeria Alta

9780738556338

$24.99

The Tohono O'odham have lived in southern Arizona's Sonoran Desert for millennia. Formerly known as the Papago, the people, acting as a nation in 1986, voted to change the colonial applied name, Papago, to their true name, Tohono O'odham, a name literally meaning "desert people." Living within a region the Spanish termed Pimeria Alta, the Tohono O'odham, from the time of Spanish Jesuit Kino's first missionary efforts in the late 1680s, have been witness to numerous governmental, philosophical, and religious intrusions. Yet throughout, they have adapted and survived. Today the Tohono O'odham Nation occupies the second largest land reserve in the United States, covering more than 2.8 million acres. The images in this volume date largely between 1870 and 1950, a period that documents great change in Tohono O'odham traditions, culture, and identity.

The Counterfeit Prince of Old Texas: Swindling Slaver Monroe Edwards

9781467117876

$21.99

After Monroe Edwards died in Sing Sing prison in 1847, penny dreadfuls memorialized him as the most celebrated American forger until the turn of the century. With a bizarre biography too complicated for easy history, his critical contributions to Texas settlement, revolution and annexation were inextricably mired in his activities as a slave smuggler and confidence man. Author Lora-Marie Bernard unravels the unbelievable story of one of the most notorious criminal adventurers ever to set foot on the soil of the Lone Star State.

The Counterfeit Prince of Old Texas: Swindling Slaver Monroe Edwards

Tulsa State Fair

9780738584232

$24.99

The Tulsa State Fair is the city's largest family event, providing educational experiences and entertainment for over 800,000 visitors during an 11-day span. Annually held the fourth Thursday after Labor Day, this historical event is based upon heritage, family values, and quality entertainment for all ages. It was first organized in 1903 as the "Tulsa County Free Fair" and developed into the Tulsa State Fair of today. With the goal of providing an educational and entertaining experience to the community, it has over 100 years of history and continues to stand out as one of the premier fairs in the country.

San Antonio's Historic Architecture

9781467134835

$24.99

Spanish colonial missionary settlements established San Antonio as a junction between Mexico and the developing United States in the early 1700s. Because of its remote location amid both countries and its great distance from other cities, San Antonio became a crossroads for commerce, industry, and strategic military position on the wild frontier. Texas independence and the admission of Texas into the United States in the 19th century established a diverse cultural population and distinctive architecture that remains historically significant across the nation as it continues to gain attention on the world stage. The appreciation of historic architecture among its citizens has enabled San Antonio to retain a remarkably large catalog of important historic structures, which are often saved from destruction through relocation. Three centuries of steady growth, from 1700 to 2000, has resulted in an abundance of buildings that has generated a local legacy of multigenerational artisans and skilled craftsmen.

Cemeteries of Yavapai County

9781467130387

$24.99

Yavapai County, Arizona, is regarded as the most historically significant area within the state. After Arizona was proclaimed an American territory by Pres. Abraham Lincoln in 1863, it was here that the first territorial government was established. Yavapai County history and culture is reflected in its simple but deeply reverent burial grounds where many of Arizona's early pioneers are buried. The county has many cemeteries, and this book focuses on the most historic of these, from Prescott to Southern Yavapai ghost towns, where people ranging from Big Nose Kate to Sharlot M. Hall are interred, and examines the Old West's attitudes toward death and burial.

Post

9780738596303

$24.99

Post City was founded in 1907 by an American icon, cereal magnate C.W. Post. Mr. Post acquired approximately 333 square miles on which to construct a unique town and farming community on the plains of West Texas, a place where Comanche Indians roamed until the buffalo hunters depleted the buffalo herds. By 1900, the population for the entire county of Garza was 180--a meager handful of people, mostly cowhands and landowners, scattered amid the vast ranches. Great change would take place with the arrival of C.W. Post, a man with a plan to build a model town in the middle of Garza County. Post's colonizing began to unfold when 72 of Missouri's best mules and 24 wagons were bought by Post for the mule skinners to haul lumber and supplies from the nearest railhead at Big Spring. It took three days to load the 60,000 pounds of freight for the first journey and four days of travel for the wagon train to arrive at the new townsite.

Midlothian

9780738558752

$24.99

The springs that initially attracted settlers to this area sprang from thick deposits of Balcones Escarpment limestone. The springs gave rise to Waxahachie Creek, and many settlers chose land near its headwaters to form the village of Midlothian. The black soil proved excellent for growing cotton, corn, wheat, oats, rye, and barley. When the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad came through in 1883, Midlothian was born. The town was incorporated in 1888, two years after the Houston and Texas Central Railroad reached town. Many settlers were experienced cotton growers, and gins were built alongside the railroads to process and ship the cotton. Farm animals normally kept for family use became more numerous, and several beef and dairy operations developed. Many servicemen returning from World War II, however, chose to commute to the metroplex for various jobs, decreasing the number of farmers. Soon thereafter, major corporations realized that the limestone was perfect for making cement and began operations here. Midlothian is liberally illustrated with historically rich photographs chronicling the development of this industrious region.

Oracle and the San Pedro River Valley

9780738556390

$24.99

A green haven along a desert highway, Oracle is one of the very few Arizona communities nestled under a canopy of live oaks. With an interspersion of huge granite boulders and towering granite dells, this area has serenity that is unique. Oracle began as a preferred environment for recuperating tuberculosis patients and a winter retreat for wealthy city folk. In true Teddy Roosevelt fashion, both patients and visitors slept in tents or on the porches believing the fresh air would bring good health. Eventually mining and ranching became the base not only for Oracle, but also for Redington and Mammoth. The peak in mining was Magma Copper's huge San Manuel Mine, which opened in 1953 and produced copper for 50 years. Today the mine lays a silent mark on the landscape, the huge smelter carted away for scrap, and the twin smoke stacks lie in the dust.

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

9780738586717

$24.99

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!

Tyler County

9780738584980

$24.99

Before six flags flew over Tyler County, Native American settlers created forest trails and left artifacts. Later, Mexican officials welcomed Alabama-Coushatta Indians and invited adventurous pioneers from southeastern states. The banks of the Neches River supported rustic homes nestled among towering pines and graceful dogwood trees. Southerners brought their culture and lifestyle, and cotton reigned as king in the early days. Timber and tourism industries soon flourished. The Wheat, Shivers, and Kirby families, among the first to put down roots in the yet unformed county, provided leadership for the prospering communities. Sawmills dotted the landscape. Longleaf pine trees provided jobs in the lumber industry for all willing workers. The Dogwood Festival and Tyler County Fair added celebrations of seasonal beauty and bounty. Transportation systems improved to sustain industrial growth and rising tourism. In the 21st century, biofuel producers continue the quest for improved uses of Tyler County's forests and enhanced quality of life for its people.

Boerne

9780738579436

$24.99

In 1849, German "Freethinkers" had been dreaming of a communal utopia, free from oppression by church and state. They settled in Texas on the Cibolo Creek, where Native Americans and Spanish explorers had gone before them. The experiment evolved into a frontier outpost, a stage stop, a health spa, a railhead, a small village, a brief chapter in the Civil War, and a farm and ranch community. Boerne is now a tourist destination and a lovely place to live. This collection of pictures and stories explores what has been amazing, unique, and a little odd about this bend in the Cibolo, as well as the history of local conservation efforts. As the little town of Boerne goes through its inevitable growing pains, it is important to remember its special people and places, and what is worth saving.

Camp Verde

9780738579122

$24.99

In February 1864, a party of 17 men and two women left the security of the territorial capital at Prescott, Arizona, and headed east into the Verde Valley, homeland of the Yavapai and Apache. Drawn by the promise of ample water, rich bottomland, and lush grassland, the party established a farming and ranching community near the confluence of West Clear Creek and the Verde River. In spite of conflict with the Yavapai and Apache, the settlement survived, due in part to the establishment of a military presence late that summer. Over the next 35 years, the settlement at Lower Verde thrived around the army fort, and became known as Camp Verde. In 1891, Fort Verde was abandoned, and the surrounding land opened to homesteading in 1895. The post sold at auction in 1899. Built among the ruins of the ancient Sinagua culture and situated along the banks of the Verde River, Camp Verde remains an agricultural paradise and a haven for those wanting to escape city life.

La Salle County

9780738579382

$24.99

The Nueces River runs west to east across La Salle County, and at one time it served as the boundary between Texas and Mexico. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed in 1848, ceded the Nueces Strip to Texas. La Salle County was formed out of some of this land in 1858. Early settlers struggled to survive in the wild terrain amid fears of attacks from outlaws and natives. From the Indian Raid of 1878 and the assassination of a sheriff, to droughts and dust storms, the hardy people of La Salle County persevered. After an election in 1883, Cotulla was selected as the permanent county seat, a courthouse was erected, and churches and schools were built. The lawlessness of the past is gone, but the county's residents share the perseverance of those early pioneers.

Historic Tales from Ahwatukee Foothills

9781467140317

$21.99

Phoenix's Ahwatukee Foothills grew from open desert to a community of nearly ninety thousand in just a few decades. From the first homesteaders and farmers to the modern visionaries and trailblazers who established homes and businesses, it is a very compelling story. Discover the mystery of the Lost Ranch, the reason for Elliot Road's misspelling, the battle over annexation and the origins of the Easter Parade. Local historian Marty Gibson recounts the challenges, struggles and successes in this collection of tales from the other side of the hill.

Around Aledo

9780738579115

$24.99

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.

Legendary Locals of Denton

9781467101653

$24.99

Denton, Texas, was founded in 1857 because residents needed a location near the geographic center of Denton County to house a county seat. The city is located 39 miles north of two larger cities, Dallas and Fort Worth, and the three of them form what is often referred to as the "Golden Triangle." Denton, the peak of that triangle, is the "North Star," and its residents, past and present, certainly are superstars--superstars such as Bob Rogers, the beloved "Piano Man;" Mary Evelyn Blagg Huey, a quintessential leader; and Hal Jackson, an ace war hero and lawyer. Their accomplishments burst forth from the chapters of this book to outshine others with their generosity, talents, skills, community activism, adventurous spirits, energy, civic pride, business acumen, courage, and creativity. Citizens of Denton are proud to say, "Our history defines our community." The images and words between these covers illustrate why it should be added, "And our people define our history."

Fort Worth's Arlington Heights

9780738578934

$24.99

On the prairie west of Fort Worth, British-born Humphrey Barker Chamberlin commissioned a model mansion, grand hotel, trolley line, lake, and waterworks in the early 1890s. He launched Chamberlin Arlington Heights as an opulent suburb reminiscent of his Capitol Hill enclave in Denver, then lost his overextended empire in the silver panic of 1893. Although several more well-to-do families established homes near those of the original "Heights pioneers," development progressed slowly. With the coming of World War I, local leaders persuaded the U.S. Army to build Camp Bowie across much of the sparsely settled area, providing infrastructure. A bungalow boom followed, with housing additions for the middle class and annexation by Fort Worth. As the 20th century drew to a close, preservationists sought protection for the legacy of built treasures within the neighborhood.

Around Timpson

9780738584843

$24.99

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.

Aztec

9780738584959

$24.99

Aztec, New Mexico, is nestled in the Four Corners area of the United States and has a rich history beginning with the early Puebloan people. They built villages, irrigation canals, and roads--some of which became the Aztec Ruins National Monument. The town also has several buildings on the New Mexico Register of Cultural Properties and the National Register of Historic Places. The state's first commercial natural gas well was drilled here in 1921, and its influence continues today. An alleged UFO crash in 1948 led to an annual UFO symposium, and mountain bikers still flock to the annual Alien Run Mountain Bike competition. In 1963, Aztec was named an All-America City for the community's effort to build an 18-mile-long road to the Navajo Dam. The mountains are a short drive away, and the desert and Navajo Lake State Park make Aztec an ideal place to live and explore.

St. Johns

9780738556284

$24.99

Settled in 1872 by Spanish pioneers from New Mexico, the town of St. Johns began as a farming and sheep-raising community far removed from the county seat and territorial capital of Prescott. Soon after, the Mormon Church, represented by Bishop David King Udall, purchased 1,200 acres for Mormon colonizers to settle. With the building of the Lyman Dam, the town was finally able to provide adequate water for crops and began to thrive. The building of a power plant in the 1970s doubled the population of St. Johns, but many of the original settlers' descendants are still there as well, canning their gardens' harvest and dusting from their homes the dirt brought in by the wind that never stops blowing. Although the streets are now paved and many of the old buildings and homes have long been razed, St. Johns has a unique story to tell.

New Mexico's Rangers

9780738579252

$24.99

The New Mexico Mounted Police were forged from a frontier civil crisis and hammered to life upon the anvil of necessity. The Sunshine Territory of New Mexico had become the last outlaw haven in the Southwest. In the tradition of their red-coated namesake, the Northwest Mounted Police of Canada, this small band of range riders used their fists, guns, and brains to restore law and order during the closing years of New Mexico's territorial era. They carried their mission forward into the early days of statehood.

Gristmills of Central Texas

9781467125963

$24.99

Gristmills were once commonplace in Texas. There was hardly a river, a creek, or a stream without one. The purpose of the gristmill was to grind wheat into flour and corn into meal. Prior to the water-powered gristmill, grinding was a tedious, time-consuming task that was usually performed by hand using some type of mortar and pestle. When a gristmill began operating in an area, settlers from near and far traveled to the mill to have their grain ground. The gathering of these settlers and farmers at the mill was the beginning of many settlements that grew into the Texas towns of today. Many of these picturesque settings have become major tourist destinations.