Voices of America

The high-tech paradise just north of San Francisco, known as the Redwood Empire, was once a land of vineyards, chicken ranches, orchards, and dairies. Using their own words and vintage photographs, here are the stories of the area's residents and their 100 years of history, from the lost glitter of the Gold Rush to end of World War II. The stories recalled here come from the reflections of the people who kept their towns and farms running on a daily basis. Among the voices heard in these chapters are Healdsburg's Ferguson family, pioneer survivors of the westward trail, and David Wharff, who brought the first chickens to Sonoma County, helping create the World's Egg Basket. Through the great Santa Rosa earthquake of 1906, to the devastating flu epidemic of World War I, to the Santa Rosa-Petaluma "Big Game" riot of 1943, these diary, interview, and newspaper accounts cover a century of rich history in the Redwood Empire.

Despite some of the darker aspects of the upper San Juan Basin, such as the Meeker Massacre, "Mexican Flats," and the presence of the Ku Klux Klan, the fact remains that Utes, Anglos, and Hispanics have co-existed peacefully together in this region for well over a century. Collected in this new book and accented with over 100 vintage images is an oral history of La Plata County and the surrounding areas, featuring the voices of cowboys and Native Americans, ranchers and miners, outlaws and in-laws alike.

In compiling these stories of local San Juan Basin residents, Fred Wildfang has recreated life during turn-of-the-century Southwestern Colorado. These individual recollections detail the hardships and triumphs of early pioneer families from the San Juan Basin, including tales of the Old West movie sets, arranged marriages, rash elopements, runaway horses, and ancient native rituals. The voices captured here epitomize the spirit of "nan¡-ma"-as the Utes say-"together," a word meant to stand for a spirit of cooperation among all the peoples in this land.

San Francisco, the flamboyant and cosmopolitan city by the bay and its neighboring municipalities, was born to tell stories upon stories. Ranging in ages from 68 to 91, the narrators reflect the ethnic and religious diversity of a metropolis that has been a pioneer of several social, political, and cultural movements. They also stretch across both ends of the economic spectrum. A Japanese-American woman describes the harsh humiliation of internment during World War II, while an Irish Catholic man fondly remembers being a paperboy in the same neighborhood for ten years--until he was 20. An African-American woman from Marin City explains why she'll never sell the quilts she makes. Another woman recalls kissing under the Golden Gate Bridge with the man who eventually became her husband.

The book also utilizes more than 80 photographs from the narrators and the collections of local libraries, museums, and historical societies to complement the poignant, humorous, and revealing portraits of the people and places of the San Francisco Bay Area.