Name: The White Mountains of Apache County
Brand: Catherine H. Ellis
SKU: 9780738566900
Price: 24.99 USD
Availability: InStock

The White Mountains of Apache County

9780738566900

$24.99

Towns and communities such as Springerville, Eagar, Alpine, Nutrioso, Vernon, Greer, McNary, and Maverick of Apache County's White Mountains hold fascinating histories of outlaws and Arizona Rangers; Texas cattlemen and Mormon farmers; and New Mexico Hispanics and forest service men. Aldo Leopold was one of the forest service men who, in A Sand County Almanac, described the Boneyard, Campbell Blue, and Frijole Cienega. Of Paradise Valley, he wrote, "What else could you call it?" In 1913, the Good Roads Association described the roads winding through the area with "canyons that are flanked on every side by timber-covered, snow-clad peaks." It also noted that the area had become "an interesting point for the genuine home seeker, who will not likely want to continue his journey farther." That description remains true today.

Ash Fork

9780738548326

$24.99

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.

Grand Canyon's Tusayan Village

9780738578903

$24.99

With the glamorous Grand Canyon as its backyard, Tusayan has a fascinating history. Dedicated just one year after the Grand Canyon National Park, the village of Tusayan had its humble beginnings in 1920 as a small sheep ranch operated by the Hull brothers. Tusayan quickly became a hub for the millions of travelers who made their way to the Grand Canyon each year. The two areas share a mutual school, a health care center, and other amenities. Other pioneers, such as R. P. Thurston, helped ensure the area's longevity with the addition of Highway 64 through the center of the village and the arrival of the Grand Canyon Airport, making Tusayan one of the most visited little towns in northern Arizona.

Southern Arizona Military Outposts

9780738579924

$24.99

In the 1840s, the powerful pull of Manifest Destiny brought the U.S. Army to today's southern Arizona. The first forces came as a vanguard marching westward to conquer California, but soon their comrades returned. They would establish a string of outposts, a few of which remain more than a century after their founding. These installations greatly contributed to local military, economic, social, and even political history. Their inhabitants included noted 19th-century generals George Crook and Nelson A. Miles, as well as a later officer, Omar Bradley of World War II fame. Some of these men brought their families to share the often lonely, monotonous existence of life at a frontier fort. Occasionally their routine was broken by grueling field service that more than once sent troops southward on to Mexican soil where they suffered and sometimes died. Among these stalwarts were buffalo soldiers, Indian scouts, and new arrivals fresh from Europe.

Wickenburg

9780738585048

$24.99

Once known as the "Dude Ranch Capital of the World," Wickenburg, Arizona, has had many lives since its founding during the Civil War years. When German immigrant Henry Wickenburg discovered the Vulture Gold Mine in the fall of 1863 and put down roots as a miner and farmer, he also set down the beginnings of the city that would be named in his honor. Early residents and visitors included miners, ranchers, gunslingers, newspaper editors, and saloon keepers. Families made their way to town in the early 20th century and opened businesses, established churches and a library, and sent their children to local schools. In the 1930s, dude ranches blossomed in and around the city limits and tourists were enchanted by the real Wild West ambience. As the century progressed, people remained in town for generations, while newcomers regularly moved in to enjoy Wickenburg's desert setting and modern amenities.

Green Valley, Arizona

9780738520728

$24.99

Called one of the top 20 retirement communities in the United States, Green Valley is a place of tiny towns, old ranches, extinct and extant mines, and ghost towns. Captured here in over 200 images is the history of Green Valley, chronicling the life of the community from social, political, economic, and geographic perspectives. Located in Arizona's Sonoran Desert just south of Tucson, the region where Green Valley lies has been centuries in the making. The pioneers and explorers who arrived and left their mark included Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries, Spanish colonists and warriors, ranchers and desperados, land speculators and prospectors, and Mexicans and Anglo-Americans. Established as a retirement community in 1964, the town was barely a dot on the Arizona map; today almost 20,000 residents call it home. This pictorial tribute covers not only the history of Green Valley, but also delves into the past of the Santa Cruz River Valley, featuring images from the Arizona Historical Society, the Farmers Investment Company, the Green Valley News & Sun, and local residents.

Page and Lake Powell

9781467131582

$24.99

The people who descended on the remote northern Arizona wilderness in the early 1950s to build Glen Canyon Dam and the town of Page were true pioneers. They arrived to find Glen Canyon, a sandy, desolate hilltop with walls over 700 feet deep that had been part of the vast Navajo reservation, and an incredibly challenging way of life. The first blast necessary for site excavation at Glen Canyon Dam was triggered on October 15, 1957, when Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower pressed a key setting off the explosion from an office in Washington, DC. Almost 10 years later, construction was completed on the nation's second-highest concrete dam, harnessing the waters of the Colorado River and forever changing the history of the local area and the West. Today, over three million annual visitors enjoy the diverse and awe-inspiring landscape surrounding Page and Lake Powell.

Glen Canyon Dam

9780738528755

$24.99

Constructed between 1956 and 1966 by the United States Bureau of Reclamation, Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River was a project of immense proportions. Even before the non-stop pouring of 5 million yards of concrete began, much work had to be accomplished. The town of Page, Arizona was established on a windswept mesa to house workers and their families, and the 1,028-foot Glen Canyon Bridge was built to carry men, materials, and equipment to the dam site. Though the dam has proven a controversial structure throughout its history, the massive undertaking of its construction was an undeniable triumph of ingenuity and determination.

Williamson Valley Road

9780738579870

$24.99

Centuries ago, Williamson Valley Road began as a game trail for native inhabitants. In the 1400s, ancestors of the Yavapai and Hualapai hunted along ancient footpaths. Later explorers widened these paths for horses. The 1800s brought military wagons transporting supplies between the Rawlins, Hualapai/Tollgate, and Fort Whipple camps while traders and settlers followed in stagecoaches. The fertile lands of Mint Valley, Williamson Valley, and Walnut Creek were ideal for raising stock and produce. Farmers sailed from Europe and up the Colorado River before traversing the Hardyville Toll Road. Ranchers imported the fittest stock and exported the finest meat with the expertise of Mexican ranch hands. Camp Wood timbermen met the demand for lumber. Eastern store owners set up shop as railroaders laid far-reaching plans but short-reaching rails. Residents in the early 1900s arrived at rodeos, camp meetings, concerts, and dances in their Model Ts using this road. Present-day suburbanites, schoolchildren, and contractors commute on Williamson Valley Road, which was designated as a Scenic and Historic Route in 2010.

Tucson Radio

9781467131407

$24.99

Tucson's radio history began in the 1920s with two stations that became KTUC and KVOA. Today, there are 16 AM and 23 FM stations serving Tucson, with several other AM signals from Phoenix penetrating the local airwaves. Talk radio and music radio personalities have been companions for listeners at home or on the road. Mornings have been the most listened-to time period of the day, from the days of George and Square Deal, Chris Borden, and Jerry Stowe to Mojo and Betsy, Bobby Rich, Sunny Jim Arnold, and Cactus Dave. Frank Kalil on KTKT in the afternoons was the star who kept the audience laughing all the way home.

Tucson

9781467133647

$24.99

After World War II, Tucson experienced burgeoning growth. People were drawn here by the mild winters. By 1950, Tucson's population reached 120,000, and it doubled to 220,000 by 1960. In 1952, the world-famous Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum was founded. Four years later, the Tucson Air National Guard Base was activated. During the 1960s, the Old Tucson Studios theme park, El Con Mall, the Tucson International Airport, the University of Arizona College of Medicine, Reid Park Zoo, and Pima Community College were established. In the 1970s, the Tucson Community Center and the Pima Air & Space Museum were established. Around 1984, Channel 12 began broadcasting. In the 1990s, Biosphere II was built, and in 2005, the Jewish History Museum and the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum were dedicated. Tucson has stood the test of time, surviving the difficult periods and thriving during the good times.

Tuzigoot National Monument

9781467124867

$24.99

The native people, known today as the Sinagua, inhabited the Verde Valley of Arizona for centuries. From around 700 AD to early 1400 AD, they farmed the land and built large pueblo communities throughout the area. They accomplished this task using only primitive stone tools, materials from their environment, and the strength of their intellect and muscle. One of the largest communal dwellings, and later the most extensively excavated, is called Tuzigoot. This sprawling, hilltop complex contained over 100 rooms and was once home to several hundred people before it was mysteriously abandoned. Excavated and partially restored between 1933 and 1934, Tuzigoot is currently administered by the National Park Service after being designated a national monument by Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939. Today, although off the beaten track, it hosts more than 100,000 visitors a year.

The Hash Knife Around Holbrook

9781467130936

$24.99

For more than 140 years, the Hash Knife brand has intrigued Western history lovers. From its rough-and-ready-sounding name to its travels throughout Texas, Montana, and Arizona, the Hash Knife sports a romance like few others in the cattle industry. Several outfits have been proud to call the brand their own, and the stories behind the men who worked for these companies are the epitome of Western lore and truth combined. Beginning in 1884, the Hash Knife--owned by the Aztec Land and Cattle Company--came to Arizona. The brand left a lasting impression on places like Holbrook, Joseph City, Winslow, and the famed OW Ranch while shaping Northern Arizona. From its historic roots to the famed Hash Knife Pony Express Ride that takes place each January, the Hash Knife has left its mark as a beloved mainstay of the American West.

Flowing Wells

9781467127158

$23.99

The community of Flowing Wells covers 13 square miles, partially in the city of Tucson, as well as in unincorporated Pima County, Arizona. The area was named after the bubbling water from sunken pipes at the base of Sentinel Peak ("A" Mountain) by Warren Allison. Around 1895, Allison bought 500 acres of uncultivated land about three miles northwest of downtown Tucson. He and a sturdy team dug a canal, the Allison Ditch, from his wellfield to his land, called the Flowing Wells Ranch, to grow alfalfa, hay, watermelons, and cantaloupes. Farms, dairies, hatcheries, Gilpin Airport, and the railroad dominated the community throughout the early years. Urbanization was slow but steady, starting in the late 1940s. The community transitioned from farming to residential and industrial, with the school district binding the community together. Flowing Wells, while designated a community, was recognized as an All-America City by the National Civic League in 2007; its residents and those that work within the school district describe it as a family to this day.

Flagstaff

9780738585109

$24.99

On July 4, 1876, members of the Second Boston Party made camp at Antelope Spring on their way to California. To celebrate the country's centennial, the men prepared a ponderosa pine tree by stripping it of its branches and creating a flagpole. With the arrival of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad in 1882, this "flag staff" was once again discovered. The area was growing in population, so it became necessary to establish a post office. Many names were proposed for the new town, such as "Antelope City" and "Flagpole," but the name "Flag Staff" fit best. As an oasis in the middle of the southwest desert, Flagstaff has been a hub for many attractions surrounding the city, prompting visitors to send news of their experiences via a picture postcard. Many of the cards in this volume have messages and postmarks that help show a glimpse of what life was like in Arizona's High Country.

Empire Ranch

9780738595948

$24.99

The Empire Ranch sits in the heart of the rolling grasslands and oak-studded foothills of Las Cienegas National Conservation Area in southeastern Arizona. Its remarkable history and the ranching way of life are told through the stories of the men, women, and children of the Empire, most notably the Vail, Boice, and Donaldson families. Walter L. Vail and Herbert R. Hislop purchased the Empire Ranch homestead for $2,000 in 1876. The Vail family operated the ranch until 1928, turning it into a cattle ranching empire. From 1928 to 1975, the well-respected Boice family ran a vibrant Hereford operation on the Empire. The Donaldson family used innovative range management methods to continue the ranching legacy from 1975 to 2009. Today, the ranch, under the management of the Bureau of Land Management, remains one of the oldest continuously working cattle ranches in the region.

Cameron Trading Post

9781467116978

$24.99

In 1911, a one-track suspension bridge was constructed over the gorge of the Little Colorado River, bypassing a treacherous river crossing and opening travel to northern Arizona. Five years later, Hubert Richardson built a tin-roofed shack on the river's rim and opened his trading post for business. In the first years, almost all of his customers were Navajo, but with the new bridge travelers soon found the area, and it became the access point for the Grand Canyon, Glen Canyon, and the Four Corners area. A century later, Cameron Trading Post is a thriving epicenter still serving Navajo people, tourists, and an impressive list of the famous and fascinating, including authors, scientists, and movie stars. Boasting a curio store, gas station, motel, RV park, grocery store, and art gallery, Cameron is visited by guests from all over the world. It is a crossroads and a destination for visitors to this historic trading post.

Scottsdale

9780738570587

$7.99

Scottsdale boasts a rich history.

Cover image for Scottsdale, isbn: 9780738570587

Northern Arizona Space Training

9781467126946

$7.99

Northern Arizona boasts a rich history. In this collection of vintage-photograph postcards, Kevin Schindler and William Sheehan explore the area's role in space training.

Cover image for Northern Arizona Space Training, isbn: 9781467126946

Legendary Locals of Buckeye

9781467102001

$24.99

In 1884, Malie Monroe Jackson began and named a canal Buckeye in honor of his native state, Ohio, the Buckeye state. In 1886, Thomas Newton Clanton added 10 miles to the canal. The following year, he applied for a post office, and on March 10, 1888, the post office, named Buckeye, was established. Clanton platted a townsite and named the town Sidney, though why he chose that name remains a mystery. Beginning in 1910, advances in transportation put the community on the map, and Sidney became Buckeye. Hugh Watson, founder of the Buckeye Valley Bank, became the town's first mayor in 1929. On January 1, 2014, Buckeye became the newest city in Arizona. This newest volume also celebrates today's Buckeye settlers, such as Levi Beard, Tony Youngker, Clemie Arnold, and Bob Doster, DVM, updating Buckeye's colorful history of notable residents.

Mesa

9781467160407

$24.99

Brigham Young sent the first pioneers to Mesa in the late 1870s to help support the Mormon Church's expansion into Mexico. Some of the earliest businesses during those days included a blacksmith shop, theater, lumberyard, and mercantile. Much of the early architecture still exists among the downtown buildings, churches, and schools.

Litchfield Park

9781467130448

$24.99

In 1908, William Kriegbaum, a California citrus grower, arrived as the first settler in what was to become Litchfield Park. He, along with other settlers from California, owned the land until 1916, when Paul Litchfield of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company came to the area and purchased 16,000 acres to plant cotton for tires. In 1918, the townsite was planned with tree-lined streets and buildings to include an "organizational house" for Goodyear executives, which is now the famed Wigwam Resort. When new materials for tires were developed, cotton was no longer needed for cord. Shortly thereafter, Goodyear brought its tire-testing fleet to Litchfield, and farm equipment companies followed suit, sending engineers to design and test new machinery. The steel-wheeled tractor tire was replaced by Paul Litchfield's newly patented pneumatic tire as the standard for farm equipment. The World War II years brought changes to the area as an influx of new residents transformed the company town to a more planned community.

Latter-day Saints in Mesa

9780738558578

$24.99

The city of Mesa initially began with a tiny colonizing expedition sent from Utah by leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1876. These devoted pioneers and others who followed faced an arduous trek, oppressive heat, and drought but persevered in their mandate. Two years later, Andrew S. Gibbons predicted the Salt River Valley would become "the garden spot of Arizona," noting a climate well adapted to raising grapes, cotton, sugar cane, oranges, and olives. Agriculture became the foundation of the town of Lehi, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, and the city of Mesa, now the third-largest municipality in the state of Arizona. This retrospective highlights both the growth of the church in Mesa and the unique experiences of its members from those early days to the modern era.

The Elks Opera House

9780738585420

$24.99

For over 100 years, the Elks Opera House has been a landmark of the cultural scene in Prescott, Arizona, and the western United States. In 1904, the people of Prescott raised $15,000 toward a performance hall to be included in the Elks Building. The original structure featured opera boxes that were later removed to adapt to the demands of motion pictures, and the entire proscenium arch was covered with wood paneling. In 2010, the Elks Opera House Foundation completed major renovations to restore the original 1905 grandeur of the theater and the 1928 marquee, which was paid for by grants from local charitable foundations, Arizona historic preservation funds, and generous participation by businesses and individuals. The Elks Building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

Irish Arizona

9780738556475

$24.99

The Irish greatly contributed to the creation of the territory and state of Arizona due to their enterprising personalities and persistence in a difficult environment. The first documented Irishman in Arizona was Hugo O'Conor, who established the Presidio of Tucson for the Spanish government in 1775. Sheriff Bucky O'Neal of Yavapai County and the Brophy and Riordan families left their mark on Arizona's landscape as well as the Irish-born Sisters of Mercy, who established St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix. This photographic history identifies famous and lesser-known Arizona settlers who were ranchers, merchants, miners, lawmen, explorers, soldiers, and healers. Irish Arizona offers a unique perspective on an ethnic group not typically associated with the American Southwest.

Gila Bend

9780738584751

$24.99

Named for its location on the bend of the Gila River, Gila Bend is an unusual community. It lies along a travel corridor used for centuries by American Indians, Catholic missionaries, American and French trappers, Spanish and Mexican settlers, military expeditions, and forty-niners. Beginning in the 1870s as a stage station, the town soon evolved into an important railroad changeover point in the 1880s. When the national highway system developed in the 1920s, the town was perfectly situated to provide automobile services. But when the technology in these two travel industries changed, Gila Bend suffered an economic downturn, restricting its population to around 2,000 people, while the nearby Phoenix metropolitan area grew by millions.In the 21st century, Gila Bend is on the cusp of a new era, as it is now the home to one of the world's largest solar power projects.

Cover image for Gila Bend, isbn: 9780738584751

Around Yavapai County

9780738579627

$24.99

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.

Vail and Colossal Cave Mountain Park

9780738548821

$24.99

Just 22 miles southeast of Tucson in the Sonoran Desert sits the town of Vail, colloquially known as "The Town between the Tracks," which refers to the two train tracks running through its tiny business center. The area is named for Walter L. Vail, who, with his partners, formed the sprawling Empire Ranch in 1876. Vail is also the home of Colossal Cave, a "dry cave" where visitors can view stunning formations and hear stories of Native Americans, bandits, and moviemakers. The cave served as the site of a Civilian Conservation Corps camp in the mid-1930s, when workers installed trails and lighting in the cave, constructed administration buildings, and built roads and picnic spots in the surrounding area. Colossal Cave is now united with the La Posta Quemada Ranch, a working cattle ranch since the 1870s, to form the 2,400-acre Colossal Cave Mountain Park.

Scottsdale Architecture

9780738578774

$24.99

U.S. Army chaplain Winfield Scott and his wife, Helen, founded Scottsdale in 1888 as a small farming and ranching settlement on undeveloped desert east of Phoenix. After World War II, many people were attracted by the dry climate, desert landscape, and business opportunities. The community encouraged creativity in architecture, and Frank Lloyd Wright, Paolo Soleri, and Paul Schweikher designed buildings here. To draw tourists, the business community adopted "The West's Most Western Town" as a slogan in 1947. By the time employers such as Motorola arrived, fast-paced construction was already underway and the architecture reflected that era. In the 1970s, an architectural debate took place between western and modern styles, resulting in innovative architecture. Transitioning into the 21st century, Scottsdale witnessed more growth with downtown revitalization, a new appreciation of contemporary projects, and an awareness of desert preservation.

Historic Heritage Square

9781467130752

$24.99

Located in downtown Phoenix, Historic Heritage Square is an urban park that preserves the last intact residential block of the city's original townsite. The square's Victorian-era ambiance includes one of Phoenix's most popular attractions, the Rosson House Museum. Other early territorial buildings (primarily pre-1912) today house the Arizona Doll and Toy Museum, five restaurants, and administrative offices. For many years, the block was a fashionable residential area that was once home to a Phoenix mayor. Over time, the neighborhood deteriorated until the early 1970s, when it was threatened with demolition for urban renewal. Preservation efforts led by Phoenix mayor John Driggs, however, saved the historic buildings. Opened in 1980 as Historic Heritage Square, the park expanded in the mid-1990s to its current size. While remaining an important historical living education center, the square also hosts numerous festivals as a vibrant element of the city's arts and cultural scene.

McMullen Valley

9780738558516

$24.99

Tucked in the northwest corner of the Sonoran Desert, east of the Colorado River, the Great Arizona Outback is a little-known refuge where the frontier has yet to close. Since the 1880s, independent, rugged individualists including Wyatt Earp have come to find peace and solitude in the pristine desert. Gold mines at Harquahala brought adventurers, miners, and thieves. Dick Wick Hall, founder and "Sage of Salome," gave the region its mythic aura. The 20th century brought successive generations of dreamers, schemers, and industrious settlers in search of health, wealth, or simply a new beginning. Mid-century Route 60 tourists in search of gas, food, and lodging supported the indomitable residents in their eccentric little enclaves. The Smithsonian Observatory above Wenden, secret World War II tank testing grounds near Bouse, brothels, slot machines, and a world-class bird aviary provided memorable diversions to travelers on the main road between Phoenix and Los Angeles.

Mexicans in Tempe

9780738570563

$24.99

San Pablo was settled in the early 1800s by Mexican pioneers, also known as "Tempeneños," south of the Tempe butte. By the 1870s, Mexicans were vital to Tempe's economical growth, assisting in the construction of the C. H. Kirkland and McKinney Canal and the Hayden Flour Mill, and with agriculture soon after the establishment of Fort McDowell. The agricultural field cultivated by the settlers of San Pablo is now Arizona State University's main campus. Over time, the Mexican settlers of San Pablo were subjected to eminent domain and were dispersed throughout Maricopa County. To this day, the Mexican population has assisted in the economic development of Arizona ranching, agriculture, private industries, the public sector, and in the defense of the United States in time of war.