Pelican Publishing

This book includes difficult-to-find information about significant Oklahoma outlaws who lived and worked during the 100-year period �from horseback to Cadillac.� While criminal history within Oklahoma is the focus, famous crimes committed elsewhere by Oklahomans, such as the Barker Gang, Wilbur Underhill, and Machine Gun Kelly, as well as Oklahoma connections to legendary outlaws like Wyatt Earp, Billy the Kid, John Dillinger, and Baby Face Nelson are also mentioned.

A dark historical reality exposed.

In 1923 Marlow, Oklahoma, at the hotel belonging to Albert and Lula Berch, Albert is murdered trying to protect his African-American porter from an angry mob. After his death, the case unravels, and the truth of Albert Berch and his murderers emerges. Tracing his own family history, Dr. Alan Berch Hollingsworth discovers that it’s not just the Marlow townspeople who have something to hide. Why did his grandfather insist on hiring an African-American porter, violating the era’s Jim Crow segregation laws? How is the KKK involved in this gruesome crime? Unlocking the secret to his grandfather’s murder, he uncovers a true crime story of racial violence in 1920s Oklahoma.

Voices from those who lived through the largest environmental catastrophe in American history.

Accelerated Reader Program Selection

The 1930s Dust Bowl was the greatest ecological tragedy in the United States. Through a combination of drought and fierce winds, America’s Great Plains were left bare. In a series of sixteen narrative profiles, the author brings to life the voices of this time period. The characters who symbolize common residents of the “Great American Desert,” include a teacher protecting her class from a black roller, a nurse treating patients with dust pneumonia, and a nine-year-old girl who has never seen rain.

Dated entries appear chronologically and depict outlaw Bonnie Parker and photographer Dorthea Lange, among other figures of the era. In the back of the book, a historical note gives a thorough overview of the Dust Bowl’s national impact on population growth, healthcare, and the government. A glossary explains terms such as Hooverville and Civilian Conservation Corps. An educational resource, this illustrated history conveys the full effect of this disastrous decade.