Download or read book The Gold Rush Letters of E Allen Grosh and Hosea B Grosh written by Ronald M. James and published by University of Nevada Press. This book was released on 2012-09-04 with total page 454 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When brothers Ethan and Hosea Grosh left Pennsylvania in 1849, they joined throngs of men from all over the world intent on finding a fortune in the California Gold Rush. Their search for wealth took them from San Francisco into the gold country and then over the Sierra into Nevada’s Gold Canyon, where they placer-mined for gold and discovered a deposit of silver. The letters they sent back to their family offer vivid commentaries on the turbulent western frontier, the diverse society of the Gold Rush camps, and the heartbreaking labor and frustration of mining. Their lively descriptions of Gold Canyon provide one of the earliest accounts of life in what would soon become the fabulously wealthy Comstock Mining District. The Groshes’ letters are rich in color and important historical details. Generously annotated and with an introduction that provides a context for the brothers’ career and the setting in which they tried to make their fortune, these documents powerfully depict the often harsh realities of Gold Rush life and society.
Download or read book Wicked Virginia City written by Peter B. Mires and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2020-10-05 with total page 145 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Perched on the side of a mountain in the Nevada desert, Virginia City existed for one reason only: to make money. The mining frenzy of the mid-nineteenth century uncovered veins of precious metals that would be expressed in billions today, attracting the enterprising madam Cad Thompson, the charismatic highwayman Nickanora and a plethora of swindlers. Miners, flush with their wages, supported a healthy economy of gambling, drinking and prostitution and even launched a few political careers. Sam Clemens, who became Mark Twain while reporting for the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise, called it "the livest town that America had ever produced." Join author Peter B. Mires as he explores the seamy side of this quintessential mining boomtown.
Download or read book Monumental Lies written by Ronald M. James and published by University of Nevada Press. This book was released on 2023-09-19 with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A playful embrace of tall tales and exaggeration, Monumental Lies explores the evolution of folklore in the Wild West. Monumental Lies: Early Nevada Folklore of the Wild West invites readers to explore how legends and traditions emerged during the first decades following the “Rush to Washoe,” which transformed the Nevada Territory after in 1859. During this Wild West period, there was widespread celebration of deceit, manifesting in tall tales, burlesque lies, practical jokes, and journalistic hoaxes. Humor was central, and practitioners easily found themselves scorned if they failed to be adequately funny. The tens of thousands of people who came to the West, attracted by gold and silver mining, brought distinct cultural legacies. The interaction of diverse perspectives, even while new stories and traditions coalesced, was a complex process. Author Ronald M. James addresses how the fluidity of the region affected new expressions of folklore as they took root. The wildly popular Mark Twain is often a go-to source for collections of early tall tales of this region, but his interaction with local traditions was specific and narrow. More importantly, William Wright—publishing as Dan De Quille—arose as a key collector of legends, a counterpart of early European folklorists. With a bedrock understanding of what unfolded in the nineteenth century, James considers how these early stories helped shaped the culture of the Wild West.
Download or read book Nevada written by Michael S. Green and published by University of Nevada Press. This book was released on 2015-03-23 with total page 619 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nevada: A History of the Silver State has been named a CHOICE Outstanding Title. Michael S. Green, a leading Nevada historian, provides a detailed survey of the Silver State’s past, from the arrival of the early European explorers, to the predominance of mining in the 1800s, to the rise of world-class tourism in the twentieth century, and to more recent attempts to diversify the economy. Of the numerous themes central to Green’s analysis of Nevada’s history, luck plays a significant role in the state’s growth. The miners and gamblers who first visited the state all bet on luck. Today, the biggest contributor to Nevada’s tourist economy, gaming, still relies on that same belief in luck. Nevada’s financial system has generally been based on a “one industry” economy, first mining and, more recently, gaming. Green delves deeply into the limitations of this structure, while also exploring the theme of exploitation of the land and the overuse of the state’s natural resources. Green covers many more aspects of the Silver State’s narrative, including the dominance of one region of the state over another, political forces and corruption, and the citizens’ often tumultuous relationship with the federal government. The book will appeal to scholars, students, and other readers interested in Nevada history.
Download or read book History of Macon County Illinois from Its Organization to 1876 written by John W. Smith and published by . This book was released on 1876 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book History of Placer and Nevada Counties California written by William B. Lardner and published by . This book was released on 1924 with total page 628 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book History of Kane County Ill written by Rodolphus Waite Joslyn and published by . This book was released on 1908 with total page 884 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first volume highlights communities and history of numerous villages, cities and townships of Kane County. The second volume contains biographies of many Kane County residents.
Download or read book History of Hamilton County Indiana written by John F. Haines and published by . This book was released on 1915 with total page 1050 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Schuylkill County Pennsylvania written by Samuel T. Wiley and published by . This book was released on 1893 with total page 950 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Reno s Big Gamble written by Alicia Barber and published by University Press of Kansas. This book was released on 2023-05-19 with total page 332 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Pittsburgh socialite Laura Corey rolled into Reno, Nevada, in 1905 for a six-month stay, her goal was a divorce from the president of U.S. Steel. Her visit also provided a provocative glimpse into the city's future. With its rugged landscape and rough-edged culture, Reno had little to offer early twentieth-century visitors besides the gambling and prostitution that had remained unregulated since Nevada's silver-mining heyday. But the possibility of easy divorce attracted national media attention, East Coast notables, and Hollywood stars, and soon the "Reno Cure" was all the rage. Almost overnight, Reno was on the map. Alicia Barber traces the transformation of Reno's reputation from backward railroad town to the nationally known "Sin Central"—as Garrison Keillor observed, a place where you could see things that you wouldn't want to see in your own hometown. Chronicling the city's changing fortunes from the days of the Comstock Lode, she describes how city leaders came to embrace an identity as "The Biggest Little City in the World" and transform their town into a lively tourist mecca. Focusing on the evolution of urban reputation, Barber carefully distinguishes between the image that a city's promoters hope to manufacture and the impression that outsiders actually have. Interweaving aspects of urban identity, she shows how sense of place, promoted image, and civic reputation intermingled and influenced each other—and how they in turn shaped the urban environment. Quickie divorces notwithstanding, Reno's primary growth engine was gambling; modern casinos came to dominate the downtown landscape. When mainstream America balked, Reno countered by advertising "tax freedom" and natural splendor to attract new residents. But by the mid-seventies, unchecked growth and competition from Las Vegas had initiated a downslide that persisted until a carefully crafted series of special events and the rise of recreational tourism began to attract new breeds of tourists. Barber's engaging story portrays Reno as more than a second-string Las Vegas, having pioneered most of the attractions-gaming and prizefighting, divorces and weddings-that made the larger city famous. As Reno continues to remold itself to weather the shifting winds of tourism and growth, Barber's book provides a cautionary tale for other cities hoping to ride the latest consumer trends.
Download or read book Notes and Queries written by William Henry Egle and published by . This book was released on 1895 with total page 408 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Roar and the Silence written by Ronald M. James and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 396 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A history of Comstock's life - from the people who produced the wealth, to those who created a community of families, tradesmen, and mining professionals. It examines ethnic communities and the life styles of a population that ranged from millionaire silver barons to ragpickers and scavengers.
Download or read book Census of the State of Michigan written by Michigan. Department of State and published by . This book was released on 1896 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book History of Madison County Iowa and Its People written by Herman A. Mueller and published by . This book was released on 1915 with total page 572 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Publisher's announcement of a forthcoming 2 volume history of Madison County, Iowa.
Download or read book Biographical Annals of Lancaster County Pennsylvania written by Pennsylvania Reprint Society and published by . This book was released on 1985 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Uncovering Nevada s Past written by John B. Reid and published by Shepperson Nevada History. This book was released on 2004-04 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the words of literary luminaries, newspaper articles, public documents, personal letters, political speeches and personal accounts this is an attempt to define Nevada's colorful and complex development. It describes life in a mining boomtown, racial segregation in Las Vegas, political careers and atomic testing whilst through photographs we are shown significant Nevada architecture, the masterpieces of renowned Paiute basketmaker Dat-so-la-lee and tree carvings by sheepherders. The collection ranges from the earliest descriptions of the region to the current debate on Yucca Mountain.
Download or read book Comstock Women written by Ronald M. James and published by University of Nevada Press. This book was released on 1997-12-01 with total page 408 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When it comes to Nevada history, men get most of the ink. Comstock Women is a collection of 14 historical studies that helps to rectify that reality. The authors of these essays, who include some of Nevada’s most prominent historians, demographers, and archaeologists, explore such topics as women and politics, jobs, and ethnic groups. Their work goes far in refuting the exaggerated popular images of women in early mining towns as dance hall girls or prostitutes. Relying primarily on newspapers, court decisions, census records, as well as sparse personal diaries and records left by the woman, the essayists have resurrected the lives of the women who lived on the Comstock during the boom years.
