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West of Wichita : Settling the High Plains of Kansas by Craig Miner (1986, Trade Paperback)

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Product Information

This volume, which presents a "slice-of-life" on the Plains during its early settlement, adds rich detail to our understanding of the struggle for survival in a harsh landscape that tested the hardiest pioneer. Miner concentrates not only on the major economic events of the period--railroad building, Indian raids, the grasshopper invasion of 1874, the blizzard of 1886--but also on the more personal experiences equally important: building sod houses, choosing crops, filing of claims, fighting varmints, and dealing with the deaths of children on the prairie.

Product Identifiers

PublisherUniversity Press of Kansas

ISBN-100700603646

ISBN-139780700603640

eBay Product ID (ePID)1139426

Product Key Features

Book TitleWest of Wichita : Settling the High Plains of Kansas

Number of Pages312 Pages

LanguageEnglish

TopicUnited States / State & Local / MidWest (IA, Il, in, Ks, Mi, MN, Mo, Nd, Ne, Oh, Sd, Wi), United States / MidWest / West North Central (IA, Ks, MN, Mo, Nd, Ne, Sd)

Publication Year1986

IllustratorYes

GenreTravel, History

AuthorCraig Miner

FormatTrade Paperback

Dimensions

Item Height0.7 in

Item Weight12.3 Oz

Item Length9 in

Item Width7.1 in

Additional Product Features

Intended AudienceTrade

Reviews"Magnificent. . . . A subtle and often moving account of pioneer life. . . . A truly splendid book."-- Choice "Regional history at its best. . . . Many of the traditional tales of early hardships--grasshopper plagues, Indian attacks, the stress of loneliness and isolation, drought, blizzards, prairie fires, and the unaccustomed hazards of nature--are retold with vigor and a sense of immediacy. These gritty tales of pioneer persistence and stubbornness are used to illustrate the region's cyclical history of hope and despair. . . . Not the least of Miner's talents is his engaging style. Images are alive, progression of the story lively, and the analysis convincing. This first-rate book is an important addition to the history of Kansas and, more broadly, to the study of western settlement."-- American Historical Review "Miner treats the stuff of Plains history . . . with true originality and insight."-- Great Plains Quarterly "The settlement history of western Kansas provides a good cross-section of the larger Great Plain experience. . . . With great success, Miner traces the impressions recorded by the pioneers as they rode out the booms, busts, plagues, and droughts that punctuated their lives. His careful reading of the rich store of diaries and letters from the period gives him a sharp focus on the harder, statistical evidence which he also includes. . . . [The book is] rich in detail, warmed by the affection its author obviously feels for his subject."-- Journal of American History "A poignant account of human pathos and triumphs, of dreams and despair, of illusion and disillusion."-- Kansas History "A wonderful book . . . about survivors who faced things head on."-- Kansas City Times

Dewey Edition19

Lccn85-026013

Dewey Decimal978.1/031

Lc Classification NumberF681.5

Table of ContentPreface Introduction: On Regional History 1. The Blue Hills 2. Savages 3. The Steel Nile 4. "This Ocean of Bloom" 5. The Ravaging Hopper 6. Colonists 7. Sheepskin and Teakettles 8. At the Front 9. Dull Knife 10. The Weak Shall Flee 11. Heaven of Brass, Earth of Iron 12. Home 13. Abide with Me 14. Dam the Draws 15. Ties That Bind 16. Ravana Rhymes with Hosanna 17. Red-Haired Men in Silk Ties 18. Nature and Civilization in Western Kansas Notes Bibliography Index