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Local History | Allenspark Area | Big Thompson Canyon | The Stanleys | Local Archeology | Women's History | Colorado & the West | Children's Books | Enos A. Mills

Local History

NEW  Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park Then & Now. Text by James H. Pickering and Carey Stevanus, photography by Mic Clinger, $32.95.  Historic photographs paired with contemporary photographs taken from the exact same locations illuminate the evolution that has occurred in the Estes Park area, as well as in Rocky Mountain National Park, over more than a century.

NEW  Rocky Mountain Tour:  Estes Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, & Grand Lake, by Suzanne Silverthorn, $24.95. 128 pages. A virtual tour of the region, featuring more than 300 vintage postcards and prints. 

Rocky Mountain Celts: The Scottish and Irish in Early Estes Park. $11.95 By James H. Pickering, Becky Latanich, and JJ Rutherford. Leaving behind their ancestral homes for the alpine meadows and meandering rivers of the Rocky Mountains, Irish and Scottish immigrants began settling the Estes Valley in the 1870s. Through a series of historic photographs and original artwork, this book celebrates what those early settlers of Scottish and Irish ancestry have contributed to the development of Estes Park.

America's Switzerland, Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park, The Growth Years by James H. Pickering,  $29.95 hardback.  America’s Switzerland, a companion volume to “This Blue Hollow,” is the first comprehensive history of Rocky Mountain National Park and its neighboring town, Estes Park, during the decades when travel became a rite of summer for the American middle class. Drawing on a wide variety of primary sources and extensive archival research, James H. Pickering reveals how the evolution of tourism and America’s fascination with the “western experience” shaped the park and town from 1903 to 1945.
 

Early Estes Park Artists 1870-1970 by Jane Ramsey with Marty Yochum Casey, $26.95. An illustrated collection of the works and biographical information of artists and photographers including Lyman Byxbe, Albert Bierstadt, Charles Partridge Adams, Fred Payne Clatworthy and many more.

Early Estes Park Narratives, Volume IV: Narratives of Exploration edited by James H. Pickering (Regular Edition) $17.95  The final book in the series, Volume IV includes writings by William Byers, Elkanah Lamb, Anna Dickinson, and Frederick Chapin, among others.

Early Estes Park Narratives, Volume III: Days and Hours of Estes Park (1912-1944) The Journal of Charles Edwin Hewes edited by James H. Pickering. 218 pages. (Regular Edition) $17.95.  No individual left a more extensive and detailed record of this encounter with the mountain world of Estes Park than Charles Edwin Hewes (1840-1947), the genial and popular proprietor of the Hewes-Kirkwood Inn. For more than 30 years Hewes recorded the days and hours of life in the Tahosa Valley in a journal which he periodically edited and then typed into a remarkable document.

Early Estes Park Narratives, Volume II: Discovery Settlement , and Recreation edited by Jim Pickering. (Regular Edition) $17.95. Volume II builds on Volume I and consists of more narratives of discovery, settlement, and recreation. This volume features writings by Joe Mills, Charles Edwin Hewes, Elkanah Lamb, Enos Mills, and Katherine Garetson.

In the Vale of Elkanah: the Tahosa Valley World of Charles Edwin Hewes by Jim Pickering. Regular Edition, $14.95 Collector's Edition $24.95. This is the story of the Hewes-Kirkwood Inn from its beginnings in 1907 to its Rocky Ridge present as well as the history of the Tahosa Valley in which it sits. Click HERE to print out an order form for In the Vale of Elkanah. (PDF)

The Ways of the Mountains: Thornton Sampson, Agnes Vaille and Other Tragedies in High Places by Jim Pickering. Regular Edition, $14.95 Collector's Edition $24.95. Longs Peak has always been a magnet for adventure seekers. This book focuses on two of the peak's earliest known casualties, both of which gripped the attention of the nation when they occurred. Click HERE to print out an order form for The Ways of the Mountains. (PDF)

This Blue Hollow: Estes Park, the Early Years, 1859-1915 by James H. Pickering $23.95 In this enthralling narrative, James H. Pickering traces the development of Estes Park as a mountain resort community, from the time of its first recorded discovery by Joel Estes in 1859 to the establishment of Rocky Mountain National Park in 1915. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of Colorado.

Estes Park - A Quick History by Ken Jessen. $8.95. A concise account containing the history of Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park.

Facing the Frontier:  The Story of the MacGregor Ranch by Betty D. Freudenburg. $7.95. Estes Park was a wilderness in 1873, with land virtually free for the taking.  That year a ranch was begun along Black Canyon Creek and still remains a working ranch and living history museum.  A uniquely American pioneer saga of two families who came west from Wisconsin seeking better health and new lives, and went on to play key roles in the settlement of Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Denver, and Estes Park.

Rocky Mountain Rustic: Historic Buildings of the Rocky Mountain National Park Area published by the Rocky Mountain Nature Association, $29.95.  A collection of architectural photographs
from the 1870s through the 1930s.

Lyons, Colorado: Birth of a Quarry Town by Diane Goode Benedict. $21.95.  This book chronicles the history of Lyons, where many people on their way to Estes Park began their experience.

A Quick History of Grand Lake Including Rocky Mountain National Park and the Grand Lake Lodge by Michael M. Geary. $9.95.  Geary presents a concise and intriguing account of "the other side," illustrated with a wealth of historic photographs from public collections and from the James family of Grand Lake Lodge.

Rocky Mountain: A Visitor's Companion by George Wuerthner. $19.95. A wonderful resource book that focuses on the history of RMNP, geology, climate and weather, plants, wildlife, and activities such as hiking and Estes Park attractions. 

A Baby's Life in the Rocky Mountains by Ester and Enos Mills. $14.95. Ester (Burnell) Mills homesteaded in the Estes area before marrying Enos Mills. She was the first female nature guide licensed by the National Park Service. This is her story of raising their daughter, Enda.

Steads Ranch and Hotel: Echoes within the Moraines by Anne Arnold, Elyse Bliss, Jackie Elliott, Charmayne Gooch, and Karen Stapleton. $11.95. Explore the history of this famed guest ranch.

YMCA of the Rockies: Spanning a Century by Jack and Lulabeth Melton. $8.95. From a dream proposed at Canon City and nurtured on the shored of Grand Lake, the YMCA of the Rockies has touched thousands of individuals. 

YMCA of the Rockies: Reflections, Traditions & Vision by Jack and Lulabeth Melton. $19.95. This comprehensive history of the YMCA of the Rockies was written in 2006 for the YMCA of the Rockies centennial.

Riding the Chariot: the Life and Times of Ray Fitch and the Paris Olympics of 1924. $16.00 Horatio "Ray" Fitch (1900-1985) tells through his own words and photographs of his life in turn-of-the-century Chicago and his role in the Academy Award winning film, "Chariots of Fire"-a 1924 silver medalist, the fastest quartermiler on earth, and always losing to the Flying Scotsman, Eric Liddell. DVD, 29 minutes, produced by the Estes Park Museum and the Estes Park Public Library.

Diversion: The Politics, Planning, and Construction of the Colorado-Big Thompson Water Project 1935-1985. $16.00 Archived photos and taped interviews with project engineers and mines tell the multi-decade, multi-million dollar story of bringing water from Colorado's western slope under the Continental Divide and Rocky Mountain National Park to irrigate and power the eastern High Plains. DVD, 31 minutes, produced by the Estes Park Museum and the Estes Park Public Library.

Flood! The Lawn Lake Dam Break and Estes Park Flood of July 15, 1982. $16.00. The actual broadcasts from Estes Park radio station KSIR are matched with dramatic slides and photographs to present the story of tragedy, destruction and restoration in a premier vacation town. DVD, 18 minutes, produced by the Estes Park Museum and the Estes Park Public Library.

• Allenspark Area

Homesteading Big Owl by Katherine Garetson. 10.95. This book gives the personal narrative of a woman homesteader. She homesteaded 160 acres of mountain property between 1914 and 1919 in the Allenspark area.

The Highlands Vision: A History of Highlands Presbyterian Camp and Retreat Center, Allenspark, Colorado by Patricia Welker. $15.00. A concise history of Highlands Camp, including photographs and maps.

Up and Down the St. Vrain Canyon by James W. Schaack. $6.30. This book gives you natural and cultural history set to mile markers along Highway 7 between Allenspark and Lyons.

Weaving Mountain Memories:  Recollections of the Allenspark Area by Lorna Knowlton. $8.95. "It is a place, a special place, where rushing river music soothes stress, launders soiled perspectives and recharges human motors."  Learn the history of this enchanting mountain hideaway town.

• Big Thompson Canyon

Memories of the Heart compiled and edited by Elaine Honstein, Barbara Anderson, Sharlynn Wamsley, and Julie Kronenberger. $12.95. Personal stories about the victims and their families, 25 years later.

Reflection on the River compiled by Sharlynn Wamsley. $23.95. A thorough history of the Big Thompson, the flood, the victims and families, and the 25 year memorial.

A Flood of Memories by Deborah Watts. $14.95. An eye-witness account of the loss of her young son in the Big Thompson flood of 1976.

History of the Big Thompson Canyon compiled by Marguerite Lindsey. $8.95. A concise history of the Big Thompson Canyon.

The Big Thompson Flood. $10. A compilation of original newspaper articles and photographs from the aftermath of the flood.

The Big Thompson Disaster. $10. A collection of editorial and pictorial material concerning Colorado's tragic flash flood of July 31, 1976.

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  The Stanleys

Mr. Stanley of Estes Park by James H. Pickering. Hardcover $29.95. A compilation of the life of F.O. Stanley that links his story with the history of the development of Estes Park.

A History and Tour of the Stanley Hotel by Susan Davis. $5.00 Covers everything from the groundbreaking of this Estes Park landmark to its role in the Shining.

A Concise History of the Stanley Hotel by Ron Lasky. $5.99 This booklet has room-by-room history of the Hotel.

The Historic Fall River Hydroplant by JJ Rutherford. $4.95. This booklet chronicles the history of the hydroplant, built by F.O. Stanley to power his hotel in 1909. It was added on to over the years and illustrates the growth of Estes Park.

The Stanleys: Renaissance Yankees by Susan Davis. $6.95 A look at the Stanley twins, F.O. and F.E., and their industrial accomplishments.

• Women's History

Apples of the Mummy's Eye: The Dickerson Sisters by Elyse Deffke Bliss from interviews with Alice C. Dickerson. $17.95.  This well illustrated, revised, and expanded edition chronicles the history of Alice and Helen Dickerson and their homestead life on the Upper Buckhorn.

Magnificent Mountain Women by Janet Robertson. $15.95. 220 pages.  An exciting history of the first women to climb and adventure in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, including many photographs. 

A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains by Isabella Bird. $8.95. In the winter of 1873, Isabella Bird made an extended tour of the Colorado Rockies, including an extended stay in Estes Park.

National Parks and the Woman's Voice by Polly Welts Kaufman. $18.95. Kaufman presents the untold story of women's contributions to the national parks.

• Colorado and the West

The Great Western Railway, Kenneth Jessen, J.V. Publications, 2007.   The Great Western Railway was a subsidiary of the Great Western Sugar Company, designed to bring freshly harvested sugar beets in from the fields of north-central Colorado to Great Western factories for processing.  It also hauled raw materials to factories and delivered refined sugar to common carriers.  The short line still survives today.  This book provides an overview of the railroad from its beginning to modern times.  $24.95.  150 pages.

Western Voices: The Colorado Historical Society Reader edited by Steve Grinstead and Ben Fogelberg, $19.95. Celebrating 125 Years of Colorado Writing.  Award: Certificate of Commendation from the American Association for State and Local History 2005.

Colorado Profiles: Men and Women who Shaped the Centennial State by John Monnett and Michael McCarthy. $23.95. Learn about many well known and some not-so-well-known Coloradoans.

Colorado Museums and Historic Sites by Victor Danilov. $45.00. This beautiful, 450 guidebook is a must-have for lovers of museums and historic sites.

I Never Knew That About Colorado by Abbott Fay. $12.95. Caution: this book contains rarely-known facts about Colorado, concerning such topics as the man who wore out his coffin, Adolf Hitler's Colorado ranch, and the bombing of Colorado in World War II.

More That I Never Knew About Colorado by Abbott Fay. $12.95. A big herd of bachelor bulls; Denver's pigeon man; Rattlesnake Jake; underground bread-baking, and about a hundred other forgotten places and interesting events are included in this fascinating book.

The Natural West: Environmental History in the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains by Dan Flores. $29.95. This book offers essays reflecting the natural history of the American West by one of its most respected environmental historians.

African Americans on the Western Frontier. Edited by Monroe Lee Billington and Roger D. Hardaway. $27.50. The African America western experience during the frontier era is a story that is rich and diverse. Fifteen authors highlight the contributions African American men and women made to the western frontier.  

Scots in the North American West, 1790-1917 by Ferenc Morton Szasz. $29.95. Although Scots have never been an exceptionally large immigrant group in North America, their presence in the West proved significant in a variety of arenas. In this engaging book, Szasz outlines the many contributions Scots have made to the development of the region.

• Children's Books

NEW  Do You See What I See? by Claudia Cangilla McAdam through the camera of John Fielder, $14.95. Through the eyes of premier nature photographer John Fielder and the poetry of award-winning children’s author Claudia Cangilla McAdam, this book challenges young readers as well as those of all ages to recognize that Nature’s details are often as magnificent and mysterious as Nature’s landscapes. 

NEW  Born Wild in Colorado by Wendy Shattil and Bob Rozinski,  $9.95.  80 pages. A collection of text and candid colored photographs of young wildlife from hummingbirds to bison, and many in between. 

NEW  Who Pooped in the Park? by Gary D. Robson, Illustrated by Elijah Brady Clark, $9.95.  48 pages. Come along with Emily, Michael, and their family as they find poop (scat) and footprints (tracks) in Rocky Mountain National Park and discover which animal made them.

NEW  Trail Ridge Road Adventure Sticker and Game Book published by the Rocky Mountain Nature Association, $5.95.  16 pages. Remove the two pages of stickers and use them to help outfit young adventurers Rocky and Ruby for their trip on Trail Ridge Road, and use them to complete the four “big pictures” on the life zones, or ecosystems, you will experience along the way.  

NEW  A Mountain Alphabet, text by Margriet Ruurs and art by Andrew Kiss, $9.99. 30 pages. Twenty-six paintings capturing a special mountain mood and each invites you to discover intriguing animals, plants, and the letter of the alphabet hidden in each picture. 

Hiking through Colorado History by Vickie L. Krudwig, $9.95.  Ages 9 - 12. Surveys the history of Colorado from the time the Rocky Mountains were formed through the 20^th Century. Provides related activities, including hikes and games.

More Than Moccasins: A Kid's Activity Guide to Traditional North American Indian Life by Laurie Carlson. $12.95. Features everyday Native American life crafts, such as how to make a teepee, burden basket, different foods, toys and games. 

Old Cars to color, cut out and put together, $3.95.   This is an accurate and detailed story of steam-powered vehicles that contains vivid details and clear drawings of Stanley Steamer models.

On the Trail of Colorado Critters by Mary Taylor Young. $14.95. A wonderfully well-illustrated children's guide to Colorado wildlife.  A just the facts helps parents identify and explain over sixty different animals, their habits and distinctive features.

Westward Ho! An Activity Guide to the Wild West by Laurie Carlson. $12.95. This book is filled with crafts and activities related to fur trading and trapping, the gold rush, homesteading, ranching, and traveling by wagon.

Women Explorers by Ubet Tomb. $4.95.  Introduces readers nine and up to a host of adventurers who traveled from the fourteenth century to the present.  Share their enthusiasm for the journey and new sights.  Includes Isabella Bird, author of A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains (1879) and her escapades.

• Enos A. Mills - noted naturalist, writer, nature guide, and inn keeper. Mills was instrumental to the establishment of Rocky Mountain National Park in 1915. 

Enos Mills’ Colorado by James H. Pickering, $15.00.  239 pages. Known as “The Father of Rocky Mountain National Park”, this book includes many photographs, and 19 of  Enos Mills’ stories celebrating Colorado and the Park. 

Enos Mills: Citizen of Nature by Alexander Drummond. $24.95. A complete biography of Enos Mills.

A Baby's Life in the Rocky Mountains by Ester and Enos Mills. $14.95. Ester (Burnell) Mills homesteaded in the Estes area before marrying Enos Mills. She was the first female nature guide licensed by the National Park Service. This is her story of raising their daughter, Enda.

Being Good to Bears and Other Animals' "Tails" by Enos Mills. $9.95. A collection of Mills' most popular short stories on local wildlife, this reprint includes a moving dedication to the now extinct mountain bison. Includes personal and touching accounts of his interactions with bluebirds, bears, chipmunks, beavers and others.

Genuine Sympathy compiled by Ester and Enda Mills. $8.95. This book is a compilation of letters written to Ester and Enda Mills at the passing of their husband and father, Enos Mills.

Grizzly Our Greatest Wild Animal by Enos Mills. $11.95. This collection of bear stories recalls the lives and deaths of some of Mills' favorite animals.  The concluding chapter asks a questions not answered yet, "Will the Grizzly be exterminated?"

Radiant Days by Enos Mills. $15.95. Mills' narrative move across the Sawtooths, the San Juans, the Colorado Rockies, around the shores of ancient Lake Bonneville in Utah, and into the Grand Canyon.

Romance of Geology by Enos Mills. $12.95. Join Mills on his many adventures through the past and present ages of our wondrous planet.

The Story of Scotch by Enos Mills. $4.95. Probably the most famous and often-published photograph of Enos Mills shows him with his dog, Scotch.  This classic dog story helps modern readers relate Mills’ canine experiences to their own experiences with dogs in the wilds. Mills chronicles his eight-year friendship and adventures with his beloved dog, Scotch.

The Story of Early Estes Park by Enos Mills. $13.95. First printed in 1905, this reprint contains the original history of the local area and newly published material by Flora Stanley and Esther B. Mills

The Story of a Thousand Year Pine by Enos Mills. $6.95. Philip Ashton Rollins, author of "The Cowboy," wrote, "In [Enos Mills] 'Story of a Thousand Year Pine' he keyed and sustained his writing at a level that will make this book a classic and a permanent contribution to the literature of natural history."

Waiting in the Wilderness by Enos Mills. $10.95. In the preface, Mills writes, "In every state in the Union there are numerous wild places in which if one waits in the wilderness he will see the wild folks come." Explore these places with Enos Mills.

Watched by Wild Animals by Enos Mills. $11.95. Mills turns the table in this book, written from the viewpoint of the watched instead of the observer of various wild animals.

Wild Animal Homesteads by Enos Mills. $13.95. Mills uses his powers of observation to record the lives of various Rocky Mountain animals, such as the coyote, grizzly, and beaver.