Bad Old Days Of Colorado

The Bad Old Days of Colorado celebrates the state’s glorious and rowdy past. Many people born and bred here relish just how “bad” things used to be: the terrain, the inhabitants and especially the quality of whiskey. It almost goes without saying that Colorado had all the characteristic Wild West elements—and in abundance! The chapters focus on the infamous and notorious rather than the law-abiding and civic-minded settlers. These pages, like the state, recount the tales of people who came West seeking, if not their fortune, at least opportunity. It is no secret that Colorado was settled by the adventurous willing to brave the harsh conditions and to prevail. Whether on the right or the wrong side of the law, all settlers and pioneers made unique contributions to the state’s complex culture. Certainly, in the nineteenth century, Colorado was not for the faint of heart.

Jolie Anderson's collection of wild west tales focuses on the early frontier history of Colorado's plains and includes a look at some of the state's early pioneers like the "59ers" who promoted the state through travel guides and newspapers, exaggerating tales of gold discovery and even providing inaccurate maps to promote settlement in the plains; the perils of living and traveling the major gold routes the town of Julesburg relocated four times in a decade; feuds; Indian fights; outlaws, and even early rodeo history. These stories and events shaped the Colorado territory and are a rich glimpse into the early history of the state.

This look at prostitution in Colorado, 1860-1930, uncovers the lives and woes of "working girls" in mining towns such as Cripple Creek.

Find out quirky facts and wacky trivia about Colorado.

Annie Ryan is running a second-rate brothel in 1890s Denver with an eye toward expansion -- until murder stalks the good-time girls. This rollicking tale of blurred lines, flowing booze, played-out miners and upstairs girls delivers a compelling look at the Wild West, where women were enterprising and a price was paid for justice.

Twenty-fifth Anniversary edition of a cult classic that profoundly transformed the world of rock climbing More than 50 percent new material, including perspectives on new routes and stories about well-known climbers Includes a 16-page color insert of never before seen routes and digitally remastered images from Greg Epperson, the celebrated climbing photographer featured in the first edition of Climb!This history of Colorado's world-renowned, destination peaks will appeal to climbing enthusiasts everywhereIn 1977, well-respected climbing gurus Bob Godfrey and Dudley Chelton self-published Climb! Rock Climbing in Colorado. The first climbing book of its kind, Climb! detailed Colorado climbing history and suggested a new set of challenges for those fascinated by life on the edge. In addition, Greg Epperson's photography introduced wide-angle drama and on-rappel images. Twenty-five years later, Chelton has teamed up with former Climbing magazine photo editor and climber Jeff Achey to recapture the original book's influence and impact for a new generation of climbers. With more than 50 percent new text and a stunning 16-page color insert, Climb! takes readers through the evolution of climbing, from the first technical climbs, to the improvised free climbs of the 60s and 70s, to the sport climbing of the 80s, to the extreme climbing of the 90s. Conflicts and competitions among climbers, of which there are many, are documented here, as is the entry and accomplishments of women climbers.This book will capture fans of the original book and build a new audience, as well.

“An intimate and deeply human memoir that shows why we should all be concerned about nuclear safety, and the dangers of ignoring science in the name of national security.”—Rebecca Skloot, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks A shocking account of the government’s attempt to conceal the effects of the toxic waste released by a secret nuclear weapons plant in Colorado and a community’s vain search for justice—soon to be a feature documentary Kristen Iversen grew up in a small Colorado town close to Rocky Flats, a secret nuclear weapons plant once designated "the most contaminated site in America." Full Body Burden is the story of a childhood and adolescence in the shadow of the Cold War, in a landscape at once startlingly beautiful and--unknown to those who lived there--tainted with invisible yet deadly particles of plutonium. It's also a book about the destructive power of secrets--both family and government. Her father's hidden liquor bottles, the strange cancers in children in the neighborhood, the truth about what was made at Rocky Flats--best not to inquire too deeply into any of it. But as Iversen grew older, she began to ask questions and discovered some disturbing realities. Based on extensive interviews, FBI and EPA documents, and class-action testimony, this taut, beautifully written book is both captivating and unnerving.

Claude Wiatrowski, with photography by Claude Wiatrowski. Through informative text, sharp color photography, and historical black-and-white images, Railroads of Colorado invites you on a journey from the railroad's humble and hard-won beginnings to its status as a symbol of our past. Railroads of Colorado also includes ideas for exploring Colorado's railways; both the ghosts of long-gone trains that haunt the mountains and the preserved trains whose whistles still echo off those granite peaks. It also contains other helpful information--such as a map showing the routes of more than 30 Colorado rail lines and a "railroad directory," which lists the contact information for 13 operating passenger trains and trolleys.Explores the fascination these improbable railways inspire, providing the history of these unique railroads, the engineering that paved their way into the mountains, and the men who built and ran them.

Market Street Madam tells the story of Annie Ryan, a woman who is running a second-rate brothel in 1890s Denver with an eye toward expansion. By chance she encounters Lydia Chambers, a society woman suffering from a laudanum habit and a bad marriage, who owns a prized property on the infamous Market Street. Annie's fortunes at the brothel turn on her niece Pearl, a pretty young girl swept up in Denver's underworld of jealousy, booze, and vice--until murder stalks the good-time girls and puts everyone's future in doubt. A rollicking tale of blurred lines, flowing booze, played-out miners and upstairs girls, Market Street Madam delivers a compelling look at the intrigues of the Wild West, where women were enterprising and justice could be had . . . for a price.

""Too Much Dancing Going On" is the account of an independent-minded young woman in a wide-open Montana who loved books and horses, and later a certain literary young man. When Lyle Hardiman, easy-going, illiterate, Montana cowboy, accidentally blunders into the new library with his horse (he thought it was a livery), he meets the new librarian, Miss Rebecca Spark, and sets into motion a chain of events that will ensure the little town of Burnt Creek a place in the history books. With the help of the local saloon/shop sweeper, Lyle will discover a path laid out for him by destiny . . . a path that leads to the heart of Miss Rebecca Spark. In "The Book Mama", Lady Jane Woodruff is stranded with an abusive husband in a harsh new country and relies on the wisdom of an ancient African American woman to guide her to freedom." Fourteen-year-old Pearl Ellingson learns life's hard lessons as she struggles to start a library in frontier North Dakota in "Terrible and Wonderful""--