The Rockies

From the time of Coronado's discovery to the era of modern ski resorts and sport climbing routes, adventurers have been lured irresistibly to the Rocky Mountains. This book traces the colorful history of the Rockies, focusing on the period that began in 1859 with the first gold strikes.

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From the time of Coronado's discovery to the era of modern ski resorts and sport climbing routes, adventurers have been lured irresistibly to the Rocky Mountains. In this book distinguished writer David Lavender traces the colorful history of the Rockies, focusing on the period that began in 1859 with the first gold strikes. The real and fabled attractions of gold, silver, furs, lumber, and lead brought swarms of people into the mountains, eagerly seeking wealth. A get-rich-quick spirit pervaded the Rockies, leading to lawlessness, violence, vigilantism, and political expediency. "The Rockies" is particularly revealing about the struggles from which evolved codes peculiar to the mountainous West. Duane A Smith provides a new introduction to this Bison Books edition of "The Rockies". David Lavender's many books on the history of the American West include "The Way to the Western Sea: Lewis and Clark across the Continent", "Westward Vision: The Story of the Oregon Trail", and "The Fist in the Wilderness", all available in Bison Books editions. Duane A Smith is a professor of history and Southwest studies at Fort Lewis College.
His many books include "San Juan Gold" and "No One Ailing except a Physician: Medicine in the Mining West", 1848-1919.