Bøger udgivet af WESTERN REFLECTIONS INC (CO)

Western Reflections is reprinting an engaging, historical autobiography for the general public -- "The Snow-Shoe Itinerant." Reverend John Dyer, an intrepid Methodist minister, came to Colorado in 1861 at the ripe old-age of forty-nine, but soon fit in as one of the "boys" in the remote mining towns he served. "Father Dyer," as he was respectfully called by the locals, was very well liked among the miners and prospectors. He frequently preached in saloons after politely asking customers to suspend their drinking and gambling for the interim. And, sometimes toting a gun, he would confront drunkards and others who tried to interrupt his service. Dyer's ministry eventually covered most of Colorado and much of northern New Mexico, but he began his Colorado career in South Park (the southern part of Park County), spending much of his time in Fairplay and Summit County's Breckenridge. It was during this time that Dyer pioneered the use of skis (then known as snowshoes) for winter travel in Colorado. Drawing on the knowledge of Scandinavian friends in Minnesota and Wisconsin, Dyer would deliver the gospel on twelve-foot long "snowshoes," dragging a long pole in the snow for control. Neither snow, nor cold, nor dark of night would deter him from his rounds. As tales of his dependability became widespread, Father Dyer was often asked to deliver the mail and sometimes carry gold bullion destined for the Denver Mint. In The Snow-shoe Itinerant, Dyer tells captivating tales of the sights, sounds, people, and events he encountered and experienced. His stained glass portrait is in the dome of the Colorado Capitol Building. One of only sixteen Colorado pioneers to be so recognized, it is an honor that Father Dyer definitely deserved.

Helen Sloan Daniels, now deceased archeologist, anthropologist, and historian from Durango, Colorado, wrote The Ute Indians of Southwestern Colorado in 1941 as a project for the Durango Public Library. It was one of the first popular books written on the Ute Indian culture. Unfortunately, Helen had to mimeograph the book and result was a hard and sometimes impossible to read. The original printing of the book soon became very rare and was not widely distributed. Western Reflections has edited and retyped the book and has included some of the original drawings, making this rare work available to the general public. It is an interesting (and sometimes shocking) book, not only about the Ute culture, but also about the way this tribe was viewed by local whites in the 1930s and 1940s. Daniels includes quite a bit of material about the Utes from the 1880s and 1890s. And, the book shows the split in white attitudes towards Native Americans during both timeframes. Much of the information in this book cannot be found elsewhere.

Rev. J. J. Gibbons experienced the San Juan Mountains of Colorado as few men ever did. At the end of the nineteenth century, when avalanches ran, mines exploded, and plagues hit hard - everyone backed off except for Gibbons. It was his job to tend the sick, give last rites, bury the dead, and bring comfort to the grieving families. So even when the weather was at its worst, Father Gibbons set out on foot or on horseback to bring comfort to those individuals in need of a Catholic priest. In the San Juan tells stories of skeletons along the trailside, men blown to bits while warming dynamite on a stove, and the power of avalanches that kill not only those in the way, but also would-be rescuers who came in later. Responsible for an enormous territory that covered 10,000 square miles of some of the most rugged terrain in the United States, Father Gibbons was a living testament that faith in God helped good men to make it through terrible times. Western Reflections Publishing chose to reprint this extraordinary work in order to provide the general public a rare look at life in the silver mining heyday of the San Juan Mountains through the sensitive and perceptive eyes of a man of faith.

In 1876, George M. Darley and his brother Alexander, an ordained Presbyterian minister, ventured into the wilds of Colorado and became the first non-Catholic ministers to hold church services on the Western Slope. In the town of Lake City, one of the main gateways to the San Juan Mining Region, George and Alexander organized the Lake City Presbyterian Church. After moving to Lake City, George preached, did carpentry work, and built Southwest Colorado's first church structure and even made the pews for his new Presbyterian church out of scaffolding used in its construction. Later, he built the church manse, and his wife became the first minister's wife to live on Colorado's Western Slope. Pioneering in the San Juan, relates stories about what Darley dubbed The Great San Juan Excitement of 1875, '76 and '77. In this book, he details life in and around early Silverton, Ouray and Lake City; presiding at the funeral of a prostitute and a faro dealer; and surviving blizzards, avalanches, and freezing cold while traveling in the San Juans during winter. With wonderful photographs, and much, more - Western Reflections Publishing has reprinted this extraordinary bit of history for a wider public to enjoy.

Thomas Walsh discovered fabulous golden wealth in the historic Camp Bird Mine near Ouray, Colorado. His daughter, Evalyn Walsh McLean, tells an engaging true story of the family that wanted for nothing. They led a life of extravagance. It enabled them to acquire possessions such as the Hope Diamond and the fabulous homes that hosted spectacular social functions and served as retreats for kings and presidents.