Platte County by Starley Talbott (2009, Trade Paperback)

Arcadia Publishing (36020)

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Travelers who crossed the windswept prairies followed trails headed for the lush farmlands of Oregon or the goldfields of California and the Black Hills. The remaining viable towns are Wheatland, Glendo, Hartville, Guernsey, and Chugwater.

About this product

Product Identifiers

PublisherArcadia Publishing

ISBN-100738570389

ISBN-139780738570389

eBay Product ID (ePID)73349589

Product Key Features

Book TitlePlatte County

Number of Pages128 Pages

LanguageEnglish

Publication Year2009

TopicUnited States / State & Local / West (Ak, CA, Co, Hi, Id, Mt, Nv, Ut, WY), Subjects & Themes / Regional (See Also Travel / Pictorials), Pictorials (See Also Photography / Subjects & Themes / Regional)

IllustratorYes

GenreTravel, Photography, History

AuthorStarley Talbott

Book SeriesImages of America Ser.

FormatTrade Paperback

Dimensions

Item Height0.3 in

Item Weight10.5 Oz

Item Length9.2 in

Item Width6.5 in

Additional Product Features

Intended AudienceTrade

ReviewsTitle: Reading the West 11-9-09 Author: Candy Moulton Publisher: The Fence Post Date: 10/10/09 Before in this column I''ve written about the Images of America series that Arcadia Books publishes, and now there are a couple of new titles in the series. Both are Wyoming titles: "Platte County" and "Powell." Jeremy Johnston is a native of Powell, Wyo., who attended the University of Wyoming and then returned to Powell, where he now teaches at Northwest College. His prior publications include articles in "Annals of Wyoming," "Points West" and "Yellowstone Science." He has also appeared on two PBS documentaries, "Roy Barnes: Rocky Mountain Cowboy" and "Wyoming Voices." Powell would not be the farm town it is if the 1894 Carey Act and the subsequent 1902 Newlands Act had not passed bringing reclamation projects to the West, turning arid lands to productive crops and Jeremy Johnston rightly begins his book with an introduction that sets up that early history of water development. The Garland Canal went into operation in 1908, and was the catalyst to agricultural production around Powell. This book includes early photographs of the Corbett Dam and Tunnel that diverted water from the Shoshone River to the Garland District irrigation project. Johnston also includes chapters -- and photographs -- related to Early History of the Bighorn Basin, Homesteaders, Main Street, Earning a Living, the local school district and Northwest College, plus general life in Powell. And he takes considerable space in the book to recount one of Powell''s biggest stories: "The Saga of Earl Durand." This small-town criminal, who had been involved in various altercations with the law including poaching of wildlife, walked into the First National Bank of Powell on March 24, 1939, pulled off a robbery and killed a bank teller, before escaping. He hid out for several days while being pursued by a posse of lawmen, killed two of his pursuers, and was finally killed himself by a teenage boy from Powell. It is one of those stories that makes a good tale -- or a movie -- and has been both over the years. Johnston includes numerous photographs and illustrations related to the Durand Saga, including a copy of a letter the man wrote to the sheriff who pursued him, pictures of the posse, even gruesomely, a photo of Durand after he had been killed. There is enough in this book to give you a basic understanding of Powell and its history. The photographs that have been included are for the most part interesting, informative, and intriguing. Starley Talbott began her writing career in newspapers in Wyoming, and has written several other books, including guidebooks to wineries in Four Corners country and in the Dakotas. In the Images of America Series she has turned to Platte County, Wyo., where she now lives. Her book also begins with a discussion of water development, as that commodity is essential to the livelihood of people throughout Platte County, with water diverted from the Little Laramie River to irrigate farm fields. One interesting map of the Wheatland Colony shows the lands that were to be irrigated under a development program set up by the Wyoming Development Company, which owned the water rights -- though not the land. Although the document called for development of both the Sybille Tract and the Bordeaux Tract under provisions of the 1894 Carey Act, Sybille was never developed under that program, and only a portion of the Bordeaux Tract went into production. Talbott also includes information about the towns in the county including Wheatland, Glendo, Hartville, Guernsey and Chugwater. There are photos of mining operations at the Sunrise Mine, plus the Wyoming National Guard Camp, as well as images of cowboys working on ranches in the southern end of the county. Both of these books are capsules of history for their respective areas that are photo-rich, with interesting, informative captions.

SynopsisThe North Platte River that flows through a portion of Platte County, Wyoming, lent its name to the new county carved from Laramie County in 1911. Prior to the late 1800s, with the exception of Native Americans, trappers, and some ranchers, few people chose to remain in the territory. Travelers who crossed the windswept prairies followed trails headed for the lush farmlands of Oregon or the goldfields of California and the Black Hills. In 1883, the Wyoming Development Company began an irrigation project that brought an influx of farmers to the promising new acreages around Wheatland, the town that became the county seat. The arrival of the railroad in the late 1800s brought more farmers, ranchers, and miners to the area that would become Platte County. New residents established dozens of communities with schools, churches, and businesses. The remaining viable towns are Wheatland, Glendo, Hartville, Guernsey, and Chugwater. This book covers the history of these towns, and the vanished ones, along with the rural areas of Platte County.