Customer Reviews

A History of Amargosa Valley, Nevada

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Just east of Death Valley and ninety miles north of Las Vegas, Amargosa Valley is one of those dusty little desert towns. Located between Death Valley Junction and US 95, Amargosa Valley isn't even a blink-and-you-miss-it town since most travelers take more direct routes to and from the driest National Park. Those who aren't connected to the mining industry typically make their way out to the area to explore Ash Springs and Big Dune, one of the few 'singing sand dunes' in the world. "A History of Amargosa Valley, Nevada" is an examination of this place. This book is a result of the Nye County Town History Project. In addition to appreciating existing research, a focal point of the NCTHP is to conduct extensive interviews with residents who can add light to the area's story. Robert D. McCracken is uniquely qualified to document this project having experience in local mining and a degree in Cultural Anthropology. This title first looks at how Indians originally used the area. The key feature to the parched landscape is Ash Meadows. Great detail is given to how the Paiute and Shoshone were the first to use this oasis. Afterwards, the author examines the period of exploration, including a summary of the Forty-Niners' ordeal. Included are actual accounts by the brave men who traveled through this challenging land. Farmers and ranchers eventually worked the land with varying degrees of success. The reader meets such laborers, outlaws, homesteaders and miners. Included are pieces on Jack Longstreet and Dad Fairbanks. The railroads played an important part in connecting residents with the outside world. While agriculture and ranching has struggled in light of water issues, mining has been (and is) the area's primary money maker. Used to process petroleum based oils, clay has been one of the most profitable finds. McCracken looks at life in a small isolated town. The author describes how people lived in such a hot environment prior to electricity, local schools and good roads. The Amargosa Valley Improvement Association eventually led to the area's evolution as an unincorporated town. "A History of Amargosa Valley" looks at the roots of contemporary situations. Various sides are looked at with regards to the ban on large scale development in the hopes of protecting the endangered pupfish. Also, Amargosa Valley is about 30 miles from the Nevada Test Site. It seems that there was as little controversy then as there is now for the impending Yucca Mountain nuclear waste deposititory. At 110 pages, "A History of Amargosa Valley" is an enjoyable read on the area, especially when considering the larger, broader and more academically inclined "Death Valley and the Amargosa: A Land of Illusion." The only significant drawback to this book is the total absence of maps and images that would have been helpful in making connections between places and showing people. It seems that there is an alternate version of this book entitled "The Modern Pioneers of the Amargosa Valley" which includes all of this title's text and 70 photographs. While I haven't seen that book, it must be preferential to this abbreviation. All in all, "A History of Amargosa Valley" is a enjoyable read about this dusty yet vibrant town.

Poorly written. Not much research depth. Vanity press level stuff.

Get Lingenfelter's book, if you want the early history of Amargosa Valley. The more recent history has yet to be written.