The Mining Camps Speak: A New Way to Explore the Ghost Towns of the American West [Paperback]

Beth Sagstetter (Author), Bill Sagstetter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 15, 1998

The Mining Camps Speak is for people who have visited ghost town sites in the past and were disappointed because there was "nothing left." Here is a new way to explore these mysterious sites, even if all that's left is rubble. The techniques are valid in any western state, even Alaska. It begins where other ghost town guidebooks end. It is the first book to guide readers around a site in Sherlock Holmes fashion. Using the techniques of a historical sleuth, you will learn to identify forgotten pieces of the past. You will see for yourself the lives that passed this way and you will hear The Mining Camps Speak. Illustrated with hundreds of black and white photographs and antique engravings.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Sagstetters provide the reader with an enjoyable reading experience and, at the same time, offer a thought-provoking look at abandoned mining camps. The book's title offers insight into both the content of the book and the authors' philosophy of exploring ghost towns. They admonish the reader to look carefully at the details and the finer points of ghost towns...This book is intended to stimulate your imagination and your powers as an observer. It succeeds very well on both counts...The volume, The Mining Camps Speak, was an effort of love on the part of the authors. The book has appeal to a broad audience. Ghost town hunters and explorers should find much in the Sagstetters' work that will aid them. But beyond that, both professional and avocational archaeologists will find the book to be a handy reference tool to help interpret mining sites recorded in the field. The Sagstetters' easily readable writing style is neither condescending nor overly technical, making the book a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience." -- Southwestern Lore: Journal of Colorado Archaeology. Reviewed by Steven F. Mehls, Western Historical Studies, Inc.

About the Author

The Sagstetter byline has appeared on hundreds of magazine articles to date. The Sagstetters have been on the staff of a national magazine and were a correspondent/photographer team for the Denver Post. This is their second book. They produced several documentaries about the West that aired on primetime television. One of their films, "The Mystery of Huajatolla", won a Special Award at the Aspen Arts Film Festival in 1978. Bill was an honorarium instructor in filmmaking at the University of Colorado/Denver for several years. Bill's name appears on more than twenty patents to date. Both Bill and Beth are listed in Marquis' Who's Who in the West.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: BenchMark Publishing; 1st edition (July 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0964582414
• ISBN-13: 978-0964582415
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #821,654 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy it now!, December 22, 2000

By 

Ken Detweiler (Denver, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mining Camps Speak: A New Way to Explore the Ghost Towns of the American West (Paperback)

I have used this book with great success in my Colorado history classes and I recommend it to anyone with an interest in mining history and the Rocky Mountain West. Other books tell you where the "ghost towns" are located, but this book is unique in helping you understand what you are seeing when you get there. Their chapter on tin can dating alone is worth the price of the book. The research here is incredible and the photographs very clear. Take this along on your next trip into the mountains.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating!, February 20, 2000

By 

breadbaker "breadbaker" (Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mining Camps Speak: A New Way to Explore the Ghost Towns of the American West (Paperback)

This is a fabulous book which should appeal to anyone who spends any time in the back-country of the American West. You know those tumble-down buildings and random bits of rusted iron you occasionally encounter? Turns out they're not the junky nuisance you thought. This book, which is a fascinating read, will enable you to appreciate how folks 100 years ago were living in the very places you're exploring by showing you what all those things were used for. A wonderful find (or gift) for anyone with an interest in the mountains.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mining Camps Speak, July 1, 2009

By 

Stuart G. Burgess (Utah, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Mining Camps Speak: A New Way to Explore the Ghost Towns of the American West (Paperback)

This is a great book for anyone who wants to learn about old mining towns and what you can find when you visited them. I have a much better understanding of what to look for when I see old structures and now I might even be able to figure out what they once were! Great book and a fun read!