Vanished Arizona: Recollections of My Army Life [Paperback]

Martha Summerhayes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2005

The seventh day after the birth of the baby, a delegation of several squaws, wives of chiefs, came to pay me a formal visit. They brought me some finely woven baskets, and a beautiful papoose-basket or cradle, such as they carry their own babies in.... [I]t was their best work. I admired it, and tried to express to them my thanks... -from "Chapter 13: A New Recruit" Martha Summerhayes was a respectable Victorian lady when she left civilized society behind, in 1874, to follow her cavalry-officer husband West, to the Wyoming Territory and then to unknown and inaccessible Arizona. Written "at the urgent and ceaseless request" of her children and first published in 1908, this compulsively readable account of her life on the frontier is a unique document of the American exploration and settling of the West, offering a little-heard woman's perspective on an historical era that continues to echo in contemporary American society. From the deprivations of her kitchen-where she has no choice but to make do with army pots and pans designed for cooking for dozens-to terrifying encounters with wildlife, attacks by Indians, and the challenge of giving birth alone, Summerhayes' indomitable spirit and sense of adventure shines through. American writer MARTHA SUMMERHAYES (1846-1911) was born in Massachusetts and spent two years studying in Germany before her life on the American frontier.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

American writer MARTHA SUMMERHAYES (1846-1911) was born in Massachusetts and spent two years studying in Germany before her life on the American frontier.

Product Details

• Paperback: 376 pages
• Publisher: Cosimo Classics (December 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596055510
• ISBN-13: 978-1596055513
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,881,545 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must reading for biography lovers, April 28, 2006

By 

Karen Scrivano "Cozie Lover" (Corona de Tucson, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Vanished Arizona: Recollections of My Army Life (Paperback)

I first read this many years ago and have recently re-read about Matha's adventures. Living in Arizona for the past 30 years, I was amazed at the changes since Martha's time.

But as to the book, she writes clearly, simply and fairly. She was obviously a woman ahead of her times. At a period of time when there was so much socail structure, her ability to accept everyone at face value was refreshing. She begins her story with her time in Germany and at first it is unclear why, but do read these chanpters. They give you a reference point for her previous life before she meets and marries her husband and sets forth on her adventure.

I would recomment this to history buffs, Arizonans, bioraphy buffs and anyone who likes to read about interesting people, Martha Summerhayes certainly is!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Frank Tale of Arizona History, December 20, 2007

By 

C. D. Reynolds "katierey" (Tucson, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Vanished Arizona: Recollections of My Army Life (Paperback)

In the late nineteenth century, Martha Summerhayes and her young lieutenant husband take up residence in the dusty army forts of Arizona. Vanished Arizona is a collection of memories of those days. Along the way, the reader meets a variety of characters such as a nearly-naked Indian cook and a "dentist" who accidentally extracts the wrong tooth.

We learn of treacherous travel in which mule carts overturn and people drown while crossing rivers. In one harrowing adventure, young Martha is advised by her husband to shoot herself and her baby son in preference to being captured by Indians.

What I love about this book is the guileless storytelling that seems unblemished by political correctness. She does not varnish the truth as she sees it, nor does she attempt to make her life in dusty Arizona attractive; she offers an honest appraisal of the rather brutal trials of an army wife in that era.

At times you'll love Martha Summerhayes for her courage, and at times you'll wish she didn't whine quite so much.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in frontier America and the brave people who settled the land.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Experiences of an army bride in the Arizona Territory., September 26, 2007

By 

Philip James "Tarkas" (Prescott, AZ) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Vanished Arizona: Recollections of My Army Life (Paperback)

This is the autobiographical story of a young army bride who accompanies her husband to Fort Apache, one of the most remote frontier outposts in the Arizona Territory, in 1874. To accomodate to the vicissitudes of the transition from a sheltered New England home to the wilderness she must endure hardships in travel, hostile Apaches, lack of even basic amenities, and inhospitable climate. Her accounts of how she survived these problems and of her interactions with soldiers and civilians provide insight into the early history of the Arizona Territory as well as into life in the frontier army. The book is nicely annotated to provide extra detail on places and persons, and there is a good selection of additional references. It is well written and, in my opinion, a must read for those interested in this mostly forgotten part of our history.