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Through Time and the Valley by John Erickson Photography by Bill Ellzey |
"As Erickson's reputation has grown and spread, [his first] book has become a kind of underground classic. Readers are going back to it and discovering, to their delight, a 'new' Erickson book they didn't know existed."—Doris Meredith
In an isolated piece of the West, the Canadian River stretched before John Erickson and Bill Ellzey as they began a journey through time and what the locals call "the valley." They went on horseback, as they might have traveled it a century before. For 140 miles they followed the course of the river from the Turkey Track Ranch to the redland prairies of the Oasis Ranch and from the ghost town of Plemons to the little cowtown of Canadian. They talked, worked, and swapped stories with the people of the valley, piecing together a picture of what life has been like there for a hundred years.
Through Time and the Valley is their story of the river—its history, its lore, its colorful characters, the comedies and tragedies that valley people have spun yarns about for generations. A wry and delightful humorist, Erickson tickles our funnybone while touching our feelings.
Outlaws, frontier wives, Indian warriors, cowboys, craftsmen, dance-hall girls, moonshiners, inventors, big ranchers, small ranchers—all are part of the Canadian River country heritage that gives this book its vitality.
JOHN R. ERICKSON, raised in the Texas Panhandle town of Perryton, is a fifth-generation Texan with ranching roots back to the 1850s. He graduated from the University of Texas, studied at Harvard Divinity School, but made his living on horseback while pursuing his writing. "Hank the Cowdog" series has become a national favorite. BILL ELLZEY's photographs have been exhibited internationally. He works out of Ridgway, Colorado, where he does freelance photography.
Number Two: Western Life Series
Through Time and the Valley
ISBN 0-929398-95-5 cloth $24.95
LC 95-8925. 6x9. 230 pp. 50 photos. Map. Bib. Index.
Western History. Folklore. Ranching.
Publication Date: October 1995.
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