Idaho History Books

The topic for today – problems with cattle drives – gives me a chance to plug my books ... one in particular.

If you want to learn more about the development of stock raising in Idaho, then you need a copy of my book Before the Spud: Indians, Buckaroos, and Sheepherders in Pioneer Idaho. The book covers the history from the "first stockmen of Idaho" – Shoshone and Nez Percés horse raisers – and carries forward to about 1910, followed by a brief survey of the state of affairs today. Learn more about the book at my South Fork Revue blog under Before the Spud.

 While you're at it, also check out Idaho Mining History: Boise River Gold Country. That book tells the story, in words and pictures, of the settlement of the mountainous regions drained by the Forks of the Boise River after gold was discovered there.

You might also find Idaho: Year One, An Idaho Sesquicentennial History of some interest. Using contemporary published articles and letters from the gold camps, the book captures the day-by-day excitement and uncertainty as hopeful prospectors poured into the area.

My fourth book, American Sherlock: Remembering a Pioneer in Scientific Crime Investigation, is also indirectly involved with Idaho history. It presents the biography of Luke S. May, who ran his detective agency out of Pocatello for about four years before moving on to Seattle.

All four books are available at Amazon.com or you can order them through other booksellers.