Books for Sale at CCHS

BARRETT, ORLONZO GUY. "Dale Valley Boy," Beverlee Barrett Calvert (Merna, NE, 1983)

This is the 16th and 17th years of the Dale Valley boy, Orlonzo Guy Barrett as written in his diary, beginning in February 1909. Through his eyes, we meet the neighbors and learn what life was like here when these homesteaders lived close to the land. 158 pages. $10.60

BRUHN, ROGER. "Dreams in Dry Places," Univ of Nebr Press (Lincoln, 1990) ISBN 0-8032-1214-3

A collection of black and white photographs of Nebraska. Against a stark horizon in a harsh climate, settlers in Nebraska everywhere erected monuments to their optimism. The buildings pictured in "Dreams in Dry Places" are not just famous landmarks like the State Capitol but also humble farmhouses, barns, grain elevators, courthouses, banks, churches, stores, and theaters. Caught by Roger Bruhn's camera, these structures always suggest the spiritual resources of their builders and inhabitants who struggled for a livelihood on the Great Plains. 130 pages. $47.25 (hardback 10" x 11" format)

CARTER, JOHN E. "Solomon D. Butcher: Photographing the American Dream," Univ of Nebr Press (Lincoln, 1985) ISBN 0-8032-1404-9

A wonderfully revealing history of the process of homesteading and a collective portrait of the hardy women and men who broken the plains." (New Yorker) Custer County pioneer photographer S.D. Butcher captured this slice of American history for a whole nation, and Carter's book is the ultimate collection and analysis of those photographs. 138 pages $60.00 (hardback 10" x 11" format)

CONRAD, PAM. "Prairie Visions: The Life and Times of Solomon Butcher," Scholastic, Inc. (New York, 1991) ISBN 0-590-46116-8

"I remember the day I first discovered Solomon Butcher." So begins "Prairie Visions," an account of a fascinating dreamer. Solomon Butcher was a man of schemes and big ideas, but most of all he was a man with a vision: to record the lives of the pioneers in Nebraska during the turn of the century, to set their tales on paper and to capture their images in photographs. This book is tells of his life and shows us many of his pictures. 83 pages. $6.31

CREIGH, DOROTHY WEYER. "Nebraska, Where Dreams Grow," J & L Lee (Lincoln, 1980) ISBN 0-934904-15-4

From ice harvesting, Chautauqua and mail-order brides to World War II, television, and Big Red, this is Nebraska's story. Creig captures the state's history from the point of view of the people who lived their lives on the Great Plains. il. 150 pages. $13.73

DAVIS, DON. "Doris Lake: A History," Custer County Historical Society (Broken Bow, NE, 1990)

Lake Doris (near Sargent, Nebraska) was created as a flour mill in 1890. It soon became a popular resort site and eventually a controversial hydro-electric power plant. The narrative part of this history outlines the beginning, success, and demise of Doris, NE. The bulk of these pages, however, reproduce primary resources which let you be the historian, drawing conclusions about pioneer J.W. Lundy's struggle to fulfill his vision in spite of powerful ice jams, unrelenting shifting sand, and bull-headed folks from neighboring towns. 127 pages. $20.00

DEWEY, IRENEand ZETTA TATE, editors. "Tumble Weed Tales: Book Two," Purcell Publishing (Broken Bow, NE 1965)

Twenty-five citizens of early Custer County tell first-hand accounts of life as they, their parents, and grandparents knew it as far back as the first white settlers. 124 pages. $13.73

GOBLE, PAUL. "Custer's Last Battle: Red Hawk's Account." Univ of Nebr Press (Lincoln, 1969, 1992) ISBN 0-8032-7033-x

This highly illustrated account of the battle is written primarily for ages 8-14. "Although Red Hawk is not a real person, his 'account' is based on the published account of both Sioux and Cheyenne participants in the Battle of the Little Bighorn. These accounts do not give a complete picture of the battle because an Indian only tells of what he has seen or done. To give the reader a general view it has been necessary to include the explanatory passages printed in italics. An Indian would have considered these unnecessary." (authors note) 60 pages. $10.55

HOLDER, PRESTON. "The Hoe & the Horse on the Plains: A Study of Cultural Development among North American Indians," Univ of Nebr Press (Lincoln, 1970)ISBN 0-8032-5809-7

This book provides information essential to the understanding the Plains Indians. The emphasis centers on two native modes of life on the Great Plains--hoe farming and hunting from horseback--with special reference to the effects of contact with the encroaching white culture. (Western Historical Quarterly) 176 pages. $9.49

HOWARD, HELEN ADDISON. "Saga of Chief Joseph," Claxton Printers (Caldwell, ID, 1941) ISBN 0-8032-7202-2-0

In "Saga of Chief Joseph," Helen Addison Howard has written the definitive biography of the great Nez Perce chief, a diplomat among warriors. This completely revised edition of the author's earlier "War Chief Joseph" presents in exciting detail the full story of Chief Joseph, with a reevaluation of the five bands engaged in the Nez Perce War, objectively told from the Indian, the white military, and the settlers' points of view. 401 pages. $11.61

LUTHER, KEM. "Cottonwood Roots," Univ of Nebr Press (Lincoln, 1993) ISBN 0-8032-2906-2

This book is like taking a long car ride with an extremely knowledgeable yet good-natured uncle, whose purpose in bring you along was not just to enlist you in some ancestral sleuthing, but also to give you a seminar-on-wheels across a vast array of historical and sociological topics. (Dayton Duncan) At last someone has taken that old and popular hobby of genealogy and turned it into an actual and metaphoric journey. Kem Luther's "Cottonwood Roots" moves across the American land toward revelations that illumine all our ancestries. (William Least Heat-Moon) This account of the author's journey proceeds from his birthplace in Broken Bow, Nebraska, eastward across the Midwest to New York State and back into time as he carries out genealogical research. 152 pages. $21.20 (hardback)

NEIHARDT, HILDA. "Black Elk & Flaming Rainbow: Personal Memories of the Lakota Holy Man and John Neihardt," Univ of Nebr Press (Lincoln, 1995) ISBN 0-8032-3338-8

In 1931 John G. Neihardt interviewed Lakota elders who had witnessed the Wounded Knee Massacre. He found more than he expected--he found Black Elk. Their two weeks of talk became "Black Elk Speaks." Accompanying Neihardt to observe and take notes were his two daughters, Enid and Hilda. When he returned again in 1944 for further interviews, Hilda again accompanied him. Here she presents her memories of those interviews. 130 pages. $23.32 (hardback)

NEIHARDT, JOHN G. "The Mountain Men," Univ of Nebr Press (Lincoln, 1915) ISBN 0-8032-5733-3

This is the first volume of "A Cycle of the West" which received the National Prize of the Poetry Society of America. The first two songs, in the poets words, "deal with the ascent of the river and characteristic adventures of Ashley-Henry men in the country of the upper Missouri and the Yellowstone." 113 pages. $12.67

NEIHARDT, JOHN G. "The Twilight of the Sioux," Univ of Nebr Press (Lincoln, 1925) ISBN 0-8032-5734-1

This is the second volume of "A Cycle of the West" dealing with the tragic defeat of the Plains Indians. "Neihardt's epic--and it is the most truly epic of anything we have in American poetry--already is a part of American culture. . . His achievement is unique in American letters" (The Washington Post) 110 pages. $11.61

NEIHARDT, JOHN G. "When the Tree Flowered: The Story of Eagle Voice, a Sioux Indian," Univ of Nebr Press (Lincoln, 1951) ISBN 0-8032-8363-6

This is Neihardt's mature and reflective interpretation of the old Sioux way of life. He served as a translator of the Sioux past. Through his writings, Black Elk, Eagle Elk, and other old men who were of that last generation of Sioux to have participated in the old buffalo-hunting life and disorienting period of strife with the U.S. Army found a literary voice. 248 pages. $9.49

OSTERGARD, JACK. "Loose Stock," Copy Cat (Kearney, NE)

Jack's writing is an extension of his way of life. You smell the sweat and taste the dust. Sometimes it's sweet and sometimes a little bitter, but it's always honest. (Rich Hawkins, KRVN radio) 32 pages. $10.60

OSTERGARD, JACK. "Open Range," Custer County Chief (Broken Bow)

Jack's brand of cowboy poetry hits the funny bone as well as the heart. You'll split a side from laughing and at the same time shed a tear. (Dennis Morrice) 32 pages. $10.60

PERKEY, ELTON A. "Nebraska Place Names," A Nebraska State Historical Society publication, J & L Lee (Lincoln, 1982) ISBN 0-934904-19-7

This book is exactly what the name implies, and it is very complete. Organized first by county, and then by community, this resource book includes our cities and villages, towns that no longer exist and some that never did, except in someone pioneer's dream and on his hand-drawn plat. Entry forms vary depending on the nature of the site, but most include peak and current population, founding date, source of name, and other notes of special interest. Some illustrations. 227 pages. $13.73

ROBERTSON, JANET. "The Magnificent Mountain Women: Adventures in the Colorado Rockies," Univ of Nebr Press (Lincoln, 1990) ISBN 0-8032-8933-2

Janet Robertson, herself a climber and skier, has done remarkable research, culling anecdotes from letters, journals, and old newspapers, and bringing back to life more than sixty adventurous women who braved skepticism and hardships to experience the challenge and beauty of the Rockies. (Booklist) il. 220 pages. $11.61

SANDOZ, MARI. "The Battle of the Little Bighorn," Univ of Nebr Press (Lincoln, 1966)ISBN 0-8032-9100-0.

A chronological telling of the events leading up to the the battle, the battle itself, maps, and bibliography. The author is a native Nebraskan, internationally acclaimed writer, daughter of Old Jules Sandoz. 180 pages. $8.35

SANDOZ, MARI. "The Beaver Men," Univ of Nebr Press (Lincoln, 1964)ISBN 0-8032-5884-4.

Covering more than two centuries, "The Beaver Men" ranges from the beginnings of the beaver trade along the St. Lawrence to the last great rendezvous of traders and trappers on Ham's Fork in what is now Wyoming in 1834. 335 pages. $10.55

SANDOZ, MARI. "The Horsecatcher," Univ of Nebr Press (Lincoln, 1957) ISBN 0-8032-9164-4

Praised for swift action and beauty of language, "The Horsecatcher" is Mari Sandoz's first novel about the Indians she knew so well. Without ever leaving the world of a Cheyenne tribe in the 1830's, she creates a youthful protagonist many readers will recognize in themselves. 192 pages. $7.37

SANDOZ, MARI. "Hostiles & Friendlies: Selected Short Writings of Mari Sandoz," Univ of Nebr Press (Lincoln, 1959) ISBN 0-8032-9208-2.

Here in one volume are Mari Sandoz's reminiscences of life in the Sandhills country, a study of the two Sitting Bulls and other Indian pieces, a novelette and nine short stories. 250 pages. $11.61

SANDOZ, MARI. "The Story Catcher," Univ of Nebr Press (Lincoln, 1963)ISBN 0-8032-9163-9.

The author presents amazingly detailed glimpses of the life in the Indian village and on the plains. She shows the action rather than telling it, successfully fusing history and imagination. (Helen Winter Stauffer, Univ of Nebr at Kearney) Rooted in legend, history, and empathetic understanding, "The Story Catcher," Sandoz's last novel, won the Levi Strauss Golden Saddleman Award and the Western Writers of America Spur Award." 173 pages. $6.31

SANDOZ, MARI. "The Tom-Walker," Univ of Nebr Press (Lincoln, 1947) SBN 0-8032-9147-7.

A bold, biting novel by the author of "Old Jules" and "Crazy Horse." "The Tom-Walker" spans three generations in a Midwestern family and never loses the larger view of American history. Historical fiction. 372 pages. $9.49

SANDOZ, MARI. "Winter Thunder," Univ of Nebr Press (Lincoln, 1954) ISBN 0-8032-9161-2.

In a blinding blizzard a school bus overturns and a young teacher, her seven pupils, and the driver--a mere boy--are stranded in open country. Because it is based a true experience in the paralyzing midwestern blizzard of 1949, it has the ring of undisputed truth. 61 pages. $5.83

SMITH, R.P. "Mutual Acquaintances: Original Cowboy Poetry by R.P. Smith," --Audio Cassette-

If you want to draw a big crowd to your event in Custer County, Nebraska, simply advertise that R.P. Smith will be there to recite some of his original cowboy poetry. R.P. is our local version of Baxter Black, and if the latter didn't have the advantage of already being known as the best writer/performer in that genre, R.P would give him a real run for his money. Humorous, heartwarming, clever, engaging--there isn't room enough here for all the adjectives we need to describe R.P. writing and performing style. 13 poems. $7.95 --audio cassette--

SMITH, R.P. "Ramblings and Reflections: Original Cowboy Poetry by R.P. Smith," --Audio Cassette-

From "Dinosaur Eggs" and "Ranch Romance" to "Cadillac Rap" and "Round Pen Waltz," you will laugh with poet/performer R.P. Smith, and you'll feel you've come to know this colorful, personable, and very clever fellow. You'll also learn something of the values of hard work and family love. If you ever drive through ranch country (in fact, or in fantasy) you ought to have this cassette to make the trip a delight. 13 poems. $7.95 --audio cassette-

SMITH, REX ALAN. "Moon of Popping Trees: the Tragedy at Wounded Knee and the End of the Indian Wars," Univ of Nebr Press (Lincoln, 1975, 1981) ISBN 0-8032-9120-5

The last significant clash of arms in the American Indian Wars took place on December 29, 1890 on the banks of Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota. Of the 350 Teton Sioux Indians there, two-thirds were women and children. When the smoke cleared, 84 men and 62 women and children lay dead. Of some 500 soldiers, about 30 were dead, some probably from their own crossfire. To answer whether it was a battle or a massacre, Rex Alan Smith goes further back into the historical records and cultural traditions than anyone has gone before. 219 pages. $9.49

STANDING BEAR, LUTHER. "My Indian Boyhood," Univ of Nebr Press (Lincoln, 1931) ISBN 0-8032-4193-3

This book is replete with information. Standing Bear details many native beliefs and interpretations as well as the symbolism of many things of nature that guided the very lives of the Lakota. (Saturday Review of Lit.) 190 pages. $7.37

STANDING BEAR, LUTHER. "My People the Sioux," Univ of Nebr Press (Lincoln, 1928) ISBN 0-8032-5793-71

When it was first published, Luther Standing Bear's autobiographical account of his tribe and tribesmen was hailed as "one of the most engaging and veracious we have ever had." It remains a landmark in Indian literature, among the first books about Indians written from the Indian point of view by an Indian. 288 pages. $10.55

WELSCH, ROGER. "Nebraska #2: A Special Highway," Media Publishing (Lincoln, 1990) ISBN 0-939644-76-2.

This audio cassette tape is designed to be played as you drive along Highway #2 from Grand Island in central Nebraska to Crawford near the Wyoming and South Dakota borders. Let Roger Welsch guide you as you drive this stretch of America which CBS's Charles Kuralt ("On the Road") called one of the ten most beautiful highways in America. This cassette comes with a printed booklet and in an attractive bookshelf case. $10.00

WELSCH, ROGER. "Sod Walls," J & L Lee (Lincoln, 1991)ISBN 0-934904-27-8.

On the vast restless expanse of the 19th century American midwest, pioneers built their homes of a material that came readily to hand--"prairie marble." This book chronicles a uniquely American architectural form, the sod house. The definitive work on the subject, it covers site selection, sod cutting, interior design, roof construction, windows, doors, and more. 200 pages. $13.73

YOUNG, KAY. "Wild Seasons: Gathering and Cooking Wild Plants of the Great Plains," Univ of Nebr Press (Lincoln, 1993) ISBN 0-8032-9904-4

For nature lovers as well as cooks, there's plenty to whet the appetite in this unique field guide-cum-cookbook. "This is not a survival book," writes the author, "Only those plants whose flavor and availability warrant the time and effort to collect or grow are included." Illustrated by Mark E. Marcuson 318 pages. $15.90