Oklahoma Books

Anyone who has ever visited the Fort Bowie National Historic Site in southeast Arizona knows what a unique experience that is (first of all, you have to hike in to the fort ruins a mile-and-a-half from a small parking area off a dirt road). The feeling at the site of being transported back in time is profound. Douglas McChristian has given us a thorough history of the fort and its role in the affairs of Arizona during the second half of the nineteenth century.

Before Fort Bowie was constructed in 1862, there was a Butterfield Stage station located near the site (its ruins are still visible). Apache raids on local ranches in the area brought a military response in 1861, which was unsuccessful in dispelling hostilities. With the advent of the Civil War, the importance of Apache Pass as a viaduct to the California gold fields for the Confederates became a major concern. Union volunteer cavalry under Gen James H. Carleton rode to Apache Pass, where on July 15-16, 1862, they fought a battle with several hundred Apaches at the springs near the pass. After the Indians were finally driven off, Carleton realized the pass needed to be fortified, and Fort Bowie was soon under construction.

The first Fort Bowie was in existence from 1862 to 1868 and consisted mainly of tents inside a stone breastwork. After the Civil War, the US Army (as opposed to state units) took over and a new fort was begun about a quarter-mile to the east. Much more substantial, it contained adobe buildings and included barracks, officers' quarters, storehouses, and a hospital. By the time the fort was abandoned in 1894, 38 buildings had been constructed (the ruins of these buildings is the chief attraction for a visitor today).

A tentative peace was established with the Apaches in 1872 when Cochise agreed to occupy a reservation that included their traditional homeland. There was restlessness on the reservation, however, and some bands (most famously, one led by Geronimo) left the reservation and wandered between the US and Mexico, escaping capture for years. Finally, in 1886, Geronimo and his band were caught and sent to Florida. Fort Bowie hung on for another eight years, but with the Indian wars at an end, the fort served little purpose. On October 17, 1894, the last troops marched out of the fort for other posts.

McChristian's account of life at the fort is fully detailed. Fort Bowie was an isolated post, and life there could be pretty lonely (drinking was a big problem). Actual encounters with the Indians were rare, though scouting expeditions were never-ending. The author lists all the commanding officers at the fort (the list is long and many officers stayed for only a month or two) and all the units stationed there (the Sixth US Cavalry was there the longest: 1875-85). His approach is scholarly (footnotes are numerous and many annotated), but it's not written for just other scholars. There are also many photographs. Fort Bowie was an important military post in the West, and this book relates its story well. Highly recommended.

Mr. Rister wrote this in an easy to read style, and it is loaded with facts, entertainment, a great read which I refer to often. Highest recommendations!!!!

For this book, published in 1970, Robert Carriker began researching in the 1960s a vast number (he was surprised by the amount) of records housed in the National Archives regarding Fort Supply, located just east of the panhandle of Oklahoma on the North Canadian River. The records indicated to Carriker how important a post the old fort was in the history of the West and encouraged him to write this account.

Fort Supply, established in 1868, played basically three essential roles in its 25-year history: during its first ten years (1868-78) its troops helped protect the Cheyennes and Arapahoes from other Indian tribes (mainly the raiding Kiowas) as well as from the exploitations of whites, especially the whiskey traders from Kansas who used the supply roads to ply their illegal trade in the nearby Indian villages; during the next dozen years when its troops helped protect the cattle business along quickly developing cattle trails (the Chisholm Trail to the east and the Dodge City Road to the west, to name just two); and after 1890, by serving as headquarters for the opening of the Cherokee Outlet to homesteaders.

Carriker is an excellent writer (his biography of Father De Smet, pioneer Jesuit missionary to the northwest Indians, is also superb), and he tells the story of Fort Supply with verve and in detail. The fort officially closed in 1895, though 13 years later the Western State Hospital took up residence there, where it remained into the late 1980s. Fortunately, when the hospital closed the state of Oklahoma took over the site and turned it into a park. Old Fort Supply should thus avoid the usual fate of abandoned historical places: deterioration followed by oblivion. Anyone interested in forts of the old West or in the history of the Plains will find this book useful and entertaining.

Elmer Thomas (1876-1965) represented the people of Oklahoma as a state legislator, a member of the U. S. House of Representatives and four terms as U. S. senator. This is his own account of service to Oklahoma and the nation through depression and war. It was written shortly after he left office in 1951 but was never published.
It chronicles his long career and offers a wealth of information on people and events that helped shape the development of the state and the course of American history.
Thomas became one of Oklahoma's first state senators in 1907 and was involved with financing the construction of public works.
Commenting on the efforts to build the capitol in Oklahoma City, he wrote: "While Oklahoma City had promised free office rent, a free site for the capitol, and $1 million with which to construct the building, we could not locate any person who seemed anxious to make good such promises."
As a member of the U. S. Congress, he made it his business to understand the Federal Reserve System and as the farm crisis of the 1920s worsened during the Great Depression, he consistently argued for inflating the currency to stimulate the economy--a struggle that became central to his career that he eventually won.
Thomas's panoramic look at the issues of his time include a behind-the-scenes view of the Nürnberg War Crimes Trial and also tells how he helped push funding for the atomic bomb project through Congress without disclosing its true nature.
This is the story of an Oklahoma public servant who dedicated his career to improving the lot of rural residents, Native Americans and working people. It is a significant story of the early years of Oklahoma statehood and fits well with the celebration of Oklahoma's Centennial.

Just after the seasons that made up the winning streak, I was a student recruiter for the Athletic Dept/ Football team. It is a great book that reflects the thrilling games that made it possible to set a record that may never be broken...

Schofield was a professional soldier who served in the Seminole Indian Wars, The US Mexican War, The Civil War and led the army in the postwar years. It is a fun read, not only does Schofield tell a wonderful story he is not shy about criticizing his fellow officers especially the great generals of the Civil War. Unfortunately, the book was written before 1898 so it does not discuss his role in the Spanish American War. It is a must read for any student of the Civil War but the novice will enjoy it also.

The best, and one of the few treatments of Quarter Horse dams. A must have.

This by far is the best work written on the Pizarro Family as a whole. I am glad to see more information written on Gonzalo, Hernando, and Juan Pizarro. Before this book was written most people did not fully understand who Francisco and his brothers were basically about. This book perfectly illustrates who they were and the situations surrounding their fate.

McNally brings together a wide and seemingly disparate array of issues regarding political events in the US and ties the threads together to help to make sense of such events. I felt the book could have benefited from a more thorough introduction in order to place the events of Chappaquiddick to other well known tragedies such as the Oklahoma City bombing up to 911, but the amount of information revealed and the rigorous presentation of data and the logic of the writer make up for any lack of style. These are important issues that most Americans have not considered in detail, not only in each case in themselves, but also the relationship of one terrorist incident to the next. Without positing a grand conspiracy, McNally presents voluminous evidence that our government is largely run, or at least influenced, by shadowy forces, and that by analyzing the details of events such as Chappaquidick and 911, we can better understand the circumstances and direction of our country.

What an interesting life, from hardscrabble boyhood to Hollywood to the Royal Ascot. Alton Tabor, a former actor who did TV commercials for major corporations, has written a memoir that's good model for others to follow. Even those with seemingly ordinary lives would do well to write their own. They provide a great legacy for friends, relatives and family genealogists.

With an oral history, much can be lost in the telling. This story was done in the most enduring and detailed way, by committing words to paper. Tabor tells his story well. His life includes being raised by a single mother during the Depression, serving in the Navy during World War Two and Korea, trying to make it as an actor, and eventually becoming involved in the world of horse racing. His story, interspersed with family triumphs and tragedies, is dedicated to his exceptional mother, Emily Rebecca Tabor.

It's a good read.