Southwest Books

This book is an extensive bibliography of books and articles about the Penitente religious sect, a group well-known throughout New Mexico and southern Colorado.
The origins of the Penitentes are believed to trace all the way back to certain medieval Italian Catholic sects of the thirteenth century, but the Penitentes' beliefs and rites have more recently evolved from practices brought to New Mexico from Catholic Spain and from Mexico in the late-eighteenth century--and by the early-1900s the sect had become an important part of life in rural Hispanic New Mexico. The lack of regular Catholic priests in many of New Mexico's more isolated towns, the need of these remote locales to have some sort of formal worship structure, and the desire of many rural Hispanics not to be assimilated into the culture and politics of a newly American New Mexico, greatly stimulated the growth of the Penitente Brotherhood. The Penitentes believed ardently in making amends for their sins through physical suffering--suffering which included whipping one's self with whips, throwing one's self onto beds of cactus, wearing and dragging heavy chains along the ground, wearing a crown of thorns, and even, if chosen for the honor, hanging upon a wooden cross.
Of course, if you're looking up this title here, you probably know all that. Ehh.
If you are interested in the Penitentes, and especially if you are WRITING about the Penitentes, you need this book.
I cannot think of a single valid justification for anyone researching this subject not to own this book. Marta Weigle has done a tremendous service to researchers by compiling this excellent bibliography. It's easy to use, clearly laid out, and nearly comprehensive. (I have found a few lesser-known articles that didn't make it in here, but not many.)
This book is terrific. Get it. It's an excellent companion to Weigle's "Brothers of Light, Brothers of Blood," and is an excellent resource all by itself.
Highly recommended.

Paul Scharbach (photographer) and John Akers (curator of history at the Tempe Historical Museum) have put together a remarkable collection of photographs of Phoenix "then" (late 19th, early 20th century) and "now" (the photos appear to all be 2004 or 2005). The "now" photographs are usually from approximately the same direction. The bulk of the collection is of downtown Phoenix, including key historical buildings and landmarks--the County Courthouse, state capital building, Carnegie Library, Luhr's building, Orpheum Theatre, Rosson House, Monroe School, etc. The book continues with Phoenix farther north (Central Avenue Dairy/Park Central Mall, Brophy College Preparatory, the Phoenix Indian School, Wrigley Mansion, Arizona Biltmore), goes (named for Gen. Winfield Scott, an early resident), and downtown Mesa.

The book was quite a pleasure to read and look at, filled with great photos and interesting little tidbits, such as Glendale's founding as a temperance colony, the wide influence of Dwight B. Heard, and the longevity of some local businesses (such as Sine Hardware in Glendale).

One minor error: the book attributes the 1992 purchase and current ownership of Wrigley Mansion to George A. Hormel (died 1946) rather than his descendant Geordie Hormel (a professional musician who has also funded UFO investigation).

Marty has done a great job capturing the facts and the images and ths spirit of this very interesting area.

I have read this book time and time again, it still teaches a lot. It is an amazing look back in time as to when Pimas' were Pimas'. Being Pima myself, A Pima Remembers is my number one book. George Webb had great dedication and meaning, reading the book tells you where it came from.

Thanks to the foresight of Teddy Roosevelt in 1908, Pinnacles National Monument is now celebrating its 100th year in the NP system. There are many unique features that keep us coming back to this place: release site for the CA condor, cave exploration (home to 14 bat species), stunning volcanic geology, rock climbing, and gorgeous wildflowers to name a few. Blazing hot in the summer, but great for spring hiking when water is still flowing.

The monument is off-the beaten track, but the peace and quiet in around 26,000 acres is worth the effort. You can enter from either the Hollister or the Soledad side depending on your travel plans. The eastern entrance has a decent privately run campground. More available online for those planning a trip.
I took a long look at this short guide at the park HQ. It's a good intro to the monument to supplement info at the NPS website.

The Pioneer Newtons of southwest Texas was a wonderful book for the genealogy and just the true history of the West.

This is a great book, anyone living in San Antonio should get it and see all the rich history this area has to offer. Thanks to David P. Green for putting in a lot of hours of research.

Completely enjoyed this book, well written, thoughtful, easy to read, concise, without boring you with tedious detail, a overview of the plains Indians, who they were, how they lived, many interesting facts, stories, and loads of great history. I really enjoyed the book and will keep it for reference a long time. Mr. Carlson, did an outstanding job on this writing!

I really like this book because it is about local plants of the area. The colors are great as are the descriptions of the plants. I have been able to identify plants that I have and did not know the names of. This is the second book we have purchased from this Author.

The Confederate army in the Trans-Mississippi Department has long been neglected by historians. Alwyn Barr wrote a wonderful account of the Texas brigade commanded by Camille Jules Marie, Prince de Polignac. Not only was his research meticulous, but his writing flows through the pages. Polignac's men fought in some of the largest battles west of the Mississippi--Sterling Plantation, Mansfield, Pleasant Hill, and Yellow Bayou--and proved themselves good soldiers. This book deserves to be on the shelves of anyone with an interest in the Trans-Mississippi Confederacy or in Confederate brigades in general.