The Small Mountain Quartet--Arizona history and historical novels

Biography of a Small Mountain

All outdoor enthusiasts look for any excuse to climb a mountain, and Arizona author Donna Ashworth’s Biography of a Small Mountain is just that excuse. The book turns out to be much more than a geological account of Woody mountain; it is a unique cross-section of Flagstaff history. Turn-of-the-century Flagstaff was not just wild bears, cattle and sheep, it transcended its physical boundaries with timber and business development, which provided money for the expansionist young community to grow. The stories of early Flagstaff logging and railroads offer a penetrating account of the early settlers like T.A. Riordan, John Woody, and Charles T. Rogers, an excellent documented account of Forest Service history and G.A. Pearson's role in its early development, and the establishment of the Southwest Experimental Forest Station. The book includes a detailed study of Western water law and logging regulation, and of the Seed Tree Agreement.

$20.00

Library of Congress Catalogue Card Number 91-91288

ISBN 0-9830364-4-0

250 pages
Includes index/bibliography
Soft cover

Read An Excerpt From the Book


Reader Reviews About Against This Ground
Mac R. Harris, Sharlott Hall Museum, Journal of Arizona History		Duane Miller, Coconino Cattle Company
While this book was written for a general audience, it will be of interest to historians and genealogists. The large number of photos and maps adds to the overall appeal. It has achieved its goal in an admirable fashion. The book was extensively researched and is must-reading for anyone with an interest in local history. Seeing the world from the bottom up, we can use books such as Ashworth's as building blocks of grassroots history.		Here's a piece of local history that should please readers whether their interest is history or nature. Ashworth, working the fire lookout on Woody Mountain southwest of Flagstaff, became fascinated with its past. Years of careful research resulted in a fine, hefty book with lots of historical photos and plenty of detail. All southwestern collections should own it.

Copyright©2009 Small Mountain Books

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Against This Ground

Cover photograph courtesy of Sherry Mangum
The earliest known photograph of Flagstaff was made in 1883.
Photo courtesy of the Arizona Historical Society—Pioneer Museum
The Slattery Plumbing wagon was photographed east of the courthouse.
Photo courtesy of the Arizona Historical Society—Pioneer Museum
Andrew Douglass helped create the Lowell Observatory.
Photo courtesy of the Special Collections—University of Arizona Library
After 1895 there was an electric light in each and every room of the Bank Hotel.
Photo courtesy of the Arizona Historical Society—Pioneer Museum
Flagstaff school teacher Carolyn Austin married newspaper editor Fred Breen.
Photo courtesy of the Arizona Historical Society—Pioneer Museum
The Milton Fire Hose Team posed as though ready to take off for a fire.
Photo courtesy of the Arizona Historial Society–Pioneer Museum
Michael, Helen, Matthew, and Timothy Riordan were the children of an immigrant Irish carpenter.
Photo courtesy of the Museum of Northern Arizona