The River of Sorrows: The History of the Lower Dolores River Valley
Kendrick GD (ed). 1981. The River of Sorrows: The History of the Lower Dolores River Valley. National Park Service
Local histories strike a responsive chord in the hearts and minds of most Americans. Whether tracing the family genealogy, following the boom and bust cycle of a Rocky Mountain mining camp or chronicling the progress of a "hell on wheels" high plains railroad town, local histories can provide an insightful glance into the development of the American character. When this look combines an eye for colorful detail with a regional or national perspective, local histories become a valuable archival and public resource. The history of the Lower Dolores River Valley in southwestern Colorado achieves this historical synthesis. The four essays show how the rugged land itself shaped the valley's past and will determine its future. The very geographical factors which hindered permanent settlement -steep canyon walls, high altitude and poor soil-have today attracted the intense interest of Bureau of Reclamation hydrologists as an ideal site for a storage reservoir.