Kate’s 2¢: “Santa Fe 1880: chronicles from the year of the railroad” by Allen R. Steele

“Santa Fe 1880: chronicles from the year of the railroad” by Allen R. Steele

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

As an armchair historian, I enjoyed this story. I suspect a lot of research and fact checking went into preparing the manuscript for publication.

There were many famous and infamous names  in the newspapers during 1880. Among them were Victorio, Billy the Kid with his gang and the lawmen who tracked him, Gov. Wallace, who wrote “Ben Hur”, and the courageous Sisters of Charity.

From his website:

Allen R. Steele grew up in a family of five kids with working parents. As a result he mastered the art of diplomacy and flattery to get what he wanted in life. They all knew he was spoiled and would amount to nothing!

Author. Dr. Allen R. Steele has spent his life in communication media, first at his college radio station and then moving up to international broadcasting networks. He also spent many years as a university professor in Australia and America. More recently, he has immersed himself in the history of the Southwest and has written many books …

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Santa Fe 1880: chronicles from the year of the railroad DBC10271

Steele, Allen R. Reading time: 5 hours, 56 minutes.

Read by Jo Chapman. A production of New Mexico Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, New Mexico State Library.

The West

U.S. History

The sleepy frontier capital of Santa Fe transformed abruptly in 1880. The city, already a vibrant mix of cultures, jolted suddenly into the industrial age when it was inundated with hordes of newcomers from the East. The freshly laid tracks of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway provided easy access to the Wild West and changed the city almost overnight. Author Allen R. Steele recounts these events and more from firsthand accounts of that dynamic year.