Overview

During the 1960s and 70s, young adults from all over the U.S. were migrating from urban torural areas in pursuit of a different life. They were often stereotyped as hippies and ski bums. Steamboat Springs was one of the small Western towns that experienced an influx of young adults who mainly wanted to ski in the newly opened ski resort. Some were back-to-the-land types, some came to start over after a break-up, some followed friends or relatives, some came because of the music scene, and most came to enjoy skiing and outdoor life. They were drawn to the Rocky Mountains and the beautiful environment. Many ended up staying and making significant and lasting contributions to a town and culture made up primarily of ranchers, cowboys and miners. Drawn to the Mountains contains the life stories of sixteen of these people who arrived as young adults. Drawn to the Mountains opens with a Prologue that explains how the authors learned about Steamboat Springs through meeting, by chance, a couple from Steamboat while living in Iran, and what inspired them to compose this book. The authors, years later, moved to Steamboat Springs themselves and, over the years, met many more people who had migrated to Steamboat as young adults. The Introduction describes the town and valley and the characters. The main body of the book recounts the life stories of a selection of those who migrated, most written in first person by the migrants themselves. With humor, wit and grit, they describe their struggles to find housing, their entrepreneurial efforts to make the Yampa Valley their permanent home, and their many adventures along the way. Some fit the hippie/ski bum stereotype, for a time, but most had college degrees and soon grew out of that lifestyle as they created their new careers in this remote mountain town.The concluding chapter summarizes how these sixteen people made significant contributions to the development of the city and county through community service - one as a county commissioner, another by serving on city council, another by serving on the school board, another by securing grants for the city, several by raising funds and lobbying for historic preservation, environmental causes, and the arts. Two became college and middle-school teachers. The artists and musicians contributed to the culture of the area. All of them enriched the local community with their talents and their efforts confirm the positive impact of these midcentury migrants. This book fills a gap in the history of Steamboat Springs and the Yampa Valley - the impact of the midcentury migration of young adults all across America.

Full Product Details

9798994236901

Table of Contents

Reviews

""One needn't know the place or the people to enjoy this book. Individual portraits of struggle, humor, absurdity, triumph, and tragedy will fuel the reader's imagination beyond the words on the page as the community takes shape. Garrison Keillor did this with his News from Lake Wobegon. Here, people are vetted by the Yampa Valley's unnegotiable do-or-die requirement for remaining in the valley."" Beau MacGregor, Bellingham, Washington""My family came seeking a better life and closer connection to nature, so it was meaningful to see how others' dreams began in much the same way. The shared struggles and joys across the decades deepened my appreciation for those who have helped shape Steamboat into what it is today."" Eron Haubert, Steamboat Springs""Stories about the early days of human settlement in the Yampa Valley exist, but this book adds a valuable chapter to that canon. The varied voices provide authenticity. It's clear that people made deliberate choices to stay in a beautiful place."" Susan Kirkpatrick, Steamboat Springs""As a reader who does not have the pleasure of living in Steamboat Springs, I was captivated by stories of how life uniquely and beautifully unfolds for these mid-century migrants to this valley."" Leanna Kirchoff, Denver""I really enjoyed this trip down memory lane, as my connections run deep with the people featured in this book. Stuart Handloff, Steamboat Springs""As a 25-year resident of Steamboat Springs, I love hearing these compelling stories from some of the true originals and early 'tourist' settlers in town. Great historic content and anecdotes!"" Perry Ninger, Steamboat Springs""As one of many who arrived in Steamboat in the early 70s, the stories resonated with my own experience. This collection of stories is a tremendous gift to our community, which fills a significant gap in our community history."" Jay Gallagher, Steamboat Springs""This book touches so many areas of importance in making this county what it is - a true community, friendliness, history, education, construction, recreation, conservation, and economic development. The stories emphasize the creativity and the sheer stick-to-itiveness it took to make a life here during those years.""Carole Milligan, Steamboat Springs""I could really envision Steamboat and the area before growth, commercialization, and wealth, with cowboys, hippies, skiers, nesters, and their dreams. So many contributed so much to so many, with all their hearts, and they all connected with each other - an amazing circle."" Julie Hebert, Richmond, Virginia""I came away with an appreciation of the free-spirited and self-reliant adventurers who were drawn to a remote mountain village in northern Colorado, where they skied and scratched out livelihoods, often holding down multiple jobs, and how they helped to establish the character of my newly adopted town."" David Lambeth, Steamboat Springs

Author Information

Dr. Mayling E. Simpson was raised in Ohio and Virginia and graduated from Longwood College in 1968 with a major in biology. She earned a Ph.D. in Anthropology at the University of North Carolina. She has been an assistant professor in Population Dynamics at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, a senior technical officer in Community Water Supply and Sanitation at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, and a senior technical health advisor for Catholic Relief Services in East Africa. Her career involved both research and developing programs applied in communities. She has lived and worked in Ireland, Iran, Nepal, Switzerland, Serbia, Ethiopia and Kenya. A published author, her publications are found at maylingsimpson.com. She currently lives with her family in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Her most recent book is ""Lives Guided by Honor- How VMI Shaped the Class of 1968,"" published by Kohler Books in Virginia Beach Virginia, in April 2024. She has written extensively for the World Health Organization and Catholic Relief Services.Dr. Mayling E. Simpson was raised in Ohio and Virginia and graduated from Longwood College in 1968 with a major in biology. She earned a Ph.D. in Anthropology at the University of North Carolina. She has been an assistant professor in Population Dynamics at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, a senior technical officer in Community Water Supply and Sanitation at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, and a senior technical health advisor for Catholic Relief Services in East Africa. Her career involved both research and developing programs applied in communities. She has lived and worked in Ireland, Iran, Nepal, Switzerland, Serbia, Ethiopia and Kenya. A published author, her publications are found at maylingsimpson.com. She currently lives with her family in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Dr. Mayling E. Simpson was raised in Ohio and Virginia and graduated from Longwood College in 1968 with a major in biology. She earned a Ph.D. in Anthropology at the University of North Carolina. She has been an assistant professor in Population Dynamics at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, a senior technical officer in Community Water Supply and Sanitation at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, and a senior technical health advisor for Catholic Relief Services in East Africa. Her career involved both research and developing programs applied in communities. She has lived and worked in Ireland, Iran, Nepal, Switzerland, Serbia, Ethiopia and Kenya. A published author, her publications are found at maylingsimpson.com. She currently lives with her family in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Dr. Paul V. Hebert was born and raised in Virginia and is a 1968 graduate of the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) with a major in civil engineering. He holds a Ph.D. in environmental engineering from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Hebert spent the first half of his career training engineers in water and sanitation in developing countries in Asia and Africa with The World Bank. The second half of his career was with the United Nations (Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) in response to wars, droughts and floods in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. He and his family have lived in eight foreign countries and now reside in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Dr. Hebert taught at VMI 2013-2019 and is currently on the board of VMI's Alumni Association.

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