Overview

The mines in southwestern Colorado were in trouble and needed cheap, reliable electric power to keep running. This is the story of innovative solutions to solve the problem using alternating current electricity and the incredible effort, tenacity, and toughness of the men who overcame formidable obstacles to bring electrification to the mines, ranches, homes, and businesses in the remote and rugged areas of southwestern Colorado. Here is their story in over 80 intriguing historic photos from the Center of Southwest Studies. Tough men peer from the pages with attitude to spare next to gargantuan equipment in unforgiving terrain. Many of the photographs were taken by Philip “P. C.” Schools, power plant superintendent with the Western Colorado Power Co., whose turn-of-the-century photographs documented the coming of electricity to Southwest Colorado and from which his legacy glows.

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9781941821121

Table of Contents

Reviews

For the most part, Journalists, (a label I ve proudly worn for nearly sixty years), focus on history as it s being made, and historians on 'the lies agreed to' of events past. Esther merges the two and writes with present tense immediacy of events concluded decades ago. In her intelligent book, TOUGH MEN IN HARD PLACES, she gives life and voice to some of America s most hard driven heroes all of them long ago lost to the years. You can almost see their lips moving in the compelling photographs that accompany their own words, faithfully translated to print. . . It s a celebration of American enterprise everywhere. SID FEDERS, Executive Director, Envision Entertainment and FORMER EXECUTIVE PRODUCER NBC NEWS PRIMETIME SPECIALS, PROGRAMS AND SERIES, and recipient of EMMY, Peabody, and Dupont Awards in broadcasting.

A great book. . . The Western Colorado Power Company employees had tough work to do to keep electricity flowing . . . Esther's volunteer work culminated in this overdue book [and] is an enormous contribution to the historic value of the intellect and toughness it took to electrify these towns. Jack Pera, Telluride CO

For the most part, Journalists, (a label I ve proudly worn for nearly sixty years), focus on history as it s being made, and historians on 'the lies agreed to' of events past. Esther merges the two and writes with present tense immediacy of events concluded decades ago. In her intelligent book, TOUGH MEN IN HARD PLACES, she gives life and voice to some of America s most hard driven heroes all of them long ago lost to the years. You can almost see their lips moving in the compelling photographs that accompany their own words, faithfully translated to print. This book is subtitled The Electrification of Rural Colorado, but it s a celebration of American enterprise everywhere. SID FEDERS, Executive Director, Envision Entertainment and FORMER EXECUTIVE PRODUCER NBC NEWS PRIMETIME SPECIALS, PROGRAMS AND SERIES, and recipient of EMMY, Peabody, and Dupont Awards in broadcasting.

For the most part, Journalists, (a label I've proudly worn for nearly sixty years), focus on history as it s being made, and historians on 'the lies agreed to' of events past. Esther merges the two and writes with present tense immediacy of events concluded decades ago. In her intelligent book, TOUGH MEN IN HARD PLACES, she gives life and voice to some of America's most hard driven heroes all of them long ago lost to the years. You can almost see their lips moving in the compelling photographs that accompany their own words, faithfully translated to print. This book is subtitled The Electrification of Rural Colorado, but it s a celebration of American enterprise everywhere. -- SID FEDERS, Executive Director, Envision Entertainment and FORMER EXECUTIVE PRODUCER NBC NEWS PRIMETIME SPECIALS, PROGRAMS AND SERIES, and recipient of EMMY, Peabody, and Dupont Awards in broadcasting.

Author Information

You can find Esther in one of two places. Either she will be searching the archives at the Center of Southwest Studies, or hiking in the Weminuche Wilderness as a volunteer for the San Juan Mountains Association looking for arborglyphs. A far cry from her life in Washington, DC, where she was born and worked for the Veterans Administration. She is married and lives in Durango, Colorado.

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