Carlsbad and Carlsbad Caverns

by Donna Blake Birchell, Carlsbad Public Library

Overview

Created by the visionary Charles B. Eddy, Carlsbad rose from the humble beginnings of a tent city to become a vital community on the banks of the Pecos River. One of the largest irrigation projects known at that time made the transformation possible. The Carlsbad Caverns, discovered by James Larkin White and documented by local photographer Ray V. Davis, introduced the world to the wonders that lay beneath the desert surface. World War II saw Carlsbad members of the 200th and 515th Coast Artillery units being thrown into the midst of the Bataan Death March. With the discovery of a large deposit of potash east of town, agriculture flourished nationwide and prosperity returned to the town. As the country moved into the nuclear age, Carlsbad once again played a significant role. The detonation of the Gnome Project in 1961 and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant of the present day have provided the country with vital knowledge and nuclear waste storage.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781439624616
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	03/01/2010
Series:	Images of America Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	128
File size:	47 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Author Donna Blake Birchell, a native of Carlsbad, is a library technician and history buff. She worked in conjunction with Jed Howard and the Southeastern New Mexico Historical Society to illustrate the story of Carlsbad and the Carlsbad Caverns with images from the historical society's archives.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 6

Introduction 7

1 Oasis on the Pecos 9

2 Phenix Rising 21

3 Lifeblood of the Valley 31

4 Farming and Ranching along the Pecos 45

5 Is That Smoke? 59

6 From Potash to the Nuclear Age 71

7 Some Gave All 83

8 People, Places, and Events 91

9 Gentle Touch 111

Bibliography 127

Editorial Reviews

Title: People Notes

Author: Staff Writer

Publisher: The Hitchhiker

Date: 3/5/2010



Donna Birchell, long time staff member at Carlsbad Public Library, has completed a book, Carlsbad and Carlsbad Caverns, to be the latest volume of the Images of America series. Donna worked closely with the Southeastern New Mexico Historical Society that has amassed over 15,000 vintage photographs. After going through hundreds of old photographs, the book is 128 pages, featuring 216 historical photographs of the early days of Carlsbad and the Carlsbad Caverns. Published by Arcadia Publishing, it will be available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Walgreens, Books A Million, Hastings, and through their website as well. Release date is March 1. So far, local shops, such as the Carlsbad Museum and Art Center, the Carlsbad Caverns book store, and the Trinity Hotel, will carry volumes too.

From the Publisher