Rare Book Monthly
Book Catalogue Reviews - April - 2005 Issue
A Lynching and More in the Wild West from Gene W. Baade
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Here is a great title for anyone interested in ghost towns: Western Ghost Town Series, by Lambert Florin. This is a six-volume set published in Seattle from 1961-1968. Florin devoted his life to photographing and writing about the abandoned towns whose ruins he found in the West. His records will undoubtedly be both interesting and useful for those who still explore ghost towns, as the deterioration which has taken place in the 40 years since his visits has turned many to little more than scattered rubble. Not even ghosts can live there anymore. Item 59. $165.
There probably aren't too many Falls County, Texas, collectors out there, but for anyone who is, here is a wonderful addition to your collection. Falls is a mostly rural county in central Texas, with a population of just 18,500. The county seat is Marlin, a community of 6,700, which I doubt even most Texans could locate. At one point, warm springs brought people to the area as a health resort. However, the days have long since passed when hot mineral baths are the preferred cures for illness by most people. A clinic for crippled children that thrived in the first half of the 20th century closed over half a century ago. Some buildings in Marlin use these geothermal waters for heat today, but as anyone from central Texas can tell you, you don't need much heating in this part of the country. There was once a colorfully named community called "Bucksnort" in Falls County, but it closed its doors one and a half centuries ago. In searching the internet for news stories from Falls County, the best I could find was one about an outbreak of anthrax that killed 238 animals in 1974. It was evidently caused by eating contaminated grass during a drought. Central Texas usually has droughts, except when it's having floods. However, for those who love the lifestyle of the smaller town and countryside of Falls County, item 24 is a one-of-a-kind, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It is a masters thesis written in 1938 by Walter Brawn. It is called, The History of Falls County (Texas) A Dissertation. It includes details of the county's history along with several pencil drawings. Baade believes this to be the original copy of the dissertation. $450.
You may reach Gene W. Baade at 425-271-6481 or by email at bookwest@eskimo.com.
