Showdown in the Big Quiet : land, myth, and government in the American West / John P. Bieter, Jr. ; foreword by Gordon Morris Bakken.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bieter, John P., Jr.

Series:

American liberty & justice

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Frontier and pioneer life.

Historiography.

Social justice.

History.

Community life.

Law--Social aspects.

Law.

Land use--Government policy.

Land use.

Owyhee County (Idaho)--History.

Owyhee County (Idaho).

Owyhee County (Idaho)--Environmental conditions.

Land use--Government policy--Idaho--Owyhee County--History.

Law--Social aspects--Idaho--Owyhee County--History.

Community life--Idaho--Owyhee County--History.

Social justice--Idaho--Owyhee County--History.

Owyhee County (Idaho)--Politics and government.

Frontier and pioneer life--West (U.S.)--Historiography.

West (U.S.)--In popular culture.

West (U.S.).

West (U.S.)--Mythology.

Idaho--Owyhee County.

Physical Description:

xviii, 292 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Lubbock, Texas : Texas Tech University Press, 2015.

Summary:

""Examines the area known as the Big Quiet, the role of environment, the history of this area in the West, and the power of Western mythology"--Provided by publisher.

"Myth and government clash and collaborate in one of America's largest and most remote canyonlands. Owyhee County, Idaho, also known as the 'Big Quiet,' is the largest and least inhabited area in the lower forty-eight states. Who has decided how to use it? From violent mine wars in the mid-nineteenth century to environmental conservation disputes at the end of the twentieth, people in the West have battled over the role of government and notions of American identity to answer this question. Winners ultimately controlled the perception of their battles, often shaping the contours of the next conflict. Similarly, historians debated interpretations of the West. In the early twentieth century, Frederick Jackson Turner argued that interactions on the frontier formed American characteristics of rugged individualism, democracy, aggression, and innovation. The 'New' Western historians of the late 1970s attempted to debunk this theory, revealing the racial and ethnic diversity of the West, reminding us of the role of the environment, and documenting how settlers and later corporations conquered land wrested away from Native Americans. While 'New' Western historians shot holes in Turner's thesis, the myths of the Old West prevailed. People craved the identity offered in Western-themed novels, films, and tourism more than historical facts. Showdown in the Big Quiet demonstrates how the 'Old West' speaks to the 'New' and proves how the power of Western mythology moved from background to central character"--Provided by publisher.

Contents:

The Owyhees

The Eagle's Silver Heart

The Battle of Shoshone Mike

"An Asset and Not a Liability" : Omaechevarria v. State of Idaho

The Power of Myth, Marketing, and Government in the West

Claude Dallas : The Myth Comes to Life

Saylor Creek Bombing Range : Modern Range War

The Owyhee Canyonlands : Showdown to Collaboration

Conclusion: Lesions and Lessons from the West.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 271-279) and index.

ISBN:

9780896729025

0896729028

9780896729032

0896729036

OCLC:

896791492