Railroad and the Canyon

Exploration of the Grand Canyon has attractedthe attention of adventurers from Coronado to Roosevelt and captured theimaginations of millions worldwide. In the early part of the twentieth century,development of the canyon as a tourist destination, a source of miningprospects, an artistic subject, and a geological wonder increased at tremendousrates due to the linking of the Santa Fe railroad line with the canyon's edgefrom Williams and Flagstaff.Rudy J. Gerber's The Railroad and the Canyon is a historicalexpedition into the events that led to the building of the railroad and itsimpact on the canyon. From the first deadly attempts to run trains through thecanyon to the industries that sprouted up alongside its tracks, this story ofman's quest to conquer the canyon by train is both fascinating andenlightening. Gerber introduces the famous figures from John Hance, whosestagecoaches brought adventurous spectators to the rim; to Buckey O'Neill, whoconvinced financiers to run the rails to his property; to Mary Jane Colter, thearchitect whose work remains today as part of the national park grounds.The race to the canyon was not without legal battles and dry spells fortourism. This book tells how landowners battled for rights to the rails, howthe railroad marketed its canyon trips, how the hotels developed and grew, andhow roads and cars competed with the rails for carrying visitors to the canyon.Included are also stories of the archeological finds along the tracks andsights found along the guideposts of the trek.Rudy J. Gerber has been a longtime college professor, lawyer, writer, andexplorer of the canyon lands. He currently sits as a judge on the Arizona StateCourt of Appeals in Phoenix. Escaping from the city, he can be found at hismountain cabin outside of Williams, still within earshot of the famed trainlines he has written this book about.Gerber, Rudy J. is the author of 'Railroad and the Canyon' with ISBN 9780882899862 and ISBN 0882899864.