Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. CONTENTS v
3. FOREWORD ix
4. PREFACE xiii
5. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xv
6. Map of the Eleven Western States 1
7. Navigating Western Landscapes: An Introduction 3
8. 1 NATURE’S FUNDAMENT
9. 1 Wide-Open Spaces 36
10. 2 Mountain and Valley Topography 38
11. 3 Fault Scarps and Quake Zones 40
12. 4 Layered Rocks 42
13. 5 Igneous Landscapes 44
14. 6 High Country 46
15. 7 Rivers and Riparian Corridors 50
16. 8 Dry Washes and Gullies 56
17. 9 Dry Lakes 58
18. 10 Coast 60
19. 11 Cloudscapes 62
20. 12 Dust Storms and Dust Devils 66
21. 13 Cacti and Joshua Trees 68
22. 14 Sagebrush 72
23. 15 Conifers 74
24. 16 Wildfire 78
25. 17 Exotic and Invasive Plants 80
26. 18 Wild Animals 84
27. FARMS AND RANCHES
28. 19 Isolated Farmsteads 96
29. 20 Cattle Ranching 98
30. 21 Dry Farming 104
31. 22 Grain Elevators 106
32. 23 Field Irrigation Systems 108
33. 24 Orchards 112
34. 25 Vineyards and Wineries 114
35. 26 Farm Towns 118
36. 27 Farmworker Settlements 122
37. 3 LANDSCAPES OF EXTRACTION
38. 28 Surface Mining: Gold and Copper 132
39. 29 Underground Mining: Gold, Silver, and Copper 136
40. 30 Metals Milling, Processing, and Refining 138
41. 31 Mining Towns 140
42. 32 Ghost Towns 146
43. 33 Logging 148
44. 34 Lumber Milling and Processing 150
45. 35 Coal 152
46. 36 Oil and Natural Gas 154
47. 37 Wind and Solar 158
48. 4 PLACES OF SPECIAL CULTURAL IDENTITY
49. 38 Indian Country 168
50. 39 Hispano Plaza Towns 174
51. 40 Spanish Colonial Revival Architecture 176
52. 41 Latino Communities 178
53. 42 Mormon Country 184
54. 43 Persisting European Communities 188
55. 44 African American Neighborhoods 190
56. 45 Japanese Internment Camps 194
57. 46 Emergent Asian Mosaic 196
58. 47 Gay and Lesbian Neighborhoods 200
59. 48 Countercultural Impulses 202
60. 5 CONNECTIONS
61. 49 Historic Trails 210
62. 50 Trackside 214
63. 51 Narrow-Gauge Railroads 218
64. 52 The Open Road 220
65. 53 Mountain Roads 222
66. 54 Bypassed Highways 226
67. 55 Interstate Landscapes 230
68. 56 Electrical Grid 234
69. 57 Coastal Connections 236
70. 6 LANDSCAPES OF FEDERAL LARGESSE
71. 58 Township-and-Range Survey System 246
72. 59 International Borders 250
73. 60 State Lines 252
74. 61 Historic Military Landscapes 254
75. 62 Modern Military Spaces 256
76. 63 New Deal 260
77. 64 Federal Dams and Water Projects 264
78. 65 The Atomic West 268
79. 66 National Parks 272
80. 67 National Forests 276
81. 68 BLM Lands 280
82. 69 Federal Wilderness 282
83. 7 CITIES AND SUBURBS
84. 70 Urban Grid 294
85. 71 City Beautiful 296
86. 72 Mega Civic Landscapes 298
87. 73 Mega Consumer Landscapes 302
88. 74 City Invisible 306
89. 75 California Bungalows 310
90. 76 Ranch Houses 312
91. 77 Front Yards 314
92. 78 Modernist Apartment Boxes 316
93. 79 Suburban Master-Planned Communities 318
94. 80 Commercial Strips and Strip Malls 322
95. 81 Edge Cities 326
96. 82 Suburban Research Parks 328
97. 83 Urban-Wildland Ecotone 330
98. 84 Hillside Letters 334
99. 8 PLAYGROUNDS
100. 85 Dude Ranches 344
101. 86 Hot-Springs Resorts 346
102. 87 Coastal Playgrounds 348
103. 88 Lakeside Landscapes 352
104. 89 Adventure Play 354
105. 90 Hunting and Fishing 358
106. 91 Rodeos and Roundups 362
107. 92 Ski Towns 364
108. 93 Golf Courses 368
109. 94 Sexual Commerce 370
110. 95 Amenity Exurbs 372
111. 96 Gated Communities 376
112. 97 Regional Arts Communities 378
113. 98 Retirement Communities 382
114. 99 Snowbird Settlements 384
115. 100 Las Vegas 386
116. CHRONOLOGY 391
117. FURTHER READING 395
118. INDEX 409