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The Wetherills Friends of Mesa Verde
Book by Fred M Blackburn
209 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 15, 2017
This is an awkwardly written but serviceable account of the Wetherill family and their exploration of the area now preserved as Mesa Verde National Park and Ute Mountain Tribal Park in southwestern Colorado. Amateur historian Blackburn is obviously a partisan of the Wetherills and offers a determined defense against the charges of irresponsible exploitation of archaeological sites which have followed the family for well over a century. His argument is more than justified because the Wetherills have been unfairly maligned (or ignored) by the National Park Service and much of the professional archaeological community for much too long. I just wish that Blackburn had presented more in the way of documentation for his version of events (there are no footnotes, and his sources are only very generally described). The book suffers for it.
Since Blackburn's aim is to write a history of the Wetherills and their relationship with Mesa Verde, details on the lives of some of the family members after they moved away from the area are pretty cursory. This is unfortunate, especially in the cases of Richard and John, who had many notable accomplishments far away from southwestern Colorado. For Richard in particular, I found it odd that Blackburn, while briefly describing Richard's violent death in 1910, is very vague about the circumstances (the word "murder" never appears, for example), but he simultaneously makes mysterious insinuations about possible culprits other than the man who was convicted of the crime. I'm no expert on the subject, but I couldn't help but notice that Blackburn's account of the incident varies significantly from the detailed description given by Frank McNitt in his biography (Richard Wetherill: Anasazi). I also think it's worth pointing out that McNitt's account is very well sourced, and Blackburn's lacks any documentation whatsoever. Very curious.
Since Blackburn's aim is to write a history of the Wetherills and their relationship with Mesa Verde, details on the lives of some of the family members after they moved away from the area are pretty cursory. This is unfortunate, especially in the cases of Richard and John, who had many notable accomplishments far away from southwestern Colorado. For Richard in particular, I found it odd that Blackburn, while briefly describing Richard's violent death in 1910, is very vague about the circumstances (the word "murder" never appears, for example), but he simultaneously makes mysterious insinuations about possible culprits other than the man who was convicted of the crime. I'm no expert on the subject, but I couldn't help but notice that Blackburn's account of the incident varies significantly from the detailed description given by Frank McNitt in his biography (Richard Wetherill: Anasazi). I also think it's worth pointing out that McNitt's account is very well sourced, and Blackburn's lacks any documentation whatsoever. Very curious.
November 7, 2014
The title of Fred Blackburn’s new book, The Wetherills, Friends of Mesa Verde (Durango Herald, 2006) reflects both the family’s participation in the Society of Friends (Quakers) and their long affinity for the canyons, ruins, and relics of what is now Mesa Verde National Park and Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Park near Cortez, Colorado.
Combining Wetherill family collections of letters, photographs, and field notes with newspaper articles, National Park Service archives, and personal experience in the area, Blackburn pens an informative and sometimes humorous biography of the family. Simultaneously the author examines what role the Wetherhills played in the discovery and excavation of many of the ruins found in the two parks. Blackburn points out the Wetherhill’s contributions to the archaeology of the Southwest and some of the controversies over their role in removing artifacts.
Blackburn also carefully considers the many claims about who really was the first Anglo American to discover Cliff House, the signature ruin of Mesa Verde National Park. To these affidavits of “me first” boosterism, the author injects dated signatures found within the ruins during his participation in an expedition whose purpose was to locate, document, and decipher the notations left by the early explorers and traders who traveled Mancos Canyon.
Whether you enjoy reading about scientific discoveries, history, archaeology, or biography, either of the editions would be a good choice. The book doesn’t take long to read and you’ll walk away with a new perspective on this family.
Combining Wetherill family collections of letters, photographs, and field notes with newspaper articles, National Park Service archives, and personal experience in the area, Blackburn pens an informative and sometimes humorous biography of the family. Simultaneously the author examines what role the Wetherhills played in the discovery and excavation of many of the ruins found in the two parks. Blackburn points out the Wetherhill’s contributions to the archaeology of the Southwest and some of the controversies over their role in removing artifacts.
Blackburn also carefully considers the many claims about who really was the first Anglo American to discover Cliff House, the signature ruin of Mesa Verde National Park. To these affidavits of “me first” boosterism, the author injects dated signatures found within the ruins during his participation in an expedition whose purpose was to locate, document, and decipher the notations left by the early explorers and traders who traveled Mancos Canyon.
Whether you enjoy reading about scientific discoveries, history, archaeology, or biography, either of the editions would be a good choice. The book doesn’t take long to read and you’ll walk away with a new perspective on this family.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews