An everyday history of somewhere, being the true story of Indians,: Deer, homesteaders, potatoes, loggers, trees, fishermen, salmon, & other living things in the backwoods of northern California,

by Ray Raphael, Mark Livingston (Illustrator)

'An everyday history,' says Ray Raphael, 'tells of the people, the places, and the times which other books are in too much of a hurry to talk about.' He is a young man, city-born, who settled five years ago in the California north. Fascinated by the place, the people, the minutiae of life in the backwoods, he has put together an 'everyday history' of his own particular 'somewhere'...the coastal hills near the Oregon border.

In a loving narrative, he tells us of the day-to-day story of the ordinary people, animals, and plants that have lived in this place. What an everyday Indian did for livelihood and play. What happens to a forest as it grows and to an animal as it hunts or is hunted. How Russian trappers, Spanish seamen, and Anglo gold miners swept through, changing the lives of the otters, the seals, the forests...and the Indians. How homesteaders, loggers, and finally today's new pioneers came to stay, and how their lifestyles affected the landscape and were affected by it. We learn firsthand about the working day of lumberjacks, professional soldiers, elk (and potatoes); about the 'place' in the woods of rivers, coyotes, the tan oak acorn; and about life on the homesteads and in frontier towns.

In his fine pen-and-ink drawings, Mark Livingston transmutes old historical prints and advertisements, together with new glimpses of the countryside and its creatures, into a feeling illumination of the narrative.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1974

Reviews

[Kathy]

Everyone in my watershed has, somewhere, a old copy of Ray's book. We all sent copies to our parents back in the day, trying to help them understand why we were mouldering in the country counting fallen leaves. The drawings are beautiful, and the narrative is still fine. Ray got a lot of ribbing because back then he wintered away from the rainy forest and the mud, and there is no mud in his book. Which seemed to those of us moving pans to catch drips from leaky cabin roofs something of an oversight.
Ray of course went on to publish many other books and make something of a name for himself as a historian.

[Raegan]

Genius concept - rather than focus on the usual dates and places, document a history of everyday life, from the plants and animals to the Native Americans, settlers, and exploiters of this patch of Northern California.

The writing got somewhat slow at times but never long enough for me to get bored. The extensive illustrations (I read the hardcover version) were incredibly intriguing.

This would make a great coffee table book for any history or ecology buff, or for any Northern California enthusiasts.

[Donovan Mattole]

great collection of oral histories of area I grew up in. Wonderful for anyone to read.

[Jak Krumholtz]

"Despite the arrogant use of power that Western civilization has applied to this area, the land here is still fantastically beautiful."

I proposed to my wife in the beautiful area this everyday history takes place. Not sure how the book found it's way to a library sale in Florida but I'm glad to have found it.

"For myself, learning the everyday history of where I live has had a most significant impact: it has added to my feeling of being alive on earth, and to my sense of respect for the world which is in my hands."

[Jymme Thompson]

Really enjoyed this local history, from earliest known beginnings to mid 1970's, of the south county area of Humboldt County California. I will read more of his work. Author delves into the everyday life of so many local histories, fascinating.

[Darcy]

Wow. Talk about enlivening history! A must read for someone interested in immersing oneself in the true history and growth of the west coast as told by people who lived during that time and remember their family stories. A very clever and memorable history book.

[Ravenna]

Great local history. Tells it like it was.