Riding the Edge of an Era: Growing Up Cowboy on the Outlaw Trail

by Diana Allen Kouris

In this elegant and illuminating true story, Diana Allen Kouris tells of growing up on the historic Browns Park Livestock Ranch, where in the 1800s Butch Cassidy found sanctuary, and nearly a century later her family hosted Robert Redford as he retraced the Outlaw Trail. In her description of the joys and tragedies of ranch and family life, she captures the human spirit as beautiful, dynamic, and vital as the land. Ironically, it is the uniqueness and beauty of the land that eventually brings change and hastens the end of the lifestyle generations of her family knew. But because she rode on the edge of a vanishing era and brings it vigorously to life, it will remain in her heart--and in ours

Genres: Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2009

Reviews

[Koren]

A memoir of growing up on a ranch in the American Midwest in the 50's and 60's and continues into her adulthood showing how that way of life is almost a thing of the past due to government regulations. I loved reading about her relationship with her mother. It was the relationship every daughter wants with her mother. There were lots of hard times but the hard times seemed to make the good times even better. Lots of pictures and if you are a horse fan you would probably enjoy reading about their escapades. A beautifully written memoir, I was sorry to see it end.

[Hayden Harris]

Diana Allen Kouris, a native of the Brown’s Park area and passionate preservationist of the area’s history, wrote Riding the Edge of an Era: Growing up Cowboy on the Outlaw Trail as a memoir compiling her experiences being raised on a ranch in Brown’s Park. High Plains Press published her book in 2009. Considering the book is nearly entirely composed of Kouris’s memories, she can be considered an expert in the subject of the book, especially since her memories are supplemented by oral histories with her siblings and letters from family members. Her love for the place she came of age in and its history drove her to add to its already impressive historical narrative with the memories she made there, which are accompanied by a few events in Brown’s Park’s exciting past. While some are never fully developed, most of Kouris’s memories are very specifically detailed and seem almost suspicious at times, but the memoir is full of heartfelt and personal accounts that introduce the amazing history of Brown’s Park and manage to add to the impressive narrative as well.

Each chapter of Riding the Edge of an Era recounts Kouris’s various memories as she was raised on the Brown’s Park Livestock Ranch. She occasionally includes anecdotes from members of her family and a few historical events that occurred in Brown’s Park. The book follows her experiences from a carefree childhood to her responsibilities as a teenager and eventually to the daunting task of helping her brother carry on the ranch’s legacy during the fall as an adult.

All of the strengths of Riding the Edge of an Era lie within Kouris’s masterfully told memories. Her descriptions of her former home and ranch are more than intriguing and continually invite the reader to learn more about the area’s history. To further whet the reader’s budding interest in Brown’s Park, Kouris retells stories of outlaws hiding from posses in special places she can personally describe, or accounts of killings in the area, some of which were never pursued by the police. Kouris’s passion for the history of her beloved home is present in every anecdote and vignette found in her book. And she would be pleased to know her own memories truly do add to the deep history of her home. Indeed, Kouris’s stories of cattle drives, horse races, local dances, taming wild horses, and eventually leaving her family’s treasured land due to government pressure are worthy additions to the Brown’s Park narrative. As the title suggests, her experiences are the closing chapter of an era in Brown’s Park and they are essential to its history.

Though the vivid detail and specificity in Kouris’s writing creates an enjoyable and remarkable reading experience, it is at least a small cause of concern for the accuracy of the memories. Kouris not only remembers the events and conversations, but she recalls the body language, the tone, exact positions, and other small details with clarity that is difficult to believe for sixty to seventy year old memories. Now, if Kouris only added details for the sake of readability, then there is no real harm done. However, adding details is not far from changing or simply misremembering events. Her stories should be read with that possibility in mind. Also, some of her memories, such as the cause of her separation from her older siblings or the details of Bob’s death, are glossed over. Perhaps she felt that these events were not relevant enough to the story, but with so much detail in the other parts of her book, it is frustrating that these seemingly important memories are left undeveloped. Albeit, this is a small grievance.

Although there are some underdeveloped memories and possibly questionable accuracy in the memories themselves, the beautiful stories in Riding the Edge of an Era: Growing up Cowboy on the Outlaw Trail by Diana Allen Kouris serve as an excellent gateway into the history of Brown’s Park while also adding a necessary layer to the history. The book is a touching, poignant, and heartwarming narrative, but it is also a testament to the importance of childhood memories in the field of history. Kouris’s work to document her memories and some of the history of Brown’s Park helps to continue the area’s narrative and will hopefully inspire others to continue working to maintain and build its legacy. And preserving the history of even a relatively small place like Brown’s Park is invaluable. Riding the Edge of an Era fully deserves four out of five stars.

[Rachel Tolhurst]

Diana Allen Kouris’ book, Riding the Edge of an Era, offers readers an intricate examination of the life of a ranching family in the early-mid 1900’s. Not only does Kouris identify the functional necessity for family unity, but she also presents a literary framework that displays how hard work and dedication can make family bonds that much stronger. Kouris does an excellent job identifying the characteristics of what she refers to as a faded era in the context of domestic priorities and family values, but falls short in clearly providing a comparison between the lifestyle on the ranch and more urban societies. Even so, Kouris’s 2009 memorial book of a bygone age breaths magnificent life into her experience riding out the final days of a vanishing era on the historic Browns Park Livestock Ranch.
Kouris begins this book by describing the ranch on which she lived using an episode from her younger years that sets the tone of the cowboy culture that encouraged her to be strong through her pain which remains an ongoing theme throughout the story. Kouris then progresses through a narrative of her experiences growing up on the ranch, including the triumphs of work well done as well as the tragedies that accompanied ranch life. She walks us through the proceedings of everyday life on the ranch and expresses a deep connection to the horses and animals they worked with. Before the end however, Kouris includes details about the devastating process of her family’s dissolution, including the loss of the family ranch, and the deaths of her mother, father, and finally, her beloved brother, Bob, who was the last of her siblings to continue the family ranching tradition.
As a memory based evaluation of ranch life and the cowboy culture, Riding the Edge of an Era plays an essential role in identifying the values and attitudes that constituted a “western” identity along the Outlaw Trail. One of the themes that are extensively covered in Kouris’ book is the clear set of domestic priorities while living on the ranch. Through the hard work of the entire family but also the diligent attentions of Kouris’ mother, they were able to band together in accomplishing their ranching tasks but were always provided with a hot meal and a warm bed at the end of the day. This system of unity however was based on an almost unspoken foundation of family values. Kouris’ family worked hard and until their work was done, they worked through disputes by working together; they fought through their pain, both physical and emotional, and they each had a tremendous respect for the land from which they drew their life and resources.
Though Kouris provides an excellent narrative of the cowboy lifestyle, she falls short in offering a solid comparison between the mores of urban culture to that of her own. She provides intimate details about her ranch and the lifestyles of neighboring ranch communities throughout the Outlaw Trail that are indicative of a decisive and distinguished lifestyle, however she offers no metric by which readers are able to compare the values and attitudes of the “outside” world. In her discussion about the fading of an historic era, she fails to describe how ranching societies fit into a broader context in terms of the remainder of the country in the 1900’s.
Kouris does an excellent job identifying the characteristics of what she refers to as a faded era in the context of domestic priorities and family values, but falls short in clearly providing a comparison between the lifestyle on the ranch and more urban societies. This book provides delectable insight into the lifestyles and cultures of the old ranching societies but is inherently absent of a societal comparison. I classify this book as a very useful examination of ranching culture, but only a moderately useful tool for evaluating urban and rural contrast.

[Marieta Grissom]

Diana is a great storyteller and created a wonderful memoir! I really enjoyed reading about Diana's 1950s to 1960s youth in the three-state area of northwest Colorado, northeast Utah, and southern Wyoming. Her life was exciting compared to mine during the same decades. Critical to her story also is the colorful history of the region with renown outlaws and the Bassett women and the impact of that on her family's long history in the area.

[Phil Bayly]

A compelling true story about growing up in one of the most unique and remote patches of the lower 48 United States. Kouris writes about people she loves in a place she loves, so the reader can't help but become invested. And when life brings what life inevitably brings, change, we writhe along with her. If you like the subject matter, you'll love the book.

[Lori]

Nice glimpse of a hard life that was fully enjoyed and well-lived. Somewhat repetitive but I didn't mind. If you like books about adventurous lives and historical diaries you might enjoy this book.

[Melia Dayley]

History is the interpretation of past events use texts and evidence and the personal history of an individual is quite the same. Grassroots history and memoirs let people look into the lives of everyday people and provide a personal history within the larger context of the textbook history. "Riding on the Edge of an Era: Growing Up Cowboy on the Outlaw Trail," written by Diana Allen Kouris, is a memoir that follows the life of the author through her experiences from early childhood through adulthood. The book, published by High Plains Press in 2009, uses texts and evidence from memory and primary sources and creates a narrative to be loved by all. Kouris, through her use of stories involving tragedy and happiness, paints a new historical picture of life in the American west, a picture that although might be flawed by biases, provides insight in a way textbook history never could.
"Riding on the Edge of an Era" follows Diana through her life including experiences that involve her family and friends. The book starts with the three siblings in the book as young children exploring and enjoying life on the ranch. The fun adventures through childhood are interrupted by tales of hardships and background stories of family members. As Kouris ages through the book, the priorities of the siblings change but the love of the family and American west are always lying underneath. As the book ends, the reader realizes they have become emotionally attached to Kouris and her family and the image her makes of the west.
Kouris does an excellent job of making the book engaging and uses memory, primary, and secondary sources to back up her thoughts and feelings about life on an American ranch in the mid 1900's. In the back of the book is a list of sources use by Koruis, sources that include oral histories, letters, newspaper articles, online articles, books, and other materials. The use of these multiple sources are seen when Koruis includes personal stories of her family members before her time and when she recounts bigger history going on in the country during her time. The memory sources also make the book really engaging and serve Kouris's point of a personal look into growing up in a certain way of life.
When using memory and primary sources, there comes inherit biases, and throughout the book these biases are clear and taint some part of the history. Granted, a memoirs purpose isn't to provide an objective history but sometimes in Koris's book, the personal opinions of her and her family don't make room for facts and the other side to any story. For example, when the ranch must be sold to the governement for a wildlife perserve, Koruis only talks about the negative feelings the family had towards the government. When she talks about the ranch after the government takes it, she only mentions the bad things that have happened to it. Kouris was obviously bitter about the situtaion which would be reason for her perspective in the book, however she doesn't even attempt to present the other side's point of view.
Diana Allen Kouris's book "Riding on the Edge of an Era: Growing Up Cowboy on the Outlaw Trail" is an excellent written memoir and is a great example of how to include multiple pieces of evidence to create an interpretation of history. The stories and memories take the book to another level and make an emotional connection in a way that an all facts history could not provide. Despite the inherit biases throughout the book, Kouris has written a great book and one I would recommend to anyone looking for a book about the American west or just a good read.

[Susan Tweit]

From an interview with Diana Allen Kouris:
Q: Memoir is often called the narrative poetry of creative non-fiction because it depends very much on dramatic tension, characterization, and a strong storyline to carry it through, much like long-form poetry or fiction. In Riding the Edge of an Era, you open the story with a series of vignettes that essentially create a portrait of your relationship with your two closest siblings, Nonie and Bobbie, as young children. Why start there and not with, say, the history of your family's ranch, or when your parents met, or how their families came to Browns Park, all of which you tell later in the memoir?

A: In my previous book, The Romantic and Notorious History of Brown's Park, I used the valley of Brown's Park as the central character. Beginning with the valley's creation, I wrote the valley's history. Within that account I tell of the formation of the Brown's Park Livestock Ranch, Taylor Ranch, and the stories of my grandparents and parents as each fit into the historical narrative. In Riding the Edge of an Era, it was my intent to make the three siblings the central characters of the book, and to only touch on those other histories when the siblings had some connection to them. In the first chapter of the book, I wanted to reveal the essence of three lovable, happy little kids living in a magical yet authentic place and time. It was my goal for readers to quickly begin to feel affection for the children and gladly be enticed through the doorway of time and into that cowboy world where adventure awaited.

Q: I was struck by the rich storytelling tradition in your family, especially the stories your mother told on those long rides between Rock Springs and Browns Park—it must have been magical to hear her voice telling stories while cocooned in the car loaded with siblings and other kids and food—like a traveling show in the best sense of the word. How much do you think that tradition of oral storytelling shaped your writing voice, and your way of telling stories?

A: It was wonderful and felt so natural to be swept away into another time by my mother's warm voice. Even when the stories were about outlaws, a lynching, or ambush, her words were filled with love and appreciation for the history of the land we called home. And, always, she told the stories with such honesty. That was vitally important to her. Most published accounts about historical events in Brown's Park were filled with embellishments, and that was painful for her.

After my mother's death, I inherited her unfulfilled dream of writing an accurate history of Brown's Park. There is no question that her influence in my writing, as well as in how I choose to view life, is profound. It was the poetry I wrote when mourning the loss of her and in trying to keep her and the ranch close to me that brought forth the beginning notes of my writing voice. But it was the chapters of the Brown's Park book that I rewrote countless times that finally gave my writing voice its melody. The voice arrived one particular period in time as I was continuing my struggle for the elusive words that I thought would do her, and the valley we both loved, justice. As I wrote, I felt as if a veil lifted and the descriptive words and phrases began to dance with rhythm and pattern. After that day I continued to work hard and the voice flowed onward, into my mother's dream and, thankfully, far beyond.

Read the whole interview on Story Circle Book Review: http://www.storycirclebookreviews.org...

[Kaleigh Shutran]

Diana Allen Kouris writer of “Riding on the Edge of an Era,” retells her childhood memories of her experiences on her family farm. This book covers a wide area of Kouris life, including her grandparents and parents memories of the community in which she lived. She give you a good background of the landscape in which most of her stories take place including Rock Spring’s Browns park and the Ranches that occupy the area. This gives readers an insight into the history of the landscape. Kouris does a wonderful job of drawing the reader in, she is very well versed in the topic in which she discusses and does well to point out evidence throughout times in the book to back up her memories. Though her primary story focus on the farm she does fail to connect this to the bigger story of the contrast between her memories and those of her family memories.
Kouris does a wonderful job of telling this book like a story. Her memories and writings are appealing and draws the reader in as they are reading. The way she recounts things like playing games on the ranch or rounding up the cattle are alarming. She does so well at vividly describing events and scene and recounting the details of these events. She give sources such as newspaper articles to back up a memory like the Salt lake turbine. This helps make her recounts more countable. However we need to ensure that extra attention is paid to this source, because it is a memory source it can poses some problems. These events in her life time are the way that she had remember them and had learned about through the stories of her previous generations that had chosen to tell their stories to her. So it’s not that I discredit her, it just that as a historian have to remember to find significant evidence to back up some of the claims. For example as she talks about the how the town was not patrolled often and crimes did often go un-investigated. This was her perception, but was it true? It seems hard to believe at times that some details were not made up to make sure that story flowed well, or one might consider that she gain the details from some source other than her own memory.
Kouris takes us back through time to her early childhood memories. She speaks about the ranch her and her family grew up on. She talks about her aunts and uncles nearby ranches and the owners of others proceeding ranches around the area. As she tell her stories it at times can be difficult to pick up whether the memories are that of her own, or those of her family. This can always be problematic when looking at memory as a primary source. Sense she mentions in the acknowledgments after the book that some memories do come from interviews, journals, family documents, and her own memories of the stories her family told her this book can be a primary and a secondary source. However distinguishing between the two will prove difficult as it will be almost impossible to decipher between when the memories are Kouris’s or when the memories are those of her remembering the stories of those who actually lived the event where she was not involved at all. As she mentions her memories of going into town or as her brothers and sister spend weeks with their grandparents for school in Rock Springs she never gives us the big picture to the differences in this community and the ways it affected her and her family.
This is a wonderful book and I recommend it to anyone who is interesting in what it was like to grow up on a cattle farm in a rural community and the small town stories and memories that proceed with these.

[Claudia Putnam]

Not quite on the level of Teresa Jordan or Linda Hasselstrom--much more folksy--but well worth reading, perhaps for that reason.

[Cathy Ringler]

Riding the Edge of an Era is an authentic look at the west. It is well written and carefully crafted and every word rings true.