From Mesoamerican mysteries to local legends, history waits to be unearthed on Colorado’s western slope . . . A crew of historians, archaeologists, and scientists, the Western Investigations Team uses ground-penetrating radar, electron microscopy, innovative metallurgic research, and newly discovered documents to re-examine fascinating historical questions and contribute new chapters to history. This book offers stories of their fascinating work, accompanied by many photos. Revelations include discovering new evidence in the infamous case of Alferd Packer, aka the “Colorado Cannibal,” and old Spanish colonial relics near Kannah Creek. Investigators follow the trail of lost Spanish explorers searching for the Seven Cities of Gold, and pursue archaeological signs of a prehistoric civilization north of Collbran. Expeditions search for the legend of the Utes’ Cave of the Ancients and the fabled location of Aztlán, the Aztecs’ original homeland. These and other tales offer an intriguing new look at the history of western Colorado.

From Mesoamerican mysteries to local legends, history waits to be unearthed on Colorado's western slope. Revelations include discovering new evidence in the infamous Alferd Packer case and old Spanish colonial relics near Kannah Creek. Investigators follow the trail of lost Spanish explorers searching for the Seven Cities of Gold and pursue archaeological signs of a prehistoric civilization north of Collbran. Expeditions search for the legend of the Utes' Cave of the Ancients and the fabled location of Aztlán, the Aztecs' original homeland. A crew of historians, archaeologists and scientists, the Western Investigations Team uses ground-penetrating radar, electron microscopy, innovative metallurgic research and newly discovered documents to reexamine fascinating historical questions and contribute new chapters to history.

From the Anasazi cliff dwellings to tales of Buffalo Bill's bravado, and from an unsolved bank robbery in Denver to the murder of Jon Benet Ramsey, Colorado Myths and Legends examines a fascinating array of puzzling events, unsolved mysteries, and tragic crimes in the often troubled (but always compelling!) history of the Centennial State. Read about the mysterious French miner-turned-hotelier, the incongruous Great Sand Dunes that stretch for miles at the base of towering snow-capped mountains, and the strange disappearance of an entire ancient civilization.

J.v.L. Bell is a Colorado native who was raised climbing Colorado’s 14,000 foot mountains, exploring old ghost towns, and reading stories about life in the early frontier days. She enjoys hiking with friends and family, visiting new places and meeting new people, rafting the rivers of Utah and Colorado, and reading great historical fiction. She lives in Louisville, Colorado with her two daughters and her husband. Curious what is fact versus fiction in The Lucky Hat Mine? Visit the author’s web page at www.JvLBell.com and read her blogs about the historical topics she researched while writing The Lucky Hat Mine.

They all came to Leadville with the same purpose: Get in. Get rich. Get out. As 1879 draws to a close, this Rocky Mountain boomtown has infected the world with silver fever. It's not much different than the dot.com mania or the corporate scams that heat up over a century later. Unfortunately for Joe Rose, a precious-metals assayer, death stakes its own claim. Joe's body is found trampled into the muck behind Inez Stannert's saloon. Inez already had much more to deal with than pouring shots of Taos Lightning and cleaning up a corpse. A lady educated on the East Coast, she has a past that doesn't bear close scrutiny, including her elopement with a gambling man who has recently disappeared. Most townsfolk, including Inez's business partner, Abe Jackson, dismiss Joe's death as an accident. Death, after all, is no stranger in Leadville. But Inez wonders: Why was this loving husband and father carrying a brass token good for "one free screw" at the parlor house of Denver madam Mattie Silks? When Joe's widow Emma asks Inez to settle Joe's affairs, almost against her will, Inez uncovers skewed assays, bogus greenbacks, and blackmail. Lies and secrets run deep in Colorado, secretsmore likely to lead to a hanging than to today's congressional hearings or country-club prisons for the crooked and the greedy. Then again, maybe Joe's murder was purely personal.... Silver Rush Mysteries: Silver Lies (Book 1) Iron Ties (Book 2) Leaden Skies (Book 3) Mercury's Rise (Book 4) What Gold Buys (Book 5) A Dying Note (Book 6) Mortal Music (Book 7) Praise for the Silver Rush Mysteries: "Plenty of convincing action bodes well for a long and successful series."—Publishers Weekly STARRED review for Iron Ties "Meticulously researched and full of rich period details...her characters will stay will you long after you've finished the last page. Highly recommended."—TASHA ALEXANDER, New York Times bestselling author for Mortal Music "One of the most authentic and evocative historical series around. Long live Inez!"—RHYS BOWEN, New York Times bestselling author for What Gold Buys Winner of the WILLA Literary Award for Historical Fiction Colorado Gold Award for Best Mystery

"Parker's deft evocation of a lost era in Western American history—the life of the mining boom town—and her complex characterization make Leaden Skies an absorbing read."—Stephanie Barron, national bestselling author It is summer 1880, and Inez Stannert, one of the partners in the Silver Queen Saloon in Leadville, Colorado, travels with her photographer friend Susan to the fashionable summer retreat of Manitou for a reunion with her son, now a toddler in the care of her sister. On the way, fellow stagecoach passenger Edward Pace suddenly grows faint, swigs some medicine, and dies under their horrified gaze. Pace's widow rejects a weak heart theory and begs Inez to investigate. As Inez digs deeper, she uncovers the shady side of spa tourism including spurious claims, profiteering from the coming bonanza in medicinal waters and miracle cures, and medical practitioners who kindle false hopes in the desperate and the dying. Then Inez's husband Mark reappears after a year and a half's unexplained absence. Now she must fight to hold on to her child and the life she has built for herself in an era where "independent woman" is an oxymoron. Silver Rush Mysteries: Silver Lies (Book 1) Iron Ties (Book 2) Leaden Skies (Book 3) Mercury's Rise (Book 4) What Gold Buys (Book 5) A Dying Note (Book 6) Mortal Music (Book 7) Praise for the Silver Rush Mysteries: "Plenty of convincing action bodes well for a long and successful series."—Publishers Weekly STARRED review for Iron Ties "Meticulously researched and full of rich period details...her characters will stay will you long after you've finished the last page. Highly recommended."—TASHA ALEXANDER, New York Times bestselling author for Mortal Music "One of the most authentic and evocative historical series around. Long live Inez!"—RHYS BOWEN, New York Times bestselling author for What Gold Buys Bruce Alexander Historical Mystery Award Winner Macavity Historical Novel Award Finalist Colorado Book Award Finalist WILLA Literary Award Finalist Agatha Best Historical Mystery Award Finalist

In 1867, twelve-year-old Emma and her widowed mother move to a tiny mining town in Colorado Territory to start a newspaper, but someone is determined to scare them away.

An easy-to-read geology tutorial of the of the eastern Colorado Plateau, this book will answer all of your questions about how this stunning region was formed. Includes detailed road logs.

General Lee Blake accepts an assignment from President Buchanan to find out how much gold is present in Colorado and make sure the territory remains part of the Union.