We’re a small press with a big mission:
capturing history before it vanishes!
The Alpine County Paradox:
Established in 1864 amid a silver boom, Alpine County anticipated a population surge that never materialized. Initial projections of 5,000 residents proved grossly over-optimistic. Instead, Alpine's population dwindled to just 685 residents by 1870 and hovers around 1,100 today. The county struggles economically due to high federal land ownership (96%) and limited tax revenues, leading to one of the highest per-capita government costs in the U.S., and relying heavily on state and federal subsidies.
An Oh-So-Alpine Story
In 1978, tiny Alpine County faced one of its biggest challenges - an attempted "take-over." DA Chris Smith rode to the rescue.
A Window in Time to Carson Valley, 1859
Back in 1859, Carson Valley was a pretty dysfuncational place. Judge Orson Hyde had departed in November, 1856. And after September 1857, with the exodus of over 200 early LDS settlers (who followed Brigham Young’s call to return to Salt Lake), the trappings of regular law and order had largely vanished. […]
About Karen Dustman
Karen Dustman is a California-based journalist and author. From history to home improvement, natural health to self-help, she’s written about it during her twenty-year career. “The best part of being a writer is I get to write about whatever I’m interested in, and I’m interested in practically everything!” she laughs.
