Additional information
by Nancy Mendenhall (Author)
America's early 1900's dream of greening the western desert through irrigation drew hundreds of would-be farmers to the Columbia River hamlet of White Bluffs in Washington State. Yearning for a healthy, possibly lucrative life in the wild desert setting, they struggled with nature, railroads, power companies, commission houses, water systems and the ever-disappointing market. Through oral histories, letters, photographs and meticulous research, author Nancy Mendenhall tells the story of how, despite all the adversities, the orchardists built a remarkable, thriving community until it was cut short by events of World War Two. At times reading like an epic novel, this rich social history shows in detail the hard roles of pioneer women, children and their men, and delves deeply into their emotional and intellectual lives.
Author Biography
Nancy Mendenhall grew up on Puget Sound in Washington State and spent her childhood summers until 1943 at her grandparents' Willowbank Farm just north of the White Bluffs townsite. She earned a Masters in English from Western Washington University. An Alaska resident since 1961, she taught in the public schools, then for the University of Alaska Fairbanks, retiring as campus director at Nome. Mendenhall published "Beachlines: A Pocket History of Nome" in 1997. She coordinated a three-year Rockefeller Foundation oral history project for the Nome area. She is currently working on a book on west coast commercial fishing issues.
