Western Lives: a Biographical History of the American West.

• Author: Kreyche, Gerald F.
• Position: Book Review

WESTERN LIVES A BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN WEST EDITED BY RICHARD W. ETULAIN UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO PRESS 2004, 454 PAGES, $23.95

There are those who say that all history essentially is biography. This edited book of essays that details the development of the American West argues the case convincingly.

Divided into three main sections, the first concerns the earliest contact of European culture--namely the Spanish and French--with that of the Native Americans. Five essays by Western scholars fill in this early venture--roughly until the middle of the 19th century. Bios include Stephen Austin of Texas fame, or notoriety as the Mexicans would have it. The plaudits of sea-faring George Vancouver, a map-maker and diplomat of the Pacific-Northwest, are given prominence, as is the Corps of Discovery's Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. The epoch of the mountain men is writ large in the figure of Bible-toting Jedediah Smith, who knew the montane West probably better than any other man. Completing this section is an account of medical missionary Marcus Whitman and his wife Narcissa, both of whom ministered to the Northwest Native Americans before the Indians subsequently killed them.

Of course, there were other exciting individuals who made history come alive. One is Sam Brannan, a Californian Mormon who went from missionary to miner to gambler and eventually was excommunicated from his church. High society is given recognition in the personage of Elizabeth Byers, wife of the founder of The Rocky Mountain News. She brought social graces and considerable philanthropy to Denver, "Queen City of the Plains." Buffalo Bill, in whom myth and history merge, was responsible for the West being viewed through the rosy lens of romanticism. Annie Oakley, whose real name was Phoebe Moses, struck a blow for women when suffrage was in its infancy. As Richard Etulain points out, Buffalo Bill and Oakley, "both became emblematic and...