Hard as the Rock Itself: Place and Identity in the American Mining Town

• ISBN13: 9781607320760
• ISBN10: 1607320762
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-11-15
• Publisher: Univ Pr of Colorado

Summary

The first intensive analysis of sense of place in American mining towns, this book provides a rare insight into the struggles and rewards of life in these communities. David Robertson contends that these communities -- often characterised in scholarly and literary works as derelict, as sources of debasing moral influence, and as scenes of environmental decay -- have a strong and enduring sense of place and have even embraced some of the signs of so-called dereliction. Robertson documents the history of Toluca, Illinois; Cokedale, Colorado; and Picher, Oklahoma, from the mineral discovery phase through mine closure, telling for the first time how these century-old mining towns have survived and how sense of place has played a vital role. Acknowledging the hardships that mining's social, environmental, and economic legacies have created for current residents, Robertson argues that the industry's influences also have contributed to the creation of strong, cohesive communities in which residents have always identified with the severe landscape and challenging, but rewarding way of life. Robertson contends that the tough, unpretentious appearance of mining landscapes mirrors qualities that residents value in themselves, confirming that a strong sense of place in mining regions, as elsewhere, is not necessarily wedded to an attractive aesthetic or even to a thriving economy. Mining historians, geographers, and other students of place in the American landscape will find this material fascinating.

Author Biography

David Robertson is an associate professor and chair of geography at the State University of New York at Geneseo.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	p. ix
Preface	p. xi
Introduction	p. 1
The Mining Imaginary	p. 4
Place, Identity, and the Mining Landscape	p. 6
Toluca	p. 19
The Longwall Mining District	p. 21
A ôRip-Roaringö Town	p. 30
Mine Closure and Community Survival	p. 36
Mining's Legacies	p. 40
Saving the Jumbos	p. 45
Reclaiming the Jumbos	p. 52
Cokedale	p. 71
The Trinidad Coal Field	p. 74
A Model Company Town	p. 79
The Utopian Myth	p. 83
Mine Closure and Community Survival	p. 91
Life and Landscape in the Post-Mining Era	p. 94
Preserving Cokedale	p. 101
Picher	p. 121
The Tri-State Mining District	p. 124
Landscape and Identity in Early Picher	p. 132
ôSores Beyond Cureö	p. 135
Hard As the Rock Itself	p. 141
Mine Closure and Community Survival	p. 146
The Tragedy of Tar Creek	p. 152
Whither Relocation?	p. 160
The ôTown that Jack Builtö	p. 166
Conclusion	p. 185
Bibliography	p. 197
Index	p. 209
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.