Albuquerque's early lawless reputation rivaled that of Dodge City and Tombstone. Its red-light district was known as Hell's Half Acre. Brothel owner Lizzy McGrath once had a local church demolished to build her new bordello. Milt Yarberry, the town's first marshal, was hanged for murder. And the controversial Elfego Baca, who had the gall to face Pancho Villa, survived a thirty-six-hour gunfight unscathed. Author Cody Polston presents the tales of those who slipped through the cracks of morality.
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Albuquerque's early lawless reputation rivaled that of Dodge City and Tombstone. Its red-light district was known as Hell's Half Acre. Brothel owner Lizzy McGrath once had a local church demolished to build her new bordello. Milt Yarberry, the town's first marshal, was hanged for murder. And the controversial Elfego Baca, who had the gall to face Pancho Villa, survived a thirty-six-hour gunfight unscathed. Author Cody Polston presents the tales of those who slipped through the cracks of morality.
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Seller's Description:
Fine. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 128 p. Contains: Unspecified. Wicked. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Fine. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 128 p. Contains: Unspecified. Wicked. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
New. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 128 p. Contains: Unspecified. Wicked. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
Every American community has its history of lawlessness. The History Press has published a series of about 100 books with "Wicked" as the first word of the title and a community as the second word exploring colorful, outside the law elements in a community's past. Albuquerque, New Mexico is a prime subject for a book about early wickedness. New Mexico did not become a State until 1912, giving Albuquerque, its largest city, a long territorial past rife with opportunities for mischief. In his book, "Wicked Albuquerque" (2017), Cody Polston, a local historian, ghosthunter, and student of the paranormal explores flamboyant stories of lawlessness in Duke City. Polston's book covers a broad time period beginning with Civil War Albuquerque, continuing through the "Wild West", Old Town Albuquerque, New Town Albuquerque, and 20th Century history in a discussion of nuclear mishaps and the Rosenberg espionage case.
The term "wicked" calls to mind stories of shady ladies and houses of ill fame, and in this expectation Polston's book does not disappoint. As a growing, remote Western city, Albuquerque offered ample opportunity for the oldest profession, both in old Albuquerque, prior to 1880 and in the new post-1880 Albuquerque which relocated following the coming of the railroad. Polston tells the story of Lizzie McGrath, known as the "Lilly of Copper Avenue" and of her two successful brothels. Polston also describes "Hell's Half Acre" in new Albuquerque which flourished after 1885. In addition to many brothels, Hell's Half Acre's vices included flourishing opium dens. Polston tells the story of both the brothels and the dens with gusto. His account makes good use of photographs and of quotations from contemporary sources.
Polston's book also tells the story of one Park Van Tassel and of his efforts beginning in 1882 to promote hot air ballooning in Albuquerque. Part entrepreneur and part charlatan, Van Tassel's 1882 efforts nearly ended in tragedy but drew the city in. Van Tassel's subsequent efforts combined ballooning with parachuting and resulted in world-wide interest and, ultimately, the death of Van Tassel's wife. Albuquerque and hot air ballooning became forever intertwined and the city holds an annual ballooning festival, with the upcoming festival scheduled for October, 2018. Polston tells the story of Van Tassel and ballooning with verve and again enhances his account with contemporary sources and photographs.
There are many other good stories in the book, including the adventures of Milt Yarberry and Elfego Baca, desperados who straddled both sides of the law. Polston's story of Albuquerque's "Wayward Priest", Padre Jose Gallegos, also figures in Willa Cather's famous novel, "Death Comes for the Archbishop".
The portions of the book set before and after Albuquerque's territorial period, while including interesting material, seem out of place in a story of wickedness. The former material consists of a brief account of the Civil War in Albuquerque. War is wicked but a story of the Civil War in Albuquerque does not equate to a story of specific wickedness. On the more contemporary part of the book, Polston's account of nuclear misadventures shows more of accident than wickedness. His account of the Rosenberg case is brief and out of place in a book such as this, but it does include valuable first-hand sources on the executions of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg.
"Wicked Albuquerque" offers an entertaining look at the bawdy, early history of an American community. It would have been even more entertaining and cohesive with more focus on territorial days. The book is enhanced by its use of original source material and includes a good bibliography. The publisher, History Press/Arcadia Publishing kindly sent me a copy of the book for review.
