Empire of Dust: Settling and Abandoning the Prairie Dry Belt2002 may prove to be the worst year in agriculture in southern Alberta history. In the southeast, the past two years have been drier than any two years in recorded history. With countless news stories about disappearing towns in the drylands, Empire of Dust is being brought back to print. With a new preface, this enduring historical account of the settlement of the Palliser Triangle region chronicles the disturbing fate of thousands of people who were forced to abandon their farms as a result of prairie drought. Describing the residual effects of prairie drought and examining what have become ghost towns in Alberta, Joness study has become more important than ever before, especially in light of current drought conditions that are once again plaguing the prairies. |
Contents
The Untold Sorrow | 1 |
1 The Wiles of the Desert | 5 |
2 The Planning of Nineveh | 20 |
3 Glimpses of the Shortfall | 42 |
4 Carlstadt Star of the Prairie | 58 |
5 Motoring on the Boulevard of Sunnynook | 83 |
6 In the Thrill Zone of the On Rushing Calamity | 100 |
7 The Sorcerer and the Clouds | 116 |
10 Glory Glory to Alberta | 176 |
11 Desolate Places to Be Buried In | 203 |
12 To Him That Overcometh | 224 |
The Ruins of the Empire | 249 |
Appendix | 253 |
Abbreviations | 273 |
Notes | 275 |
Comment on Sources | 301 |
Other editions - View all
Empire of Dust: Settling and Abandoning the Prairie Dry Belt David C. Jones No preview available - 1987 |
Common terms and phrases
acres Agriculture Alberta Dry Belt Alderson Bassano BCSD Berry Creek berta Bow Island Bow River Broadway bushels Calgary Calgary Herald Canadian Carlstadt Census Division coulees crop Department Deputy Minister desert district DMA xxiii.i dry areas Dry Farming drylands Edmonton Edmonton Bulletin Etzikom F. H. Auld farmers fire Fream Gleddie Glenbow-Alberta Archives grain Hanna Hatfield homestead Ibid interview irrigation July June Kate Cole Lake land later Lethbridge loan Medicine Hat Medicine Hat Archives miles moisture mortgage Motherwell municipality never papers percent Prairie province Railway rain Ranch Red Deer River region Report seed Sept settlers soil Southern Alberta Southern Alberta Survey southwestern Saskatchewan Suffield summer summerfallow Sunnynook Swanby taxes testimony to Southern Thurber Tilley East tion town townships Wagner West wheat wind Winnifred wrote Youngstown