Betty Barr’s fouth book, AROUND SONOITA, was released in July by Arcadia Publishing, as part of their Images of America series. Located at the foot of the majestic Santa Rita Mountains, Sonoita is know for its rolling grasslands, grazing cattle, and working cowboys in well-worn jeans. Ranching blossomed in the early 1880’s with the arrival of the Southern Pacific Railroad. The first Sonoita Post Office was established 30 years later. The area would remain unincorporated but boasted of a community spirit that still exists today. Sonoita’s neighboring communities of Patagonia, where a historic train depot evokes memories of the town’s role as a distribution center for area mines and ranches, and Elgin, where old-time cattle raches now share fence lines with lush vineyars of Winery Row are also featured. In this volume, Betty illustrates the stories of these hardy pioneers with more than 200 vintage photographs gathered from prsonal family albums. Books are available online through Amazon.com or directly from the author at www.BrockingJbooks.com
Taken from The Write Word, the newsletter of The Society of Southwestern Authors Vol. 38. No. 5 Oct/Nov. 2009
