|
Dr. Raley specializes in Western, Environmental, and
Western Film history. His manuscript focuses on Grand
Junction, Colorado, and the attempt to construct a profitable
fruit industry based on access to plentiful irrigation
water—a requirement in a high mountain desert
climate. This study looks at the role those community
boosters played in recruiting external financing to
build the necessary diversions and canals. The process
was too expensive for locals, but also proved unprofitable
for outside financiers. Locals were quite aware of this
fact and worked to convince external companies to pay
for the canals, all the while confident that the control
would remain in local hands. After completing small
projects this way, the community looked first to a failed
state effort (using prison labor) and finally to the
newly formed Bureau of Reclamation. The study also examines
the impact of irrigated fruit culture in the valley,
from the quick profits and speculative deals, to the
long-term environmental damage farmers inflicted on
the valley. Using a variety of local sources, state
agricultural experts, and traveler reports, the study
concludes that local farmers both over-watered and over-used
pesticides on their fruit trees. These factors gradually
left many orchards unusable, and farmers slowly abandoned
them to other land uses. Dr. Raley teaches US History
from 1492 to 1865, US History 1865 to the Present, The
History of the American West, Environmental History,
and a course on Western Film entitled, America through
Western Film. Dr. Raley received his Ph.D. from
the University of Oklahoma.
|
