Prodigal Sons: The Violent History of Christopher Evans and John Sontag

by Wallace Smith

This factual story about how Christopher Evans and John Sontag came to be the most wanted men in California in 1893 is also the story of life in the San Joaquin Valley at the turn of the century, where harsh realities forced rash acts that had far-reaching repercussions. Wanted for murder and train robbery, Evans and Sontag were the focus of a statewide manhunt that reads like a Hollywood A U.S. marshal, Apache trackers, the California judicial system, and the one supreme power in California in the late 19th century—the Southern Pacific Railroad—all took a hand in creating their amazing story. The incredible history of this area of central California, now the richest agricultural area in the world, is recounted, from 25,000-acre wheat farms and the birth of the Caterpillar tractor to the development of its huge gold and silver deposits and natural gas and oil resources.

434 pages, Paperback

First published May 28, 2005

Reviews

[Via · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for a project. It's an interesting one -- Smith was a history professor, so you'd expect him to write a pretty accurate and unbiased account. He doesn't. If you're looking for a more factual history, I recommend Train Robbers & tragedies, the Complete Story of Christopher evans, California Outlaw. Note this 2005 edition has an afterword that's mostly a list of errors in Smith's text; the book first published in 1951.

[Will Kastner · Rating 2 out of 5]

A difficult but Smith is basically an old gossip.