Blood, Booze and Whores: The History of Salida, Colorado

by Steven T Chapman

The ‘Salida Sam’ Historical Book Series focuses almost exclusively on happenings inside the city limits of Salida, Colorado. Volume 1 covers the town’s beginnings in May 1880 through the end of 1881. Although shared through the journal of a fictional character, the stories are 100% true. Salida was a wild west boomtown, filled with brutal conflicts, free-flowing whiskey, outlaws, fortune-seekers, and shady ladies. ‘Salida Sam’ speaks with the rough-hewn voice of his era. He’s a man of his time, and his time was often harsh, racist, and sexist. Follow Salida’s growth from an empty, dusty flatland to a railroad hub and center of commerce where settlers found misery as often as success. This quaint mountain town wasn’t always a wholesome tourist mecca.

194 pages, Paperback

Published September 25, 2019

Reviews

[Jimmywhat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book. The title and the concept were very enticing but as I started reading it just seemed like a daily newspaper archive of Salida, regurgitated by an uneducated deadbeat drunk, racist, sexist in the voice of Yosemite Sam - spelling and all (as the fictitious "Salida Sam"). Be sure to read an excerpt before taking on the whole book, let alone the series. It truly is a creative and ambitious undertaking but the content itself is a bit repetitive (you'll hear the same phrase "if'n they ask me, but they didn't." at least 10 times). There are some interesting photos in the book, but they are placed out of context, many don't have captions and are quite blurry. Once you get through the fake journals, he restates much of the same information in a section organized by the person. It truly is an interesting collection of anecdotes and news stories, which he claims are accurate within 1 week – but the color commentary seems a bit forced and overtly vulgar. In the end, it's a neat souvenir and a quick read if you're passing through town.