Valley of Shining Stone: The Story of Abiquiu

by Lesley Poling-Kempes

North by northwest from old Santa Fe is the winding road to Abiquiu (ah-be-cue'), Ghost Ranch, and el Valle de la Piedra Lumbre, the Valley of Shining mythical names in a near-mythical place, captured for the ages in the famous paintings of Georgia O'Keeffe.O'Keeffe saw the magic of sandstone cliffs and turquoise skies, but her life and death here are only part of the story. Reading almost like a novel, this book spills over with other legends buried deep in time, just as some of North America's oldest dinosaur bones lie hidden beneath the valley floor. Here are the stories of Pueblo Indians who have claimed this land for generations. Here, too, are Utes, Navajos, Jicarilla Apaches, Hispanos, and Anglos—many lives tangled together, yet also separate and distinct.Underlying these stories is the saga of Ghost Ranch itself, a last living vestige of the Old West ideal of horses, cowboys, and wide-open spaces. Readers will meet a virtual Who's Who of visitors from "dude ranch" days, ranging from such luminaries as Willa Cather, Ansel Adams, and Charles Lindbergh to World War II scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his colleagues, who were working on the top-secret atomic bomb in nearby Los Alamos. Moving on through the twentieth century, the book describes struggles to preserve the valley's wild beauty in the face of land development and increased tourism.Just as the Piedra Lumbre landscape has captivated countless wayfarers over hundreds of years, so its stories cast their own spell. Indispensable for travelers, pure pleasure for history buffs and general readers, these pages are a magic carpet to a magic Abiquiu, Ghost Ranch, the Valley of Shining Stone.

Genres: Travel, History, Nonfiction

402 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 1997

About the author

My writing life is completely connected to my daily life on the high desert of Abiquiu and northern New Mexico. Like my "Bone Horses" protagonist, Charlotte, I was born and raised in New York, specifically in Westchester County. Unlike Charlotte, I loved the wild vast empty desert and wide blue sky of the Southwest on sight. I was always working my way back home to this exotic, magnificent place. After college I moved full time into the Indio-Hispanic world of Abiquiu. I began to write the real and imagined stories of my adopted community, first in non-fiction books and then in my first novel "Canyon of Remembering" and now "Bone Horses."

For several decades my primary work was as a writer/historian. For my first 3 books ("The Harvey Girls", "Valley of Shining Stone", and "Ghost Ranch") I interviewed and talked with literally hundreds of old-timers all over the Southwest. I heard remarkable tales of the early days in New Mexico, Colorado, and Arizona. These are the foundation for all of my writing.

Reviews

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this author and her Ladies of the Canyon book, so this was of interest to me despite it being non-fiction. I find the history and her representation of it so compelling. The big picture of the various peoples who lived in Abiquiui over the trajectory of hundreds of years is rich and interesting. From the land being stolen from Native Americans, to being stolen from the Spanish settlers, and some of it coming back to the Abiquiu families from Ghost Ranch's deal with the US Forest Service in the 1970s, the movement of ownership and what they did with the land was a big part of the story. Also, in 1987 locals tried to take it back, and it was only in like 1975 that the federal government created Abiquiu Lake that drowned lots of land and trees and parts of this community. That was new to me.

The blending cultures was another interesting aspect. Also how the different cultures stole each others' children for house servants (basically slaves) until they were "adults" at which time the unwritten rules said the slaves were set free. Bizarre but also a clear way to the cultures being mixed.

This one wasn't as accessible and readable as Ladies of the Canyon, but it had great photos.

[cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

The rental house we stayed at last week just outside of Abiquiu, NM was well-stocked with all sorts of fabulous books dealing with the history, the natural terrain, and the native people whose land we were on while visiting. It was nothing short of joyful to tackle at least three of the books on the bookshelf - including this book that lays out the history of the area from the indigenous culture, through many different forms of colonization (even the original colonizers were then colonized), and through to present day, including the geological explanations for the landscapes we explored. Paired with the fantastic book on the Tewa people (who were one of the original tribes in the area) and the book on birds and plants of the desert southwest, this made for a visit that felt WAY more rooted in the realities of the land that I was enjoying.

[Susan Albert · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're planning to visit Abiquiu and/or the Ghost Ranch, you'll want to read this before you go. It will add immeasurably to your enjoyment and appreciation of the austerely beautiful landscape and mix of cultures in this unique area. It will also help you understand the challenges faced by the people--Native Americans, Spanish, Anglo--whose conflicts gave it the name La Tierra de Guerra, the Land of War. Valley of Shining Stone is thorough, complete, and written with elegance, no small achievement in a book that is at once a study of landforms, a social history, and a tribute to human stubbornness.

[Marieta Grissom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent Lesley Poling-Kempes book. This one, however, seemed to start out a little slow and it was hard to get into the detail of the history of the Abiquiu area. Once I got into the book, it was very interesting, in fact, enlightening, as I became amazed at all the history of northern New Mexico that I've never had any clue about.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully researched and engaging story of beloved country.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comprehensive history of the fascinating and beautiful region around Abiquiu in northern New Mexico, recommended to me by a member of the land grant. Well worth a read.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very readable! I read this before traveling to Santa Fe and I learned so much.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meticulous research

This obviously biased author has gone to great lengths to include every detail of the people and lands in the Chama River Valley. A loving history with photos.

[Teresa Mayfield-Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this while making several visits to Chama and passing through the valley. Loved getting the history and seeing the landmarks referenced in the book.

[Patrick Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

El Valle de la Piedra Lumbre is one of the most mythical enigmatic places in the West (I was going to say ‘on Earth’ but I tend to hyperabjectualize so I will try contain myself). I tell people there is a reason why Georgia O’Keeffe landed in the middle of this valley and never left. The luminous multi-hued sandstone cliffs illuminated by a turquoise sky does more than take your breath away. It affects your soul.

This is a history that reads like a novel. Long before O’Keeffe, the Spanish pilgrims and missionaries settled the land, and before that—the Utes, Navajo and Jicarilla. What’s unique is—they are all still here, living as a homogeneous community together under that same cerulean sky. The stories of the Indians and the Hispanos mingle into a long tapestry of colorful characters and events.

There is an obligatory section on the Ghost Ranch and the parade of famous people traipsing their way from the Santa Fe train station: Willa Cather, Ansel Adams, Charles Lindbergh, and on and on, including Mr. Oppenheimer who tinkered with the fabric of the universe just down the road at Las Alamos.

This is a pleasurable read—more so because the author lives smack dab in the middle of it all and clearly senses the pulse and magic of Abiquiu and environs.

[Novation · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-researched and well-written history of a magical place in North America and the people that sought to live on that land. It is a microcosm of the world over when different cultures have connections and designs on the same piece of earth and the conflicts and relationships that can arise. That piece of earth just watches silently, bearing the changes to its ecology, as the same stories repeat over and over. Somewhat sad as the author documents the Anglo takeover of northern New Mexico.

[Kerstin Glynn]

My mom brought this back from a trip to NM.
Abiquiu is a mystical place and I want to spend more time there.