History of Los Alamos Told Through Photographs

Aug. 1, 2011 - PRLog -- The newest addition to Arcadia Publishing’s popular Images of America series is Los Alamos and the Pajarito Plateau from local authors Sharon Snyder, Toni Michnovicz Gibson and the Los Alamos Historical Society. The book boasts more than 200 vintage images and memories of days gone by.

The story of Los Alamos and the Pajarito Plateau begins with explosive eruptions. An ancient volcano in northern New Mexico created the mountainous region known as the Jemez, and with time, erosion sculpted narrow mesas and canyons.

The first residents were Native Americans. One of their many pueblos was called Tsirege, or the “bird place,” from which the name Pajarito originates, meaning “little bird” in Spanish. Homesteaders arrived in the 1880s, but the area was sparsely settled.

In 1917, former Rough Rider Ashley Pond started the exclusive Los Alamos Ranch School in the isolated setting, but in 1942 the US government took an interest in that isolation. They abruptly closed the school, and Los Alamos became a secret military post. There, under J. Robert Oppenheimer’s leadership, the atomic bomb was created. Postwar housing shortages, Cold War threats, and disastrous fires have challenged Los Alamos, yet it has endured as a place of unique history and natural beauty.

Highlights of Los Alamos and the Pajarito Plateau:
•   All profits from the sale of the book will go to the Los Alamos Historical Society.
•   The book includes rare photographs from the historical society archives, Los Alamos National Laboratory Archives and from the personal collection of Manhattan Project photographer, John Michnovicz.
•   This book is An addition to New Mexico history during its Centennial celebration.

Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com or
(888)-313-2665.

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With more than 6,000 local history titles published to date, Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States. Widely recognized sepia books feature hundreds of vintage historical images.