A Gathering at Oak Creek, a novel, is a portrayal of four very
different people; a depiction of how they come together and how
they and their ancestors are and were molded by the land and by the
times in which they live. The story, which begins over one hundred
and fifty years before, takes place - mainly -in the area that will
become Texas. Scot-Irish, Mexican, German, Tonkawa, Irish and
Comanche all have ancestral parts in the saga while the roles of
African-American, Apache, English and Kiowa are essential to the
story. This is an adventure tale, a seminar on ranching and
ecology, a love story, and a history lesson spiced with mystery,
tragedy and comedy. The story is fiction but the people and events
portrayed are modeled after real life. The Scot-Irish made the
journey from grinding poverty in Scotland to poverty plus religious
strife in Northern Ireland to a sometimes harsh but free and
independent life in America. The German settlers moved to what was
at first Tejas and later Texas as family units; where the
Scot-Irish and Anglo-Saxons tended to "chase the rainbow" the
Germans brought civilization and stability where ever they settled.
The people of northern Mexico suffered terribly for many years from
the actions of predatory Comanche and Apache; it was common for
Mexican and Caucasian children - especially boys - to be adopted
into the tribes and live out their lives as tribesmen. The Tonkawa
people were treated particularly harsh by history; at various
times, they were massacred by Apache, Comanche, white settlers -
with whom they had long been friends and allies - and, when they
were moved to Indian Territory, by consortiums of supposedly "tame"
Indians. After the War Between the States, the disarming of the
people of Texas by the Reconstructionist government did happen and
Texans of all kinds suffered from Indian depredation because of it.
The freed slaves of the 10th United States Cavalry with their
campaigns against the Comanche and later against Victorio and his
renegade Apaches gave lie to the belief, common at the time that
black men could not fight. The area of Texas where Oak Creek Ranch
is located was some of the last land in the United States to be
opened to civilization; for many years "Comancheria" - the land of
the Comanche - was cut off completely from the rest of the world.
No one ventured into the area without the permission of the
Comanche. This continued until the buffalo herds were exterminated
and the Comanche and their Kiowa allies were starved into
submission. Quanah Parker brought the last of the free Comanche in
to the Fort Sill Reservation in 1875 and the Comanche wars were
finally over. The end of Indian hostilities ushered in a new era of
settlement across the area; first by free range cattlemen pushing
in from all four directions and later by farmers and small
ranchers. Mac and Windy - who are featured in the story - were
among the last of the free living cowboys who played such an
important role in the early day ranching industry. The ranching
business underwent great change from its' early days until the
1990's; it became much more industrialized - it moved away from its
roots in the land. Today, at least some ranchers are in the process
of changing once again; raiding Comanche are no longer a threat but
new challenges face the ranchers attempting to take their
operations back to their biological foundations. The book attempts
to give some insights into ranching - past and present - in America
but at the very least, it is an enjoyable read that will leave you
in a good mood. The author grew up in the area where the story
occurs and spent his life as a working rancher. Mike Pinson, whose
original art work graces the front cover, is another fully
accredited cowboy with the broken bones to prove it. Aside from his
art work and cattle operation, Mike is a saddle maker and leather
artist.
General
Imprint: |
Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
June 2012 |
First published: |
June 2012 |
Authors: |
Walt Davis
|
Dimensions: |
229 x 152 x 19mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback - Trade
|
Pages: |
354 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-4751-9618-4 |
Categories: |
Books >
Fiction >
Genre fiction >
Historical fiction
|
LSN: |
1-4751-9618-0 |
Barcode: |
9781475196184 |
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