Vanished Arizona: Recollections of the Army Life of a New England Woman

Published in 1923, Vanished Arizona offers a vivid glimpse into a frontier world that has long since disappeared. Author Martha Summerhayes draws readers into the remote outposts and rugged landscapes of Arizona's territorial years through her captivating firsthand account of life as an army wife. Accounts of danger, lawlessness, and the untamed environment are balanced with charming portraits of fellow pioneers, creating a fascinating look at life on the western frontier.

Summerhayes' flair for detail and storytelling brings this colorful era to life. She takes readers bumping along in dusty stagecoaches to recount harrowing tales of Apache raids and bandit threats. We can nearly smell the smoke of campfires where she cooked under the stars while stationed at remote forts. Her prose invites us into the cramped quarters she transformed into homes. Throughout, Summerhayes' wit and wisdom shine through, making even the harsh conditions sometimes described vivid yet enchanting.

With insightful observations and poignant anecdotes, Summerhayes captures the vanished world of frontier army outposts and fledgling mining towns. She chronicles characters like the legendary Lieutenant Cushing who swore to vanquish the Chiricahua Apache threat, only to meet a tragic end. Details on vanished landscapes, battles, mining camps, settlements, and soldiers grant future generations a treasured window into Arizona's past.

Part memoir and part history, Vanished Arizona brings to life a disappeared time and place through the eyes of a pioneering woman who lived it. Summerhayes' engaging account grants us the chance to experience the Old West as the army wives knew it - with grit, grace, terror and triumph.