Read in preparation for a field trip to Thurber--we'll be working with the museum there for an upcoming exhibit.
Written in the 1940s but just recently published, this book tells the story of Thurber--a company town west of Fort Worth that was a center for coal mining and brick mining in Texas. Gentry gives a biography of the community, from labor disputes to housing to social lifes. And of course, how a town goes from a thriving community to nothing. Interesting stuff, but definitely a 1940s history.
My favorite parts--the biography of Gentry at the beginning. She grew up in Thurber and became a history teacher who traveled abroad every chance she got. I think she would have been a fabulous person to chat with.