Bobbie Kalman, author of the acclaimed Historic Communities and Early Settler Life series, explores the action and adventure that made the West famous. In the latter part of the 19th century, more than half a million pioneers headed west to carve out a future on an unknown frontier. Some were drawn by the offer of cheap land and the promise of religious freedom while others had high hopes of finding gold. Thrilling, authentic photos and full-color illustrations recreate what life was really like for these cowboys, adventurers, and immigrants in this rough-and-ready era in our history.A gold rush or the arrival of a railroad could turn a sleepy village into a boomtown overnight Authentic photographs feature the townspeople of Boomtowns of the West and the often difficult conditions in which they lived. Detailed illustrations help show: -- how towns were built-- what kinds of businesses sprang up-- the role women played in boomtowns-- the dangerous job of sheriff-- the railroad's devastating impact on Native peoples