Book explores character of Livermore ranching community

By Dan MacArthur
North Forty News

A decade-long quest that some might consider an obsession has come to a close with release of "Rabbit Creek Country: Three Ranching Lives in the Heart of the Mountain West."

The book is an intricate and deeply researched tribute to the Livermore region and an unlikely trio who carved out a rugged living in the unforgiving ranching country.

Written by Jon Thiem with research assistant Deborah Dimon, the book started taking shape in 1997 when Thiem and his trespassing hiking companions came across an abandoned ranch house on Middle Rabbit Creek.

Intrigued by the house with its uncommon array of windows connecting the indoor order with the outdoor wild splendor, Thiem set out on a mission to learn more about those who lived there.

He learned that pioneer ranchers John Elliott, his wife Ida, and Josephine Lamb occupied the house. A country teacher, the strong-willed and independent Lamb would overcome the biases and obstacles of that era to become a prominent and successful woman rancher who at one time owned 12,000 acres.

Their lives were woven tightly together. For 43 years the three shared quarters lacking electricity, indoor plumbing or central heating.

"It was clear this was going to be a book," said Thiem, professor emeritus of English and comparative literature at Colorado State University.

He found a kindred spirit in former student Dimon. A poet and essayist who teaches literature and composition at CSU, she also had intimate connections with the area and people from her years of living in Poudre Canyon.

They set to work capturing memories of relatives, neighbors, friends and associates. Thiem estimated that they conducted more than 100 interviews, all the while aware that their aging sources were slipping away along with their stories.

"We were lucky to do it when we did to catch as many people as we did," said Dimon.

While Dimon also sifted through the historical paper trail to fill in the gaps and confirm claims, Thiem said ultimately he had to let the stories --some of them decidedly unflattering rumors--stand on their own and let the readers draw their own conclusions.

"I don't think there's going to be any truly objective truth in history," he said.

Thiem said he believes the book will appeal to readers on many levels. While primarily a history focused on the trials of women ranchers in the first half of the 20th century, it's also a readable, inviting treatise on some truly interesting characters from a rough ranching era that's all but extinct.

"I want the readers to immerse themselves in the everyday lives of these people," Thiem said.

That's exactly what he's done for years in a sometimes all-consuming passion. Thiem said he still thinks about them a lot. "But I think I'm ready to let them go," he said.

Thiem and Dimon will sign copies of the book in an event at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 16 at the Bas Bleu Theater, 401 Pine St., in Old Town Fort Collins. The book is also available at Matter Bookstore, 144 N. College Ave.