History/US¿19th Century [reading line] True tales from the Grand Canyon State¿s past¿from the progressive-minded Hohokam community of centuries ago to the demise of the legendary Route 66 Arizonäs history and landscape are deeply marked by man¿s continual efforts to conquer both this state¿s residents and nature itself. Prehistoric peoples carved irrigation canals through the desert to water their crops, conquistadors arrived to claim the fabled cities of gold for Spain, a Confederate colonel attempted to declare the territory for the South, and the federal government constructed the largest dam in the world to harness the power of the Colorado River. It Happened in Arizona goes behind the scenes to tell this story, in short episodes that reveal the intriguing people and events that have shaped the Grand Canyon State. ·Recount the foolhardy escape attempt by twenty-five German Nazi soldiers from a POW camp just outside of Phoenix ·Read about the harrowing capture and enslavement of a girl whose family was killed by Yavapai in the 1850s ·Learn about an astronomer¿s scientific discovery that revolutionized the science of archaeology ·Discover how a college dropout worked his way up to become a presidential candidate James A. Crutchfield is a popular western historian and the author of more than fifty books, including several other It Happened In books. In 2015 he was inducted into the Western Writers Hall of Fame, and in 2011 he received the Owen Wister Award for Lifetime Achievement in Western History and Literature. He lives in Tennessee. cover photo caption: Hoover Dam construction; credit: Bureau of Reclamation