The 'Salida Sam' Historical Book Series focuses almost exclusively on happenings inside the city limits of Salida, Colorado. Volume 1 covers the town's beginnings in May 1880 through the end of 1881. Although shared through the journal of a fictional character, the stories are 100% true. Salida was a wild west boomtown, filled with brutal conflicts, free-flowing whiskey, outlaws, fortune-seekers, and shady ladies. 'Salida Sam' speaks with the rough-hewn voice of his era. He's a man of his time, and his time was often harsh, racist, and sexist. Follow Salida's growth from an empty, dusty flatland to a railroad hub and center of commerce where settlers found misery as often as success. This quaint mountain town wasn't always a wholesome tourist mecca.