Dottie Grimes will hold a book signing the night of the unveiling of the new dinosaur at the Museum of the San Rafael on March 27 at 6 p.m.
Grimes recently finished a book on the San Rafael which will be published and become available for sale next week.
When asked about her inspiration for writing The San Rafael Swell, Grimes says during her work with the Emery County Archives, she has had many occasions to interview the older residents of Emery County. She realized there was so much more to this place called “The Swell” than she had ever dreamed.
“I had been out in the desert many times and had seen many different parts of it,” Grimes said. “The Swell holds many historic secrets and was called The Mysterylands before the roads and bridges were built to accommodate automobiles.” She found it to be a great source of rangeland for livestock along with fun and adventure for people.
| Dottie Grimes is the author of the new book on the San Rafael. |
Emery and Carbon county locals are the ones who found the petroglyphs and pictographs located in the Swell. Dinosaur bones, minerals, hidden gardens and ancient villages are more of the treasures held there. The inspiration for the book were the stories she was told by the residents of the area.
Grimes’ research was largely the stories told in the interviews of area residents. She has found the best source of history is the experiences and stories told by those who have spent time in the Swell. Another source of her research was the Emery County Archives which houses a large number of historical items pertaining to the San Rafael Swell.
“I hope this book will bring awareness of all the cultural history that has taken place in the San Rafael Swell and help us appreciate those who lived, worked, explored and played there,” says Grimes. She also says the information which is stored in the minds of the older generation is rapidly disappearing. “We need to preserve the history of this area by researching and interviewing the local residents. They hold a wealth of information,” concluded Grimes.
The Emery County Archives is located in the old Emery County courthouse, on the second floor. It is open Tuesday through Thursday from noon-5 p.m. The book will be available for purchase at the Museum of the San Rafael.