Ledger-Dispatch

By Scott Thomas Anderson (sanderson@ledger-dispatch.c= om)=20

=

County Archivist Deborah Cook has = released her=20 second book on local history, "Ione and the Jackson Valley." Her = first=20 book, "Jackson" was released in 2007.

Photo by: Courtesy to the Ledger=20 Dispatch
In her daily life, Deborah = Cook is=20 immersed in local history. The Amador County archivist has made it her = mission=20 to preserve the deep, enduring legacy of the foothills while making it=20 accessible to the general public. Now, with the release of her new book, = "Ione=20 and the Jackson Valley," her background as a historical archaeologist = and expert=20 on county records has allowed her to create a unique prism to view the = Indians,=20 ranchers and farmers who tamed the beautiful, dusty flats and rising = mesas that=20 fill the Central Valley.

Cook is no stranger to Amador history = fans. In=20 addition to her work at the archives, the 53-year-old mother and = grandmother is=20 the author of another book in Arcadia Publishing's "Images of America" = series:=20 "Jackson." She's also the editor of the Amador County Historical = Society's=20 newsletter - and the resident expert on the history of the Foothills = Central=20 Railroad.

When Cook took on her new book project, it was with the = intention of spotlighting a somewhat neglected area in local history, = her=20 hometown of Ione and its surrounding geography. "I wanted to write about = Ione=20 and the Jackson Valley because there really hadn't been anything in = print=20 before, pulling in the western region of Amador," Cook said. "The area = has so=20 many exciting characteristics and facets in its background, like the old = Methodist church which was known as 'the Cathedral of the Mother Lode,' = Preston=20 Castle and the Scully House ruins. When I look around, I see how special = the=20 area is."

In addition to writing about pioneering families, hardy = mine=20 owners and big mine operators, Cook also dedicates a significant portion = of her=20 book to the lineages of Miwoks in the Jackson Valley. "Talking about the = Miwoks=20 is something I did in my first book about Jackson. Maybe its the = archaeologist=20 in me, but I feel the tribes are a real significant part of the history. = I=20 didn't just want to write about the 150 years of Euro-Americans around = Ione, I=20 also wanted to create a book that would include the history of Amador's=20 pre-history. I also made an effort to bring the Native Americans into = the=20 present so readers could see their connection to our community = today."

To=20 present a full view of the region, Cook's new project offers previously=20 unpublished vintage photographs from public and private collections, = copies of=20 old maps and documents and mini-biographies to present different voices = in time.=20 According to Cook, it's designed to be a nostalgic journey down memory = lane. "I=20 hope it will foster a continuing interest in the history of the Jackson = Valley=20 and bring back fond memories of days gone by for those who lived it."=20

Copies of "Ione and the Jackson Valley" can be purchased from = Cook at=20 the Amador County Archives at 12200-A Airport Road, Martell, or at local = book=20 stores.

Scott Thomas = Anderson