Writer’s Block airs every Tuesday, at 9 a.m. MST on
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Historian Gottschalk Updates Pioneer
Merchants of Las Vegas
Marcus
Gottschalk is a deeply passionate historian who spent months on research
and corroboration of the information he has collected for the current edition of Pioneer Merchants of Las Vegas, a book he says will continue to
validate his belief that Las Vegas was the Southwest's most important
commercial center for yearly 30 years in the late 19th century.
WB: Let’s
begin by you telling our audience what you’ve been up to.
MG: Publishing my book, working on a Gottschalk family
history, enjoying the activity around the Romero Reunion and researching Juan
Jose Guadalupe Romero.
WB: Update
us on the updates to your book, “pioneer Merchants of Las Vegas.”
MG: There is a new introduction and chapter one, and
information about gold mining in New Mexico
WB: I
understand it is one of the more popular books at Tome on the Range, especially
among visitors.
MG: In addition to Tome, my book is
available at UNIKAT, my wife’s jewelry store on Bridge Street.
WB: What
are the elements of the book you think people will most benefit from?
MG: It’s a look at important individuals in early Las
Vegas.
WB: With
Heritage Week coming up in August, do you have any special events planned to
promote the book?
MG: I’m considering a booth at People’s Faire, but that
hasn’t been determined. I encourage folks to go to either UNIKAT or Tome to
pick up a copy.
WB: In
doing your research in preparation for updating the book, what where some of
your more surprising discoveries?
MG: Indexing is always a challenge. I was surprised to
learn how much information you can get through Google Books. It was also
surprising to learn there was a Comanche presence in this area.
WB: What prompted you to write this book
originally?
MG: I had created a series of essays about the early
merchants and found there was a gap in American History having to do with the
early years in the development of this area.
WB: If
you could write on any particular subject—be it history-related or current—what
would it be and why?
MG: If I had the luxury of time and a lot of money in the
bank, I would write a complete history of pioneer merchants, and I would write
a well-researched history on the banking system. There is a lot to be learned
from a study of the system and how it has developed and evolved.
WB: What
writers or historical influencers do you most admire and why?
MG: Dr. Lynn Perrigo, Twitchell, Matt Taibbi of Rolling
Stone.
WB: What
do you want your book to be most remembered for?
MG: That Las Vegas—not Santa Fe—was the more important
commercial center in the late 1800s, and that many Las Vegans were important in
New Mexico as well as in American History.
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