Book Review: ‘History of a Place Called Rescue’ – Teie and Carpenter

Title: “History of a Place Called Rescue”

Authors: William C. Teie and Francis M. Carpenter

Publisher: Deer Valley Press, Rescue, deervalleypress.com, November 2011

Price: $75; flex-binding, 11 x 8.5 inches, 380 pages, four-color.
(pre-publication price $52.50 plus tax and shipping. Visit deervalleypress.com for particulars)

Available From: Publisher, November 2011 (predicted)

As you know, I love history, especially the history of El Dorado County and its environs. Therefore, when I received an uncorrected proof of “History of a Place Called Rescue” to check and review, I was excited and delighted.

Both William Teie and Francis Carpenter had contacted me some time ago about my writings on the Rescue area. They had asked me for any information I had, because they were working on a book. I was happy to share what I had with them.

Their request is not an unusual one and I receive one or two similar requests every year. Usually the book is never published, so when I received a copy of the huge proof of this book I was both amazed and delighted. I think what I said was “Wow.”

It is a wonderful book, containing 380 pages and over 800 pictures, maps and other graphics, in color where possible. The proof copy, although not in full color, is still one of the most complete documents on the Rescue area, its history and families I have ever seen.

In fact, it is one of the most complete documents on any area of El Dorado County.

It is full of pictures of rare documents and photographs graciously loaned to the authors by families with roots in Rescue, all beautifully displayed and described.

Rescue is a small, rural community in the heart of California’s gold country, generally north of Cameron Park. Although it is small and has a unique name, it is also rich with history — and that history is what this book is all about.

It captures the spirit of the past and helps tell the story of this community and the surrounding area.

This book, “History of a Place Called Rescue,” is a snapshot in time, that time starting when gold was discovered in Coloma in 1848 and continuing into the 1930s.

When you open the book, hte reader travels through the area starting with tours along prominent roads in Rescue.

A large, full-color reference map, located in a pocket in the back of the book, pinpoints all of the featured historical sites and makes them easy to find.

The book is rich with pictures, local family trees, and other graphics that bring Rescue’s history to life and, for the convenience of the reader, the book is nicely divided into chapters including: Rescue Road Tours, Schools of Rescue, Mines of Rescue, Cemeteries of Rescue, Post Offices of Rescue, Pony Express, Rescue Fire Protection District and, a wonderful and huge section called Pioneer Families of Rescue. That last section is, in itself, a book.

You don’t have to be from Rescue to enjoy it, since Rescue is an important place in early California history.

The road, now called Green Valley Road, was what was used by miners and teamsters from Sacramento to get to and from Coloma, and along its route were numerous way stations and inns, and even a winery, where travelers stayed and ate, and picked up supplies.

All this is in the book.

It is a great book recounting local history and once you start looking through it you will want to drive through the area, seeing things you never noticed before and imagining what it was like so many years ago.

I am so delighted that these two gentlemen took the time to do the enormous amount of research for a book like this and then carried through with the project to produce such a wonderful book.

William C. Teie retired from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection after a successful 34 year career. He is the author of a number of books on firefighting, a series of “Fire in the West” reports and has developed several training operational aids for the firefighter.

He has also authored and published three trail guides for the four-wheel drive community, including one on the Rubicon Trail and trails of the San Bernardino and Tahoe National Forests.

He lives in Rescue with his with his wife Linda, a dog named Ben and a cat named Toffie.

Francis “Carp” Carpenter was born and raised in Rescue. He and his family lived in the Kelly Creek store, or Brandon House, and he attended Tennessee School and El Dorado High School.

After returning from service in the Korean War he worked in Placerville and became part of the startup Rescue Volunteer Fire Department in 1960.

In 1964 and 1975 he was appointed chief. In 1965 he was hired by the California Department of Forestry, leaving in 1982 to become the first full-time chief for the Rescue Fire Protection District.

Often referred to as “Mr. Rescue,” he lives in Rescue with his wife Joy, a former El Dorado Rose, and the family dog Emmie

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