Author and Ramona resident Richard L. Carrico is an award-winning historian, archaeologist, university professor, and writer. With more than 35 years of experience in interpretation and preservation of archaeological and historical resources, Carrico is particularly proud of sharing the story of Ramona and its people. He is on the advisory board of the Ramona Pioneer Historical Society, whose extensive photographic archives from the Guy B. Woodward Museum form the basis of this book. This photographic journey through more than 10,000 years of history is the collaborative effort of Carrico and the Woodward Museum.
Title: 'Ramona' History Author to Sign Copies of His Book
Author: Julie Pendray
Publisher: Ramona Patch
Date: 6/2/2011 If you want to see girls playing basketball in long
dresses and hats or people driving down what they called Muzzy
Grade Road in a horse and buggy, then check out Richard Carrico's
new book on local history. It's called simply Ramona and is part of
the Arcadia Publishing "Images of America" series. Carrico is a
Ramona resident and SDSU professor. He produced the book in
association with Guy B. Woodward Museum, whose many images are
contained in the work. Ramona covers 10,000 years of local history,
from the Iipay village of Pa'mu to the aftermath of the 2003 Cedar
Fire. Among the pages are photos of turkey queens, rodeo cowboys, a
World War I airplane, the 1913 wildfire north of town, racecars and
many of Ramona's famous namesakes. Carrico is in the Department of
American Indian Studies at SDSU. He has two other published books:
Strangers in a Stolen Land: The Indians of San Diego From
Prehistory to the New Deal (Sunbelt, 2008) and San Diego's Spirits:
Ghosts and Hauntings in America's Southwest Corner (Recuerdos
Press, 1986). All three books can be found on Amazon.com He will
talk about his latest book at Ramona Chamber of Commerce at 1 p.m.
on June 8, and he'll sign and sell books for visitors.
Title: Author uses photos to share the story of Ramona Author:
Crystal Carter Publisher: North County Times Date: 7/24/2011
A new photographic essay book about Ramona uses historic images
from the Ramona Pioneer Historical Society to capture the town's
unique blend of rural and urban life.
"Ramona," part of Arcadia Publishing's Images of America series,
was prepared by local historian and Ramona resident Richard L.
Carrico (a frequent contributor to the North County Times' Books
section).
Carrico had access to the extensive photographic archives from the
Guy B. Woodward Museum, which form the basis of the book. It takes
the reader on a photographic journey through more than 1,000 years
of history (with photos of local archaeological sites among those
included). He also used ancestor.com as a resource to find names to
the people who were in the old photos.
"I wanted to have a sense of humor when writing the captions to the
photos," he said. "It makes it more of an easy read while being
educational."
Some of the pictures include that of a girl athletically hanging
off the side of a fully galloping horse and smiling. The picture,
which dates back to the 1940s, explains that there was a sport
called Cowgirls Fancy Riding where the participants rarely lasted
10 years without an injury. Cowgirl rodeos are still performed
today.
"These old historic photographs are really an asset to our
community," said Carrico. He said he believes that there are two
categories of people who will benefit from the book. The first
category are the residents who are new to the area and who will
obtain more of an understanding of the historic roots of the town
and more of an appreciation for its preservation. The other
category would be the residents who have lived in Ramona for a long
time and who will have their memories reawakened through the
evocative photos that make up the majority of the book.
Some of the photos were so compelling to Carrico that he has
dedicated his next book to a biography of the photo's subject, Judy
Van der Veer. A photo in the book shows Van der Veer looking out
into the landscape near Ballena. She was a best-selling writer and
poet, and used the landscape of Ramona's nature and farm animals as
her backdrop when she wrote.
"She was equal to Steinback during her time," said Carrico. "Women
get underestimated when it comes to biographies and I thought her
story was important."
Carrico is a professor of Native American Indian Studies at San
Diego State University, teaching about the complexities of Indian
cultures and family values. He also wrote "Strangers in a Stolen
Land," a history of local Indian communities. He says that its
really rewarding to see how the students grasp the content. He has
also seen students interest grow so much that they become history
majors and minors in the process. The Native American Indian
tribes, Grande Mesa and Barrona, are also featured in his book
about Ramona.
When Carrico is not busy educating minds, he is cultivating wines
---- which is one of his hobbies. He has lived in Ramona for the
last 15 years.
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