Books by William F. Deverell

Los Angeles rose to significance in the first half of the twentieth century by way of its complex relationship to three rivers: the Los Angeles, the Owens, and the Colorado. Full of primary sources and original documents, this book is of interest to both students of Los Angeles and general readers interested in the origins of the city.

Nothing so changed nineteenth-century America as did the railroad. Growing up together, the iron horse and the young nation developed a fast friendship. This book presents the story of what happened to that friendship, particularly in California.