New book details 100-year history of local rodeo
A special edition of the book chronicling the 100-year history of the Fortuna Rodeo is now available, and this leather-bound keepsake would make the perfect holiday gift for the cowboy or cowgirl on your list.
The book is titled “In and Around the Arena: The 100-Year History of the Fortuna Rodeo,” and it was written by Alex Service, curator of the Fortuna Depot Museum, and Susan O’Hara, a teacher at Casterlin High School in the Southern Humboldt Unified School District.
“The Fortuna Rodeo is a beloved tradition for thousands of people,” Service said. “For them, the limited, special edition of ‘In and Around the Arena’ will become a treasured memento.”
The book is a detailed exploration of the first century of the Fortuna Rodeo, from its inception in 1921 through the canceled rodeo in 2020. Photographs are included from the collections of the Fortuna Depot Museum, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma, and many local residents.
“One thing that struck me as Susan and I were researching and writing the rodeo’s 100-year history is the huge importance of the Fortuna Rodeo to multiple generations of area families,” Service said. “There are kids competing in the Fortuna Junior Rodeo now who are following in the footsteps of their parents, grandparents and even great-grandparents.”
“In and Around the Arena: The 100year History of the Fortuna Rodeo” is the fifth collaboration between Service and O-Hara on local history, and at over 700 pages, it is their most extensive work. It includes hundreds of photographs and full-color reproductions of 12 of the recent years’ Fortuna Rodeo posters created by local artists. Service said she and O’Hara were extremely honored when the Fortuna Rodeo Association selected them to write the book documenting the event’s 100-year history.
The leather-bound, special edition book is selling for $100, and proceeds will benefit the Fortuna Depot Museum, as part of the Rodeo Association’s commitment to improving Fortuna’s Rohner Park. The book is available for purchase at the Depot Museum, Sequoia Gas and other local stores.
Plus, both Service and O’Hara will be signing copies of the special edition book at Sequoia Gas on Dec. 9 during the Al Gray Electric Lighted Parade.