Martha Summerhayes was a refined New England woman who entered the Arizona Territory in 1874 as the young bride of an Army Lieutenant. Traveling in horrific conditions and dreadful heat, she soon despised the wild and untamed land. She gave birth to the first Anglo child born at Fort Apache where the native women took her under their care. Gradually, Martha’s attitude towards the desert changed and she soon came to love the starry nights, the clear air and the simplicity of its inhabitants. She wrote about her experiences in the classic book, Vanished Arizona, still in print since 1908. Presenter Wayne Ranney has a personal connection to the Summerhayes family, which he shares in the lecture. Funding provided by the Friends of the Prescott Public Library.