University of New Mexico UNM Digital Repository History ETDs Electronic Theses and Dissertations 9-1-2015 Impossible Heights: From Mining to Sport in the Mountain West, 1849 to 1936 Jason Strykowski Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/hist_etds Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Strykowski, Jason. "Impossible Heights: From Mining to Sport in the Mountain West, 1849 to 1936." (2015). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/hist_etds/74 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Electronic Theses and Dissertations at UNM Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in History ETDs by an authorized administrator of UNM Digital Repository. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Jason Strykowski Candidate History Department This dissertation is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication: Approved by the Dissertation Committee: Paul Andrew Hutton, Chairperson Margaret Connell-Szasz Virginia Scharff Andrew Kirk - UNLV i IMPOSSIBLE HEIGHTS: FROM MINING TO SPORT IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST, 1849 TO 1936 By Jason Andrew Strykowski DISSERTATION Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy History University of New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico July, 2015 ii DEDICATION For Fran, David and Jill – my guides through life. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Finding encouragement and inspiration is never easy. Professor Paul Andrew Hutton provided both in spades during my time at the University of New Mexico. None of this would have been possible without his mentorship. Thanks also to my committee members Professors Andrew Kirk, Margaret Connell-Szasz and Virginia Scharff who gave their wisdom and time so generously.