Reprint update + Companion Puzzle book progress

Published by:

Kent Brooks

August 29, 2025

After receiving proof #2, we pressed pause on the Baca County History reprint to correct layout hiccups, and run higher-quality proofs. It’s the right kind of delay—one that makes the finished book sharper and more durable.

Where the reprint stands

Support your Southeast Colorado hospital. Join them September 19, 2025 for their open house.

High-res pages rebuilt from cleaner scans
Print specs locked; moving through proofing

Meanwhile, the first Puzzle Companion we spoke a long while back is moving fast. The content is from the 1983 Baca County History Book. Interior layout is set, the answer key is organized, and we’ve mocked up both “Embossed Heritage” and “Field Notebook” covers plus matching back covers. Full-wrap print files are drafted and ready for final book spine math.

A note on inspiration: I’m not going to share the inspiration for this publicly—happy to tell you 1:1 if ever the moment is right.

What the Companion covers (chapter set)

A) Prehistory & Archaeology — Ancient life and early peoples of the High Plains, from fossils to stone tools and rock art.
B) Trails & Early Days — Trails, freighters, homesteads, and the rough-and-ready logistics of first settlement.
C) Towns & Communities — Present towns and the many communities that rose, shifted, or faded across the county.
D) Farming & Ranching — Crops, livestock, and the equipment and practices that shaped everyday work.
E) Law, Courthouse & Daily Life — Courthouse routines, law officers, local government, mail, and the civic rhythm that kept things running.
F) Beets & Broomcorn — Sugar-beet pioneers and the county’s broomcorn heritage, from fieldwork to processing.
G) Natural Resources & Water — Aquifers, oil & gas, and how water and minerals were found, moved, and managed.
H) Disasters & Weather — Dust, floods, and blizzards—how people endured, responded, and rebuilt.
I) Wildlife & Landscape — Grasslands, canyons, and the animals and birds that define the place.
J) People & Surnames — Families and names that recur in the histories and captions—great for mixed-level puzzles.
K) School days & Community — One-room schools to gym assemblies—the look and feel of learning together.