Valley Empires:

Hugh Glenn and Henry Miller

in the Shaping of California

Two extraordinary men, Hugh Glenn and Henry Miller, helped put the great Central Valley of California on the world map in the nineteenth century. Known as the "Wheat King" and the "Cattle King," they were profoundly influential in shaping the development of interior California. Here their stories are told against the backdrop of struggling times as the valley evolved from a raw frontier into some of the most productive farmland in the world. Their shadows on the land still linger.

This book was written for readers with an interest in California history. An essential text for anyone interested in California's great Central Valley, the volume focuses on the early development of the valley and the hard-working men who transformed near-virgin territory into storied productivity.

The narrative covers the search for a new kind of gold, the wheat trade in international markets, and the development of the cattle industry over decades. It includes the murder that ended the career of Hugh Glenn, California's biggest wheat grower and a candidate for governor in a hard-fought election, and describes the life of Henry Miller, a penniless German immigrant who eventually amassed a million acres, dominated western meat markets, and put his mark on western water law.

The volume also includes a chapter on the "Oregon connection,"  the high plateau of Harney County in southeastern Oregon, where both Glenn and Miller owned legendary huge cattle ranches.  

320 pages. Includes twenty illustrations, a comprehensive bibiography, and index.