Big Blend Radio: Jan Cleere - Military Wives of Arizona Territory

Join Nancy J. Reid and Lisa D. Smith, the mother-daughter travel team and publishers of Big Blend Magazines, for Big Blend Radio’s “Way Back When Military History Monday” Show, featuring Jan Cleere, an acclaimed author, historian, and expert speaker who writes extensively about the desert southwest, particularly the people who first settled the territory. On this episode she discusses her latest book, “Military Wives in Arizona Territory: A History of Women Who Shaped the Frontier.”

When the US Army ordered troops into Arizona Territory in the nineteenth century to protect and defend newly established settlements, military men often brought their wives and families, particularly officers who might be stationed in the west for years. These women were bold, brave, and compassionate. They became an integral part of military posts that peppered the West and played an important role in civilizing the untamed frontier. Combining their words with original research and tracing their movements from post to post, “Military Wives in Arizona Territory” is a collection of historical narratives that explores the tragedies and triumphs that early military wives experienced.

Featured music is “Mirage” by Michael and Spider.