Bill Martin

The Texture of Siskiyou County Bill Martin

What makes the feel or texture of a place -- the nuance of character reflected by a location and its people? It comes from the shared history of the land and its inhabitants. At first glance, a newcomer makes a snap judgement -- strictly from outward appearance. But a snap judgment will not accurately describe a location since each is different -- each place has different history. Every place has a color, a flavor, an "after-taste," all its own. To find true local flavor, one must pull back the layers placed there by residents over time to find what ingredients contribute to the local feel or texture. Using both True Tales from historically factual stories, and Tall Tales from fictional stories that are based on truth yet edged in varying depths of malarkey to evoke a smile, a native son reveals the nuance of Siskiyou County character. These tales about "locals," whether animal or human, are told in a way that show the texture: the feel or character of this special place . . . a place called Siskiyou County . . .