Empire of Dust: Settling and Abandoning the Prairie Dry Belt

2002 may prove to be the worst year in agriculture in southern Alberta history. In the southeast, the past two years have been drier than any two years in recorded history. With countless news stories about disappearing towns in the drylands, Empire of Dust is being brought back to print. With a new preface, this enduring historical account of the settlement of the Palliser Triangle region chronicles the disturbing fate of thousands of people who were forced to abandon their farms as a result of prairie drought. Describing the residual effects of prairie drought and examining what have become ghost towns in Alberta, Joness study has become more important than ever before, especially in light of current drought conditions that are once again plaguing the prairies.