Sherry has authored several books. Topics include the Victorian West, Apex, N.C. and Cary, N.C. Please click on one of her titles to learn more about each one and read some reviews. Click here to see where she will be signing her books.
CARY. Cary, N.C. was incorporated in 1871 and by 1880 there were nearly 300 residents and by 1930 that number tripled. The timber industry kept Cary alive as well as cotton gins, and other manufacturing businesses. Cary had a private boarding school by 1870 and in 1907 it became the first publicly funded and attracted students from around the state. Doctors, lawyers, merchants, churches, and many other businesses sprang up. However, it was the creation of Research Triangle Park that caused Cary’s explosive growth.
Did you know that Kildaire Farms Road was named after an actual dairy farm that existed from the 1930s until the 1970s?
APEX. This quaint, picturesque N.C. community has an interesting history. For years it was a rural hamlet with a nearby pond, simply called Log Pond. It later became Apex and the pond was eventually drained in the name of progress. Apex appeared on the map because of coal fields in Chatham County. The coal companies needed to get their coal to Raleigh, and around 1870 the Chatham Railroad was chugging along, right by Log Pond. It officially became Apex when they got a post office. Apex put the railroad to use immediately and shipped lumber, tar, turpentine, and pitch.
Early on, Apex passed some ordinances that one might find in the Wild West including those dealing with whiskey, gambling, and prostitution! Apex suffered two fires in the early 1900s, but its residents persevered and Apex’s small town charm is still enjoyed today.
Taste of Tombstone is an award-winning book that reveals the sophisticated atmosphere unrivaled west of New Orleans and outside San Francisco during the late 1880s. Monahan’s detailed history of the people, restaurants, and hotels describes life in Tombstone, where six-shooters hung on most men’s hips, and miner picks were a common sight. Tombstone’s restaurants varied from simple fare, to exotic creations, and included trendy French cooking, along with fresh oysters. Included are recipes from the era with actual Tombstone photos. You can see a review of the new edition on Southwest Blend.
This mining boomtown sat atop one of the most productive mining areas in the Southwest. Tombstone’s mines peaked from mid 1879 to late 1882, and during this pinnacle, the mines produced, on average, over five million dollars annually in silver and gold.
In addition to the breweries, wine rooms, saloons, and dance houses, there were other types of entertainment available for hard-working men. The sources of entertainment covered the spectrum from sophisticated theater programs, to rough and rowdy cockfights, and everything in between. Most women did not enter traditional saloons.
The Wicked West takes readers on a sinful journey back to frontier days. Learn how our forefathers—and foremothers—enjoyed life’s wild little pastimes, such as drinking, smoking, gambling, and of course, prostitution. Your guide for this riotous trip through saloons and bordellos all across the Old West is popular historian Sherry Monahan. She shows you how to mix a mean whiskey cocktail and gives the rules for the high-rolling game of faro. Best of all, she introduces you to a crowd of rough, tough, real-life men and women who tell their unforgettable stories in their own salty words.
Captured here in about 200 vintage images are the lives, trials, adventures, and recreations of some of the Peak's early pioneers and visitors, covering a span of almost 60 years.
Along with rare images of the Pikes Peak area from the late 1800s, this collection contains a number of previously unpublished photographs. These include female pioneers traversing mountains in Cheyenne canons and other vicinities in the 1920s; Colorado Mountain Club members on their hiking trips in the area; and pictures of local prospectors who remained long after the large gold deposits were discovered.
CARY. Cary, N.C. was incorporated in 1871 and by 1880 there were nearly 300 residents and by 1930 that number tripled. The timber industry kept Cary alive as well as cotton gins, and other manufacturing businesses. Cary had a private boarding school by 1870 and in 1907 it became the first publicly funded and attracted students from around the state. Doctors, lawyers, merchants, churches, and many other businesses sprang up. However, it was the creation of Research Triangle Park that caused Cary’s explosive growth.
APEX. This quaint, picturesque N.C. community has an interesting history. For years it was a rural hamlet with a nearby pond, simply called Log Pond. It later became Apex and the pond was eventually drained in the name of progress. Apex appeared on the map because of coal fields in Chatham County. The coal companies needed to get their coal to Raleigh, and around 1870 the Chatham Railroad was chugging along, right by Log Pond. It officially became Apex when they got a post office. Apex put the railroad to use immediately and shipped lumber, tar, turpentine, and pitch. 
