When was Santa Fe under siege? Who was the local witch reputed to fly around in an egg? Which governor found his chair thrown into the street? Why were Judge Eaton's burros so expensive? What was the Santa Fe-Granada, Spain connection? What city celebration was sixty years too soon? Which governor paid a bribe to win a horse race? Who was "Telegraph" Aubry and why was he famous? What ended the usefulness of the Santa Fe Trail? If you don't know the answers to these questions, Marc Simmons does. And in this witty but historically accurate book, he takes readers on a fact-filled but fun journey into Santa Fe, New Mexico's unusual past. Historian and author Marc Simmons has received many awards for his research and writings on the American Southwest. He is known for his ability to ferret out true but little-known episodes in New Mexican history such as those recounted in this fascinating book.

Marc Simmons is a professional author and historian who has published more than forty books on New Mexico and the American Southwest. His popular "Trail Dust" column was syndicated in several regional newspapers. In 1993, King Juan Carlos of Spain admitted him to the knightly Order of Isabel la Católica for his contributions to Spanish colonial history. His books include "Yesterday in Santa Fe," "Turquoise and Six-Guns: The Story of Cerrillos, New Mexico," "Stalking Billy the Kid: Brief Sketches of a Short Life," "Charles F. Lummis, Author and Adventurer," and, with Frank Turley, "Southwestern Colonial Ironwork: The Spanish Blacksmithing Tradition from Texas to California," all from Sunstone Press.