Ron Dungan

Wild places, public lands, fly-fishing in the Apocalypse.

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Tag: Arizona history

A digital black hole

Posted on October 24, 2022October 24, 2022 by rondungan

Arizona is losing its history. Rats build nests in historic documents, old buildings sag and buckle, roofs leak and records blacken with mold. Collectors slip a few papers into their homes and looters plunder archeological sites. Historians and archivists say the problem keeps getting worse as budgets are slashed and information is processed digitally, then…

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The red ghost

Posted on August 21, 2022May 26, 2023 by rondungan

Word spread through the territory – a beast roamed the Arizona frontier, though each sighting was little more than a glimpse: A flash of red. Hooves and old bones. When the beast trampled a ranch woman to death at Eagle Creek, a witness described the creature: Red, tall, and ridden by a devil. It was…

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The Apaches: A brief history

Posted on February 27, 2022June 9, 2022 by rondungan

Historians will lead you to believe it was all a misunderstanding. How the Americans, in their ignorance, failed to appreciate the differences between Apache bands, between raiding and warfare, how they had a tin ear for language and other cultures. The implication is that if only the Americans were not so stubborn, so unreasonable, so…

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Bighorn Fire

Arizona Wildfire

Posted on August 26, 2021July 19, 2022 by rondungan

The Bighorn Fire.

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Why history matters, and why we are losing it

Posted on January 24, 2018April 15, 2025 by rondungan

Arizona is losing its history. Rats build nests in historic documents, old buildings sag and buckle, roofs leak and records blacken with mold. Collectors slip a few papers into their collections and looters plunder archeological sites. Historians and archivists say the problem is getting worse as budgets are slashed and as information is processed digitally,…

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Praise for The Worst Fishing Dog Ever

“Ron Dungan’s book is full of hard-earned, thoughtful, incisive insights. He understands and illuminates the personal, cultural, and environmental forces at play that surround our beloved sport of fly-fishing. This is a must-read book for anyone interested in why fly-fishing matters in these troubled times.” – Robert DeMott, editor of Astream: American Writers on Fly Fishing

“Readers will appreciate the unhurried storytelling and close observation. Dungan is an accomplished and capable writer.” – Gregory McNamee, author of Gila: The Life and Death of an American River

“Ron Dungan is an amazing writer, and if you don't buy this book you will probably be struck by lightning.” – Cinda Howard, owner, guide, and instructor at Fly Fish Arizona and Beyond

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