"The first intensive analysis of sense of place in American mining towns, [book title] provides rare insight into the struggles and rewards of life in these communities. [author] contends that these communities ... have a strong and enduring sense of place and have even embraced some of the signs of so-called dereliction. [author] documents the history of Toluca, Illinois; Cokedale, Colorado; and Picher, Oklahoma, from the mineral discovery phase through mine closure, telling for the first time how these century-old mining towns have survived and how sense of place has played a vital role."--Book jacket.