The majority of the books published by Cowboy Miner Productions have won awards. Please see the awards page. Cowboy Miner Productions started when Mason Coggin recorded and produced two cassette tapes Rhymes of the Mines, Life in The Underground, and Coggin Does Kiskaddon. The tapes were soon sold out and after numerous requests, he and Janice made plans for publishing Cowboy Poetry Classic Rhymes by Bruce Kiskaddon, a book containing Kiskaddon’s most popular poems. Through the aid of many friends they were able to gather over 400 of his poems. They wanted to publish a hard-back book with acid free paper in a format that would stay on someone’s book shelf until it was willed to a favored heir. It was their hope that through the poetry the book would serve several generations as a model of western history and lifestyle. These hopes have been answered as this first book is now sold out. The acceptance of the Kiskaddon book was quickly followed by requests for other famous cowboy poets including S. Omar Barker and Henry Herbert Knibbs. As these books were in being produced, the Bruce Kiskaddon book won the 1998 Buck Ramsey Award from the Academy of Western Artists at their annual Will Rogers Award Ceremony in Fort Worth, Texas. Cowboy Poetry Classic Rhymes by S. Omar Barker was published with the co-operation of the Barker family and Jon Richins. It was an instant success, winning a much coveted Glyph Award from the Arizona Book Publishers Association. Cowboy Poetry was quickly becoming a book brand for Cowboy Miner Productions. The third book in this series Cowboy Poetry Classic Rhymes by Henry Herbert Knibbs was published in the summer of 1999. Tom Sharpe and his wife wrote a stirring biography of Knibbs which was printed as the foreword of the book. The Knibbs book won an award from the Midwest Independent Book Publishers Association for the best book on Poetry and his poetry is quickly becoming a favorite among cowboy entertainers who use traditional works for inspiration and performances. The task of producing Cowboy Poetry Classic Rhymes by D. J. O'Malley began with an unpublished manuscript of poems and articles written by Mr. O'Malley and obtained from the Montana State Historical Society. O'Malley was the step-son of a cavalry officer who was on the burial detail for Custer's command at the Little Big Horn. During O'Malley's years in the West he met and worked with people who were later identified as Western History makers including General Miles. The O'Malley book is a definite must for all history buffs. A long-awaited book of poetry, prose, and photos of Badger Clark, edited by Greg Scott has recently completed the classics. Changing gears, Cowboy Miner published Rhymes of the Mines, Life in the Underground, a collection of one hundred-fifty years of mining poetry. Many friends in the mining industry contributed poems from old books and magazines, from bar napkins, carbon sheets and the back of old mine reports. This edition is now out of print. A second edition is scheduled for publication the Fall of 2005.This was followed with Thomas E. Glover's The Lost Dutchman Mine of Jacob Waltz, Part 1. The Golden Dream. This book contains a complete history of the legend of the Lost Dutchman Mine and the people who have searched for it for over 100 years. The history of known maps, new maps and the history of the Peralta stones is described. This is now in its second printing. The Lost Dutchman Mine of Jacob Waltz, Part 2. The Holmes Manuscript - the story of three generations of Holmes' men, describes the family's search for the Lost Dutchman Mine. The book, a companion to Part 1 is an excellent seller. Requests have been received from many contemporary and traditional poets to have their poetry published in the Cowboy Poetry format. Thirteen books by fourteen authors have now been published using the familiar brand of Cowboy Poetry. Several cowboy poets have manuscripts being readied for publication in the coming months John Shaver of Sierra Vista asked Cowboy Miner to help him with the publication of a 1941 cook book. The book is a collection of war time recipes originally published by the Ladies Aid (Woman's Society of Christian Service) of Armel, Colorado. The recipes include the good things now missing from our healthy diets like, lard, butter, heavy cream and dark corn syrup. The Victory Cook Book contains 84 pages and is sprial bound so it will lay flat on the kitchen counter. This book has joined those out of print. Returning to Cowboy Poetry and Western history, Cowboy Miner has published a book of fiction featuring Bisbee; as well as a pictorial book on this colorful mining camp. Historical books on West Texas and Arizona have joined the ranks. The "Arizona Liar's Journal" by Jim Cook offers to tickle the funny bone of those interested in Arizona stories. A book featuring short exerts from poems by well-known cowboy poets has recently joined the ranks. One of the major highlights of the company was the Will Rogers Medallion Awarded by the Academy of Western Artists for having met the highest criteria for artistic merit, quality presentations and universal appeal in the publication of Cowboy Poetry. Several books have won the Will Rogers Medallion Award for Poetry. The Staff Janice Coggin, the technical editor, is the driving force behind Cowboy Miner Productions. She took up her early publishing career writing a teen chatter column for the Bisbee Daily Review in Bisbee, Arizona and working on various school publication projects. After graduating from the University of Arizona and marrying Mason Coggin she taught school in various towns in Arizona and New Mexico. While teaching English and Home Economics in rural communities she continued to be involved in presentations Mason Coggin, a retired mining engineer has 40 years of experience in chasing metal and mineral deposits throughout the world for a variety of mining companies and individuals. During his years with the Department of Mining and Mineral Resources he was involved in publishing several books on mineral development and production. His interest in mining history led to his writing of several articles on the Calumet and Arizona Company, an early force in the western mining arena, a brief history of Frank M. Murphy, Arizona Pioneer, Arizona Placer Gold Mining, Mine Fires and several papers on placer development. An interest in cowboy poetry led to memorizing and stage recitation of both cowboy and mining poetry and eventually to their publishing. As a reciter of cowboy and mining poetry he has joined the gatherings of cowboy poets at the Sharlot Hall in Prescott, Sierra Vista, Payson, Flagstaff, Safford and Apache Junction in Arizona and traveled to Red River and Silver City, New Mexico and Lubuck and Fort Worth, Texas, and Elko, Nevada. He is also a speaker for the Arizona Council of Humanities, the Arizona Book Publishers Association, Westerners International, Kiwanas, Rotary and a variety of prospecting and mineral clubs. Mason passed away in November of 2000. |
