In 1912, the inaugural year of Arizona's statehood, the rural Verde Valley was inhabited by ambitious ranchers and farmers who raised cattle, cultivated crops, and nurtured children. This demand for education led the community to "mail-order" a teacher, just as they did for supplies from the Sears catalog.

Elsie Hayes, a college graduate, arrived from a cultured background filled with concerts and literary clubs. Her tiny teacher's cabin in Cornville starkly contrasted with her family’s beautiful home in Long Beach, California. This refined young woman found herself drinking from an irrigation ditch, bathing in Oak Creek, and teaching in a one-room schoolhouse. Initially viewing her students as "common," she soon formed a deep affection for them, leading to a shift in her perspective from feeling superior to developing a genuine admiration for these "backwoods" residents. The wild landscape, once daunting to her, transformed into something “breathtaking and glorious.”

This true narrative is brought to life through Elsie’s century-old journals, photographs, and letters home, which vividly depict a bygone era and provide insight into the early history of Cornville and Williams, Arizona. More than just historical accounts, they reveal a colorful tapestry of adventure, heartache, and a poignant story of lost love.