Meet Me in St. Louis...For an Ice Cream Cone!

Here's something to ponder if you happen to be waiting in line for that perennial favorite...an ice cream cone. Where do ice cream cones come from?

The exact origin of the combination of an edible wafter or waffle, the cone shaped, and the ice cream is unclear. edible wafers date back centuries, and they were long served alongside ice cream as an accompaniment. The most popular cone invention stories originated at the 1904 World's Fair, but they were almost certainly invented before that date and the actual story of who first used a rolled wafter to service ice cream is a murky story.

In 1807, a painting of a Parisian cafe holds an early clue that the cafe was known for serving ice cream, and the lower right corner of the image shows a woman licking something out of a handheld container that historians claim is the "first pictorial evidence for ice cream cones."

As ice cream grew in popularity in the 19th century, vendors began selling it on city streets in a variety of cups and containers, including cone-shaped glass utensils and the notoriously unsanitary "penny licks" -- tiny, stemmed glasses in which ices were sold at the British seashore and on London streets. Once the treat was consumed, the dishes were reused by the next customer without washing, potentially spreading disease.

In 1887, a British author, Agnes Marshall printed instructions for making "Cornets with Cream," cone-shaped vessels made of a sweet paste of blanches almonds and flour rolled around cornet molds, baked, and filled with sweetened vanilla-flavored whipped creams.

At the turn of the century Antonio Valvona filed a patent for a device to make biscuits cups or dishes that could be filled with ice cream then sold by vendors on the streets. In 1902, Valvona teamed up with Frank Marchiony, an Italian immigrant in New York. Valvona operated the firm's factory in England, while Marchiony ran the American operations on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Enter Marchiony's cousin, Italo Marchiony. In 1903, the cousin established a rival ice cream firm and filed a patent for his own "molding apparatus used in the manufacture of ice cream cups and the like." The illustrations from Italo's patent application showed precisely the kind of unusual shapes he was trying to mold tiny flat-bottomed teacups made of biscuit dough, complete with delicate handles.

And that's where things stood on the eve of the St. Louis World's Fair. People were eating ice cream from edible containers, but nothing that anyone today would consider an ice cream cone.

One thing we know for sure: visitors at the World's Fair ate plenty of ice cream in cones--or cornucopias, as they were called at the time. A patron wrote home to her family in South Carolina that the "waffle cornucopia filled with ice cream" was a treat widely enjoyed on "the Pike"--the Exposition's version of a midway.

A photo taken at the Fair shows a mother and her three children standing outside the "New York to the North Pole" attraction each holding an ice cream cone. The long cones have waffled sides and pointed bottoms familiar to us today instead of just a rolled-up waffle. 

 The myths about who concocted the first ice cream cones began with the most common 1904 St. Louis World's Fair story. Ernest Hamwi, an immigrant from Syria, was making zalabia, a wafer dessert, next to an ice cream stand. Hamwi suggested the combination when the ice cream vendor ran out of dishes. In the 1950s, the International Association of Ice Cream Manufacturers named him the official creator. Still, stories of other "originators" of the ice cream cone continued to circulate in the years following the fair.

Yet, with so many competing after-the-fact stories and so little tangible evidence, it seems unlikely that we'll ever know who came up with the ice cream cone, the Fair did serve to popularize the cone, which for millions of people--our family included, will be forever grateful!

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My latest release...

North and South. Yankee and Rebel. Union and Confederate.
In the midst of the Civil War, can two hearts come together?
When the tide of war sweeps south and the Union Army invades and destroys the Georgia cotton mill where Kate Brodie is a nurse, not only is her livelihood destroyed but she’s branded a traitor and shipped northward with the other workers. Only the unlikely attention of a Yankee major makes the trip tolerable.

Union major, Griffin Fletcher loathes the part of his job that requires him to destroy homes, towns, and livelihoods of innocent civilians. But he’s sworn to uphold the Union at all costs. Yet, he vows to protect these women he’s been ordered to transport to Marietta. Especially the one whose fiery determination, proud stance, and soft heart draws him closer.

Determined to remain in the South, Kate makes a daring leap of faith to nurse wounded Yankee soldiers, never expecting Major Fletcher to be one of her patients. Along with his healing, they each faced the fears and prejudices that had brought them together.
With survival so tenuous, can faith help them find love in the midst of so much tragedy?

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The series explores themes of courage, duty, and sacrifice during wartime, featuring spirited heroines who refuse to simply wait while war rages around them. Each sweet romance pairs these women with patriots facing choices between duty and desire. With emphasis on hope and unwavering love of country, these stories appeal to readers seeking historical romance with espionage elements and heroines who prove that even in uncertain times, love and freedom are worth the risk.

Colorado 150 and Women's Suffrage

Post by Doris McCraw

aka Angela Raines

Image (C) Doris McCraw

Not only is America celebrating 250 years, but Colorado is celebrating 150 years. Colorado's journey began in 1858-59 and culminated in its admission as the 38th state in 1876. Most of what we hear about that time is the man who pushed the idea. However, women were also involved in the process. This post is about one of those women.

If you live in Colorado, you've heard the name Routt. We have a county with that name, streets, and, oh yes, even a governor by that name. 

Eliza Routt was the first First Lady of Colorado, which, of course, made her husband, John, Colorado's first governor. It was from this position that she made her mark on Colorado. During that time, she was involved in women's suffrage. After 1893, when women gained the constitutional right to vote, she devoted her energy to helping people.

While women did not gain the right to vote in Colorado's original constitution, they did secure the right to vote in local school elections and to place the question of suffrage on the ballot in 1877. That 1877 vote failed, but in 1893, they won the right to vote with a constitutional amendment.

To learn more about this amazing woman, here are some additional sites:

Eliza P. Routt, Colorado Women's Hall of Fame

First Govenor, First Lady - Amazon

Until next time

"Did You Know with Doris" - VCOS

Until next time

Stay safe and keep reading and writing.

Doris

Angela Raines - Amazon

Doris A. McCraw - Amazon

Westward with Hope

 By Kimberly Grist

Go West Young Man

Whether Greeley coined the phrase or not, he certainly helped make it famous. To thousands of Americans, "Go West" became more than a slogan—it became an invitation to begin again. Greeley believed the fertile farmland of the expanding frontier offered hardworking families the opportunity to build prosperous new lives.

https://prezi.com/rfrqrbxda-ew/horace-greeley/

As railroads pushed westward and the Homestead Act opened millions of acres for settlement, stories of rich farmland, gold discoveries, and fresh opportunities inspired thousands to leave behind everything familiar in search of a brighter future.

https://www.notesfromthefrontier.com/post/what-pioneers-packed

For many, the journey west became more than a change of scenery—it became a turning point that shaped the rest of their lives. Decades later, Theodore Roosevelt, who spent time ranching in the Dakota Territory after the deaths of his wife and mother, reflected on the profound impact the frontier had on him:

Roosevelt's words remind us that the American frontier wasn't simply a place on a map. It was a place where people were tested, transformed, and allowed to begin again—a theme that continues to inspire many of the stories I love to write.

Yet the frontier wasn't built by men alone.
As towns, ranches, and homesteads spread across the West, many communities faced an unexpected challenge—a shortage of women. While adventurous young men followed dreams of land, gold, and opportunity, many women in the East and South were confronting tragedies of their own.

The Civil War had claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, leaving countless women without husbands or prospects for marriage. Then, just over a decade later, the devastating Yellow Fever epidemic of 1878 swept through the Mississippi Valley, leaving families shattered and many children orphaned.

Courtesy of Glacier National Park Photo Archives, photo HPF 9871.

A Risk Worth Taking?

Responding to a newspaper advertisement for a husband in the West wasn't merely an adventure. It was a chance to leave heartbreak behind and begin again.

That remarkable chapter of American history is what inspired my Counting Stars Children's Home and the six young women whose lives intersect there. Bound together by tragedy, they leave the hills of Tennessee as mail-order brides, carrying little more than faith, hope, and the courage to embrace an uncertain future.

The OTHER California Bridgeport by Zina Abbott

When it comes to research, sometimes I do not know which is worse: oodles and gobs of information to be waded through to find what I need or hardly anything at all.

My research for Bridgeport in Mariposa County, California, fell into the second category. I first became aware of this “ghost town” (actually, a few piles of rocks and a historical marker) while taking a drive with my husband in practically our own backyard.

 We have driven the main highway to and from Mariposa many times. However, as we passed the turn-off for Old Highway, I often wondered what there was to see. Imagine my surprise when we did take that route home from Mariposa one day, and I came across the historical marker for Bridgeport.

I knew that could not be a postal-designated place, for Bridgeport, California, is the name of the county seat in Mono County. Here is what I found out about the OTHER California Bridgeport.

Bridgeport in Mariposa County was founded by a New Yorker named Andrew S. Church, who came to California to mine gold, starting at Woods Creek near Sonora. After quickly deciding he did not care for the monotony of placer mining, he chose to open a merchandise store. He purchased a team, wagon, and supplies and started for the Kings River. However, he was only a few miles from Mariposa—where the wagon road crossed Agua Fria Creek, which was the site of the first big gold discovery in the county—when a peddler convinced him the area needed a trading post at that location. Mr. Church pitched his tent and started his business. In 1852, he constructed a frame house to replace his tent.

 

This crossing, which became known as Bridgeport, was actually on the Las Marisposas Land Grant owned by John C. Fremont. It was located about five miles south of Agua Fria, Mariposa County’s first county seat. However, it did prove to be a very profitable location, especially thanks to the 3,000 Chinese customers who ordered a lot of rice.

Mr. Church was involved with the first group of miners who went into Yosemite Valley to deal with the “Indian problem.” However, he did not like getting involved, so future forays he left to others and concentrated on his store.

Eventually, Mr. Church hired a clerk, Seth Washburn of Vermont. Seth, the second of fourteen brothers, soon convinced two of his brothers—Ed and Henry—to come to California and join him clerking for Mr. Church. Within a couple of years, the Washburns opened their own store. Even though Seth eventually returned to Vermont after mining activity in the area slowed down, the other two brothers remained in California. They made their fortunes in several enterprises including  livery stables, road building, and buying out Galen Clark’s Inn. They eventually built and operated the Wawona Hotel in Yosemite.

As mining faded, agricultural activity around Bridgeport increased. In the late 1800’s Capt. Bill Howard raised race horses just north of Bridgeport. Also, hog farmers moved into the area.

Bridgeport became a regular stop for travelers and tourists.  This road served as one of the early Yosemite Stage & Turnpike Company routes operated by Henry Washburn, who maintained a stagecoach station at Bridgeport.

The old wagon road going through Bridgeport was straightened, widened, and oiled in order for it to become the main route from Merced to Mariposa to Yosemite. A concrete bridge was built across Agua Fria Creek in 1919.

As automobiles and trucks replace stagecoaches and freight wagons, Bridgeport continued to be a regular stop for tourists. In 1926, a Union Oil distribution plant was built near the crossing by Bridgeport. It operated until it was dismantled in 1940.

Charles Greenmayer bought the store in 1929. The community did well as the county entered the Great Depression. A surge of gold dredging activity and tourism kept the town alive, as did penny-ante poker games that took place in the store’s back room.

However, the death knell for Bridgeport tolled when it was announced that the state decided to reroute the highway. It would miss Bridgeport by four miles. The store’s ownership changes twice, with the final owner closing the doors for the last time in 1950. Bridgeport lacked two years of having reached its one-hundredth anniversary before becoming a ghost town.

As I wrote my first two books in the National Park Brides series—both mostly set in Yosemite—I found the connections to Bridgeport interesting.

In Anthelia Yosemite Bride, I featured the area of Yosemite National Park (in the late 1880's, the Yosemite Grant controlled by the State of California) close to the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. The Wawona Hotel and the Yosemite Stage & Turnpike Company—both owned and operated by the Washburns—were a sizeable part of my setting.

In Ardith Yosemite Bride, in spite of it being 1905, both of my hero and my heroine find themselves frequently riding stagecoaches. One of the routes taken includes the Merced to Mariposa run, which would have taken the rider through Bridgeport.

 

 

Anthelia Yosemite Bride is now available for sale as an ebook. It is also available at no additional cost with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. To find the book description and purchase options, please CLICK HERE

 

 

 

 

Ardith Yosemite Bride is now available for sale as an ebook. It is also available at no additional cost with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. To find the book description and purchase options, please CLICK HERE

 

 

 

Sources:

Bridgeport: A Brief History, probably from the Mariposa Gazette, date unknown but 1969 or later; Newspaper clipping found on Facebook, Mariposa History & Pictures Page

Forrest Lemona Beebe Wass, Mariposa History & Pictures Page, Facebook, 

Historical Marker: Bridgeport, Matuca Chapter #1849, E Clampus Vitus, Credo Quia Asbordom

https://www.oldmapsonline.org/en/Mariposa_County,_California

 

Reading of the Declaration of Independence

 

Yesterday, on July 8, at 6 p.m. Eastern Time, Americans across the globe joined together for a simultaneous reading of the Declaration of Independence. 

The event was planned to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the first public reading of the Declaration on July 8, 1776, at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia. 

When I was researching the summer of 1776 in Philadelphia for my book For Liberty and Love, I unearthed an old history book from 1887.

According to the account in the book:

"The first public celebration of the event (signing of the Declaration) was in Philadelphia on the 8th of July. It did not take place earlier because printed copies were not ready sooner. At noon on the day named, the committee of safety and of inspection, the officers of the city government and the members of congress marched in procession from the hall to the yard, where an immense multitude had gathered. John Nixon, a member of the committee of safety, then read from the balcony in a loud and clear voice, the immortal Declaration of Independence, which was received with cheers and uproarious enthusiasm. The day was given to jollification, and the old Liberty Bell pealed out its joyous notes of the town and along the Delaware. " 

From The Youths' History of the United States by Edward S. Ellis

Bells began ringing before noon to summon the citizens of Philadelphia to the State House Yard.  The weather was unbearably hot. I can't imagine what it would have been like to have so many bodies crowded into that space, eager to hear what was about to be read. 

The bells stopped, and at noon, Colonel John Nixon read the Declaration of Independence. Some accounts say he stood on the balcony, others say he stood in the steps. Regardless of where he stood, he read in a loud, clear voice that carried the words of liberty (and at that time considered treason) over the crowd. 

Colonel Nixon was the son of a prominent Philadelphia shipping merchant and owner of a wharf on the Delaware River. He was educated in business instead of formal schooling, and inherited his father's enterprises in 1749. He because a warden of the port in 1766, a signer of paper money issued by Pennsylvania in 1767, and a manager of Pennsylvania Hospital from 1768-1772. In 1765 he married Elizabeth Davis and they had five children. He because an early and ardent proponent of the colonies, actively opposed to the Stamp Act. When the Revolutionary War began, he joined the Committee of Safety. He was a lieutenant-colonel in the Third Battalion of Associators (a unit of wealthy individuals), but he participated in the Battles of Trenton and Princeton, and was chosen partially for his military service with George Washington to read the Declaration of Independence on July 8, 1776. Nixon went on to become one of the organizers and a director of the Bank of Pennsylvania, and in 1784 because the director of the Bank of North America, the first national bank. 

After Colonel Nixon read the Declaration, the bells again began to peal and rang throughout the day. Reports state people celebrated the rest of the day, eager for liberty. 

Despite the heat and the crowds, I wish I could have been there that day to hear the words read aloud for the first time. 

Since I couldn't be there, I did the next best thing, and wrote about in from the perspective of my heroine, Lucy, in For Liberty and Love. 

I also wrote about the moment from the perspective of Lucy's little brother, Theo, in a rhyming read-aloud children's picture book.

Theo and the Day the Bells Rang follows Theo through the day on July 8, 1776, as he experiences a momentous event that changed our nation.

USA Today Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield grew up on a farm where her childhood brimmed with sunshine, hay fever, and an ongoing supply of learning experiences.

Shanna creates character-driven romances with realistic heroes and heroines. Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”

When this award-winning author isn’t writing or testing out new recipes (she loves to bake!), Shanna hangs out at home in the Pacific Northwest with her beloved husband, better known as Captain Cavedweller.

Connect with her at her website: ShannaHatfield.com

The Role of a Ranch in a Story by Marisa Masterson

 

Writing The Lawyer on the Texas Ranch began with a single image: a woman determined not to repeat the mistakes of her past, standing in a sunlit barn and deciding whether to stay or go. That image led to questions about what it takes to rebuild a life after marriage has become a prison of its own making — and how an unexpected journey can change a person’s priorities.

Research played a surprisingly practical role. To portray ranch life credibly, attention to daily routines was essential: feeding schedules, horse care, the physical layout of stables, and the rhythm of chores. These details make the world tangible and give emotional scenes a grounded sense of realism. 

Another important layer was the theme of freedom. The central line, "I will not trade my freedom for a loveless life," echoed in early drafts and became a guiding principle for Sybil. That sentiment shaped scenes, from quiet confrontations to moments of tenderness, forcing the narrative to ask what each character is willing to surrender and what they refuse to lose.

Balancing mystery with romance was a structural choice. I wanted the search for Stubby and the missing horses to create external tension that mirrored internal conflict. A slow-burn romantic arc allowed trust to grow organically, while the mystery provided plot momentum and occasional danger. Merging these elements required careful pacing so that neither the romance nor the investigation overshadowed the other.

Finally, the setting — Texas ranchland — was chosen for its emotional resonance. Wide-open landscapes create opportunities for introspection and isolation, while small-town networks remind characters that choices ripple across relationships. Writing those contrasts helped shape the novel’s atmosphere: quiet, practical, and full of possibilities.

In the end, The Lawyer on the Texas Ranch grew from a desire to tell a story about second chances that feels earned. It’s a book about learning to trust after betrayal, finding love without losing yourself, and discovering that sometimes the bravest thing is to open your hand and take a risk.

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Petticoats, Patriots, and Quiet Courage

 

One of the things I love most about writing sweet historical romance is discovering the quieter corners of history. Not every act of courage happened on a battlefield. Sometimes courage looked like a woman hanging laundry on a line. Sometimes it looked like listening carefully while pretending not to listen at all. Sometimes it looked like doing the ordinary, everyday work expected of women while secretly helping a much larger cause.

That is part of what drew me to Her Heart’s Allegiance, my book in the Petticoats & Patriots series.

The series celebrates sweet, wholesome Revolutionary War romances inspired by women whose courage, faith, and determination helped shape the fight for independence. These heroines may not always carry muskets or march with armies, but they are brave all the same. They use what they have, where they are, to serve the Patriot cause.

My heroine, Anna Turner, was inspired in part by Anna Smith Strong of Setauket, Long Island, who is traditionally connected with the Culper Spy Ring. According to legend, Anna Strong used laundry on her clothesline as a signal system. A black petticoat could indicate that a message was ready, while handkerchiefs helped identify a location. Whether every detail of the story can be proven or not, I have always loved what it represents: a woman using something as simple and domestic as laundry to take part in something dangerous and important.

That idea became the heart of Anna Turner’s story.

In Her Heart’s Allegiance, Anna lives in occupied Setauket, Long Island, in 1778. British officers are

far too near, the Patriot cause is dangerous to serve, and trust is not easily given. Anna’s work as a seamstress and household servant gives her access to rooms, conversations, and secrets she was never meant to hear. Her courage is quiet, but it's not small.

Then there is Nathaniel Reed.

Nate is a courier, a man with secrets of his own, and from the moment Anna meets him, she can't be entirely sure where his loyalties lie. In a war where appearances can deceive and one wrong word can cost a life, Anna must decide whether Nathaniel is a danger to the cause, or the one man she may be able to trust with her heart.

That is one of my favorite parts of Revolutionary War romance: the tension between allegiance and appearance. People had to make impossible choices. Families were divided. Neighbors watched neighbors. A person could be brave and still afraid, loyal and still misunderstood, honorable and still forced to keep secrets.

And of course, since this is a romance, there is also the wonderful trouble of falling in love at the worst possible time.

The Petticoats & Patriots series has given me a chance to explore women’s contributions to the American Revolution in a way that feels personal and heartfelt. These stories remind us that history was not only made by generals and statesmen. It was also shaped by wives, daughters, widows, servants, seamstresses, mothers, and sweethearts who chose courage when courage was costly.

I hope readers enjoy Anna and Nathaniel’s story, along with the whole Petticoats & Patriots series. If you love sweet historical romance, secret messages, hidden loyalties, brave heroines, honorable heroes, and love stories wrapped in American history, this series may be just your cup of tea.

Her Heart’s Allegiance is a sweet Revolutionary War romance about trust, sacrifice, and the kind of courage that can hang quietly on a clothesline and still change everything. I hope you'll check out all the books in the Petticoats & Patriot's Series, and enjoy a Happy Fourth of July!

Until Next Time, 

Kit