Setting as Character--Council Bluffs, Iowa

When I’m preparing the background for a new story, I dig into possible geographic locations. I’m always looking for something different—a place that I don’t know much about and want to share with readers. My mini-version of a history lesson.

For my work-in-progress, a wagon train story titled JANA, I looked at the well-known places where pioneers gathered before setting out for their destinations in the far west. I’d already written about St. Joseph and Independence, Missouri, so this time I settled on Council Bluffs, Iowa. The first named Council Bluff (on the west bank of the Missouri River in what would become Nebraska) was the site of a meeting between Lewis and Clark and Otoe tribe in August 1804. This location was known for years by many tribes of the plains Indians and became a reservation in the 1830s. A mission was established to minister to the tribes.

1868 bird's eye view of part of Council Bluffs

In 1844, the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy party (ten families) crossed the Missouri at the location on their way to California. They were the first white party to cross the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In 1846, a large group of Mormons traveled to the site that briefly was known as Miller’s Hollow, named for Henry Miller who was the construction foreman for the Kanesville Tabernacle. By 1848, the settlement was named Kanesville and became the primary place to gather before the Mormon exodus to Utah. By 1852, the name finalized on Council Bluffs and the town was an official spot on the Emigrant Trail, as well as outfitting  travelers for the Pikes Peak Gold Rush.

Model built by Bill Whittaker on Wikipedia-Bertrand sank in 1864

The key to my choice as a starting location was the existence of a steamboat trade. In the years before the establishment of the Transcontinental Railroad (complete 1869), steamboats were essential for ferrying people, animals, goods, and railroad cars (until Council Bluffs was connected to T.R. in 1872 with the completion of a river-spanning bridge) across the Missouri River to Omaha in the land known first as the Missouri Territory and then as Nebraska when it gained statehood in 1867. President Lincoln proclaimed Council Bluffs the east terminus of the Transcontinental Railroad, and a gold spike marking Mile 0 is located at the corner of 21st Street and 9th Avenue. The home of Grenville Dodge, the renowned surveyor for the railroad, is a historic site.

This city was a true crossroads for people of various ethic and religious groups. Reading about its development gives the city an appearance of transition and short-term visits. Council Bluffs was referred to as 'the end of the east" because for a long time, people couldn't go farther west. I absorbed that sense of a town on the edge of civilization for my setting and had great fun naming some of the businesses. 

Blurb: 

Jana Lukyan is intent on traveling with Marco, her 16-year-old brother, to her aunt and uncle’s CA ranch. But her brother’s reckless behavior adds two saloon robbers to her party, with the pair threatening to expose Marco’s involvement. bounty hunter Rik Sanderson turns in the robbers at the nearest fort and is forced into pledging to oversee Jana and Marco’s safe delivery. Will the journey’s challenges pull them apart or force the makeshift family to cleave to one another for survival?

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"The Queen of Inventions" - History, Facts, and Scandals of the Sewing Machine

If you've read any of my past blogs or my books, you know the art of quilting is very dear to my heart. But without a sewing machine, I'd be up a creek without a paddle!

The history of the sewing machine is littered with accusations, failed attempts, and some serious scandal. From narrowly escaping death to patent lawsuits, it's a story that demonstrates the "seam-ingly" (Sorry, I couldn't help the pun!) humble beginnings of the sewing machine.

Some 20,000 years ago, people started sewing by hand using needles made from bones and thread made from animal sinew. With the arrival of the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, the need to decrease manual sewing became paramount. 

In 1790, Englishman Thomas Saint designed the first sewing machine of its kind. The patent described a machine powered with a hand crank to be used for leather and canvas. Though no one knows if Saint built a prototype, in 1874, William Newton Wilson found the patent drawings. They were so detailed, he built a replica, proving that it did work.

Early 19th Century Attempts...and Failures

• 1810: Balthasar Krems invents an automatic machine for sewing caps. He didn't patent his design, but it didn't work anyway.

• 1814: An Austrian tailor, Josef Madersperger, was issued a patent. He was persistent, attempting several different designs, but all were unsuccessful.

• 1818: John Adams Doge and John Knowles invented America's first sewing machine, but it could only sew a few bits of fabric before breaking.

Forty years after Saint drew up plans for a machine, Barthelemy Thimonnier, a French tailor, invented a sewing machine that used a hooked needle and one thread, to create a chain stitch.

A few years later, he opened the world's first machine-based clothing manufacturing company, creating uniforms for the French Army. However, when other tailors got wind of his invention, they weren't too pleased. They feared his invention would result in their unemployment, so they burned down his factory while he was inside.

Fair warning!!! Never take your sewing machine for granted; this guy almost died for it.

In 1834, Walter Hunt created America's first functioning sewing machine. His morals triumphed over money, however, when he thought such a machine would cause unemployment for many, so he didn't bother to patent the design.

For the next ten years, all the machines were made up of disjointed elements with nothing really working together. In 1844, however, John Fisher designed a sewing machine that would eliminate this disparity between the moving parts. But a botched filing job at the patent office resulted in his patent getting lost, so he never received any recognition.

Victory...and a Lawsuit

In 1845, Elias Howe, invented a sewing machine that resembled Fisher's, with some changes and adjustments. His patent stated, "a process that uses thread from 2 different sources." His machine created what is known as a lockstitch. The needle went through the fabric, creating a loop while a shuttle on a track slipped the second thread through the loop.

He struggled to market his design, so he left for England. After a lengthy stay, he returned to America only to find others had copied his lockstitch mechanism. One of those was Isaac Merritt Singer.

Using elements from the Howe, Hunt, and Thimonnier inventions, Singer developed the first version of our modern-day sewing machine with a foot pedal and the up-and-down needle. It also inspired Howe to file a lawsuit, taking Singer to court for Patent Infringement, where he defended his case and won.

Singer expressed the opinion that Howe infringed on Hunt's design. Sadly for Singer, this didn't have any impact at all. The lack of a patent on Hunt's design meant it was intellectual property for anybody to use.

Consequently, Singer was forced to pay a lump sum of royalties to Howe, as well as giving him a share in Singer & Co. profits. Despite all the drama and legal disputes, Howe and Singer both died multimillionaires. 

Without the early failed attempts and sheer persistence to create a sewing machine for the home crafter and factory worker, who knows what our clothing manufacturing industry would look like today.

While the debate continues about the real inventor of the sewing machine, I'm quite happy I don't have to use animal sinew and bones to stitch my quilts! 

                            My Janome Machine            Six Janomes during Quilt Week   

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History of the National Road by Zina Abbott

The National Road, also known as the Cumberland Road, was the first improved highway built by the federal government in the United States.

General Braddock's tomb along the National Road (Hwy 40)

The National Road had its beginnings as the Braddock Road, which had been opened by the Ohio Company in 1751 to join Fort Cumberland, the upper limit of navigation on the Upper Potomac River, and the French military station at Fort Duquesne at the forks of the Ohio River—the latter being an important trading and military point. It is where Pittsburg, Pennsylvania stands today. The road was named after British General Edward Braddock. While accompanied by then-Colonel George Washington of the Virginia militia regiment in 1755, he died in an attempted assault of Fort Duquesne, then held by the French.

Casselman River Bridge Westrn MD completed 1814 ctsy Kkssws

In 1806, construction began on the Cumberland Road, designed to replace the wagon and footpaths of the Braddock Road between the Potomac and Ohio Rivers. From there, the Cumberland Road/National Road continued west to Wheeling, Virginia (now West Virginia), which was also on the Ohio River.

Henry McKinley was awarded the first contract for construction on May 8, 1811. Construction started later that year. The road reached Cumberland, Maryland, and Uniontown, Pennsylvania, in 1817. It was completed to the Ohio River at Wheeling, West Virginia, on August 1, 1818, which remained the road’s western terminus for many years.

 

Construction began again as the road was extended through central Ohio and Indiana. It reached Vandalia, Illinois, in the 1830s. Originally planned to extend to the Mississippi River, due to the Panic of 1837, funding dried up, and the road went no farther west than Vandalia.

During the 1830s, the National Road became the first road in the United States to use the new macadam surfacing. That decade also saw the responsibility for the road conveyed to the states through which it passed, which led to tollgates and tollhouses.

Madonna of the Trail, Vandalia, IL

This road became the super-highway of the nation—the road leading to the West. Stagecoaches could transport passengers, mail, and small freight at the rate of seventy to ninety miles per day. Conestoga Wagons, were comparable to the eighteen-wheeler tractor-trailers of today. Pulled by six draft horses each, they hauled heavy freight at the rate of about fifteen miles per day.

Mount Washington Tavern in Uniontown, Pennsylvania

The majority of businesses along the National Road were inns or taverns, which catered to the traveling public and those who drove the stagecoaches and freight wagons. One example of a stagecoach in that still exists today is the Mount Washington Tavern in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. Today, it is part of the Fort Necessity National Battlefield.

Although modernized, this road is still in existence today. Sections have been absorbed into other national and international highways.

1878 map Columbus, Ohio, notations by author

While writing my next release, my attention was drawn to the National Road due to it being the main road through Columbus, Ohio, the city in which I placed my bride in Jocelyn’s Wedding Dilemma. It was clearly marked on the maps of the day. One feature I found interesting—and which I worked into my story—was that an insane asylum was located on the National Road just west of Franklinton. 

National Road marker - Columbus, Ohio

Located across the Scioto River from the majority of Columbus, Ohio, Franklinton had started as a separate community before Columbus became much of a city. The post office, which also played a role in my story, was built of logs in 1807. By 1882, Columbus had grown to the point that it absorbed Franklinton as one of its suburban neighborhoods. Although the Franklinton Post Office appears to have been closed and the building bought as a residence, using literary license for the purposes of my story, I used it as still being an active post office.

Asylum for Insane Adults, Columbus, Ohio

Here is an unedited excerpt from Jocelyn’s Wedding Dilemma about Franklinton and the National Road:

          Umphf!” Abbie jerked forward as they hit a rough spot in the road and bounced. “This buggy you rent from the livery doesn’t ride as smoothly as your mother’s.”

          “I know. However, I decided it is important that I not leave my mother without transportation. As for my trips to Franklinton, they often involve business. My brother set everything up and warned me that, in order to keep peace between myself and Mama, not to say anything to anyone.” Jocelyn forced her tone to remain calm. “If you follow through with what you just told me, I suggest you do the same thing. If your parents find out, and they don’t approve, you could find yourself in serious trouble. The less we know about what the other is doing, the less we risk slipping up and raising unwanted questions.”

          “What sort of trouble, Jocelyn,” Abbie scoffed. “Do you think my parents might arrest me? Do you seriously believe they would treat me like a suffragette and have me thrown into jail until I decide to obey them?”

          “No, Abbie, there are other ways family members can force women to bend to their wills. You do know about the insane asylum on the National Road just west of Franklinton, don’t you? Do you honestly believe that all of the women admitted there are truly insane? Many people choose to consider a female who is not compliant with the demands made upon them by a husband or her parents as being insane. All they have to do is find a doctor willing to make the diagnosis.”

          “Oh. I never thought of that.” Her rounded eyes staring straight ahead, Abbie responded in a whisper.      

          “Just be careful, Abbie.” Even as she spoke, Jocelyn realized she needed to take her own advice.

 

 

Jocelyn’sWedding Dilemma is currently on pre-order and scheduled for release on March 5, 2024. To find the pre-order link and book description, please CLICK HERE

 

 

 

 

Sources:

https://www.legendsofamerica.com/ah-nationalroad/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Road

 

The February Experience & Happy Valentine's Day

Post by Doris McCraw

aka Angela Raines

(C) Doris McCraw

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY - 

In the last post, I wrote about what I wanted to experience in 2024 and the joys of research. In this post, I'm sharing some pieces that caught my interest.

Between bouts of snow, there have been some amazing sunny and warm days. It was nothing to go from 20 to 60 in thirty-six hours. On those warm days, I was out when work would allow. One place nearby is the city cemetery. So many stories waiting to be found and told. One such person I've been digging into was Dr.James B. Gisbon. He'd come to the region suffering from tuberculosis of the kidneys.

The main branch of the local library was getting ready to close for renovations, so I spent as much time in the special collections as possible. It helped that I was doing some additional research on early Leadville, Colorado. The Ladies Relief Society worked actively to aid those unable to pay for health care. This was the group that Dr. Mary Helen Barker Bates was active with. I'd written about Dr. Bates in other articles so this information was exciting.

Dr. Mary Helen Barker Bates
from Wikipedia

Finally, I've been researching Social Media to learn all I can. It helps that I work with and can ask questions of my co-workers who do that as part of their job. It's fascinating but so time-consuming.

Of course, I'm working on my next Christmas Quilt book. The characters are taking me for a fun ride.

What experiences have you been enjoying lately?

If you're interested in history or research I am starting a newsletter focusing on that subject. If you wish to sign up, here is a link to that publication: Thoughts and Tips on History

Until Next Time: Stay Safe, Stay Healthy and Stay Happy

Doris

February Brings Tests of Tradition and Love - Why Not Let Her Ask The Question?

By Kimberly Grist 

Although our shortest month, February, also known as the month of love, is packed with events and rich with history.

Spring Where Are You?

As German settlers migrated to the United States in the 19th century, they brought with them the skill of predicting the weather based on bears' and badgers' hibernation habits. After settling, they switched from hedgehogs to groundhogs, which were plentiful in Pennsylvania. Woodchucks, aka groundhogs, are true hibernators and rely entirely on body fat to make it through the winter.



The Tradition of Groundhog Day

In the late 1880s, a group of local hunters caught the attention of the editor of the Punxsutawney Spirit, Clymer H. Freas. He became so captivated by the local folklore he promoted Punxsutawney as the home of the now infamous weather-predicting groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil. Another forecasting groundhog, Gen. Beauregard Lee, in my native state of Georgia, has agreed with Phil, predicting an early Spring. One can only hope!

Tests of Love

The Apple Peel Love Test

Another tradition brought to us from Holland was the Apple Peel love test. According to legend, one must skin an apple all in one strip and throw it over your shoulder. When it falls to the ground, the initial of your intended will be revealed.

The Daisy Game

Originating in France during Medieval times, the game is played by while plucking the petals from a flower and reciting:
He loves me, he loves me not...

The Language of Love - Poetry

Elizabeth Barrett Browning's sonnet, which was a personal declaration of her love for her future husband, was written between 1845 and 1846. Their courtship and marriage were carried out secretly because of her father's disapproval.


He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not. Giacomo Di Chirico, 1872

The Tradition of the Valentine Card



Handmade valentines were popular until the 1850s when mass-produced cards began to be produced. The popularity of the card continued to grow, and as the dark years of the Civil War were ending, the New York City Post reported more than 66,000 Valentines mailed in 1865.



The Valentine Candy Tradition of Conversation Hearts

In 1847, Oliver Chase, a pharmacist, made lozenges by hand. After an increase in orders from apothecary shops, he rigged his homemade lozenge cutter to keep up with demand. He later switched his production to candy lozenges, which became what we know today as Necco wafers.





In 1866, his brother Daniel invented a machine to press food dye onto the candy. The sweet would evolve into what we know today as conversation hearts.

Finally, My Favorite Bachelor's Day - Let her pop the question

Folklore suggests tradition dating back to the 5th century; St. Patrick decreed that women could propose on one special day every four years, February 29th. The tradition spread across Europe and beyond. In the United States, the tradition conditioned and was sometimes referred to as Bachelor's Day and later Sadie Hawkins' Day.

A Bachelor’s Day postcard from 1908. Source: Wikipedia

Let's Go Fly a Kite

 by Shanna Hatfield

Today is National Kite Flying Day.

That made me wonder about the origin of kites, and also made me remember how much fun I had as a child flying kites on our often windy hill where we lived. 

The exact date of the invention of kites is a bit murky. Some scholars believe they were created in China. Others point to kites used by cultures in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the South Pacific as fishing instruments made out of material like leaves and reeds. 

It is documented that famous Chinese philosopher Mo-tse spent three years carefully crafting a wooden bird to fly on a tethered line around 450 B.C. 

However, the earliest written account of kite flying is in China in 200 B.C. The Chinese General Han Hsin of the Han Dynasty flew a kite over the walls of the city he was attacking to measure how far his army would have to tunnel to reach past the defenses.

By the 13th Century, kite flying had spread by traders across Asia and into the Middle East. Each area developed a distinctive style of kite and cultural purpose for flying them.

European explorer Marco Polo describes kites and their man-lifting capabilities in his book. He witnessed Chinese merchants using kits to determine whether a voyage would be prosperous or not. 

Kite flying spread into Europe. You'll even find a mention of kites in William Shakespeare's writings. At first, kites were regarded as curiosities.

Kites grew in popularity with children, then physicists and meteorologists landed on the idea of developing kites for scientific purposes. Among the most famous are Benjamin Franklin. 

One of the strangest uses of kite power was developed in the 1820s by George Pocock, a U.K. schoolmaster. He created a carriage pulled by a pair of arch-top kites that could reach speeds of up to 20 miles per hour. 

The experiments and developments made with kites during the 1800s inspired the development of the powered airplane and transatlantic wireless communications of the early 20th century. 

Skilled at kite flying, the Wright Brothers used those skills to develop their airplane. In 1899, they built a biplane kite, also known as a warping kite. They discovered by varying the position of the lines attached near the kite's extremities, they could simulate the twisting of the wings like a soaring bird. 

The military used kits in both World War I and World War II.

Kites even led to the development of the modern hang-glider and sports parachute. Today, there are kite sporting events and competitions around the world. 

I wonder if any cowboys back in the old West every flew a kite? I picture them on a Sunday afternoon, letting a kite dance in the breeze. 

As for me, thinking about kites made me think of this song from Mary Poppins.

Happy National Kite Flying Day.

Now, go out there and fly a kite!

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 online at her website: shannahatfield.com

MAKING AN AUTHENTIC CIVIL WAR ERA VALENTINE by Marisa Masterson

 

Executed! Martyred! 

Valentine who lent his name to our holiday of love and romance actually was executed on February 14th in 270 AD. This saint exemplified love to others around him, including during his time in prison. 

But is his selflessness an explanation for why we view February 14th as a day for romance? This needs to be examined further...

The famous Medival author Chaucer published a poem about love that referred to the day when Valentine was remembered. That is perhaps the first time the religious date becomes secularized. Not much else is available to explain why we do not remember the 14th as a religious holiday.

I have found, after researching, that Valentine's Day cards for sweethearts became very popular by the 1840s, but mostly in England. Lovely examples of these pre-Civil War cards can still be found. 

The one above is an example of the cards common during the American Civil War. A woman named Esther Howland made card giving so popular during this terrible war.

After seeing an English Valentine's card, Howland decided to make her own. She created samples and convinced her brother to take them with him when he visited customers to sell them goods from the family's stationery company. He returned from his first trip with $5,000 worth of orders! 

Americans wanted those cards! The Valentine's Day commerical boom was started! She had to enlist friends who sat around her kitchen table and created the lace-trimmed cards. They followed her special instructions on making a card and you can as well. 

I found those instructions in a Smithsonian Magazine article, and I am including the link here--https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-make-authentic-civil-war-valentine-180962090/.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Coming next week! A special offer for Valentine's Day--

I have a special for you in honor of the day. All 3 of my books in this series are 99 cents each for a limited time.

Dial X for Xhileration

https://books2read.com/u/bw9z0v

Empty-nester gone wild! Why should a handicap stop this thirty-something heroine?

Dial A for Attraction

https://books2read.com/u/3y9o0e

Rosella doesn't trust men or God. Kyle determines to change that in this sweet contemporary romance.

Dial C for Christmas

https://books2read.com/u/49apAk

For Reese, it’s love at first sight. As far as Calliope is concerned, it’s one more risk that she’s afraid to take. Can he build her confidence enough to accept his love?