WHOSE HOME ON THE RANGE IS IT? by Marisa Masterson

 

Kansas Historical Society Collection

I expect the tune comes to your mind immediately when I say the title Home on the Range. Most people in my generation, growing up in the United States, are able to sing at least the first verse. But is that the actual verse to the song?

What do I mean by that? Well, I was surprised when I researched this song's history. It was written by several people during different decades and even centuries. 

That can't be possible! Truly, several people have claimed, over the years, to have been the creators of the song. Who is right and where did the song originate and by whom?

The tune itself is connected to the Chisholm Trail, a route used to drive cattle north to Kansas and the stockyards where the beef could be shipped east via the railroad. The lyrics to the song seemed to differ depending on who sang it. Sometimes the tune was used to sing "Arizona Home". For others, it was the tune to "Colorado Home" or even a song about Texas. The words varied with each of these.

In 1934, a certain Mr. and Mrs. Goodwin claimed to have written it in 1904 and sued for copyright
infringement. Why? Because Bing Crosby had recorded the song, and it was playing on the radio. (Later, Gene Autry's recording became the 'go to' for this song.) That was what started a search to find out who really wrote "Home on the Range".

In the end, it seems to have originated with Brewster Higley. This man left Indiana and homesteaded in Kansas. His poem was published in 1876 by a Kansas newspaper.  Little wonder then that it is the state song of Kansas.

Still, it is interesting to see how different people tweeked the song's lyrics to be able to copyright their own versions of it. I encourage you to visit https://songofamerica.net/song/home-on-the-range/ if you would like to see the three most popular versions.

My Western Home
by Dr. Brewster Higley

Oh, give me a home where the Buffalo roam
Where the Deer and the Antelope play;
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word,
And the sky is not cloudy all day.

Chorus:
A home! A home!
Where the Deer and the Antelope play,
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word,
And the sky is not clouded all day.

(Courtesy https://songofamerica.net/song/home-on-the-range/)

www.amazon.com/dp/B0CB1YRZ5C

An eager groom and a surprise baby are out to change this woman's life!

Patience Mallory needs a way to Colorado. There, she can claim the map showing where her father buried the gold trusted to him.
She wants it. No! She needs that gold.
Royce Maxwell needs a woman. He wants more than a cook for the trail. The man is desperate for someone who can care for his fussy baby. Not just anyone though. He trusts the Lord to send the wife he needs.
When Patience stumbles into his life, he grabs her literally and figuratively. He rushes her into marriage before the wagon train leaves.
Will life on the trail convince Patience that she married well or will coming to know her groom be what sends her running at the end of the trip?

HOW DOES THIS DETERMINED WOMAN BECOME A WIFE HEADED TO NEW MEXICO INSTEAD OF TO COLORADO? 

This is a sweet Christian historical romance. If feisty pioneers or traditional western gunplay offends you, I suggest you avoid this book. If you love western romance and inspirational books, this one is for you!