JC Penney, Sears, even Old Navy. They are the end result of the changing face of a dry goods store. I wonder if a person from 1875 would recognize what, for her, would have been a fabric shop?
reading to learn about the sweater.
Women especially needed to be aware of fabric names. They would watch the local paper for advertisements highlighting what new shipments had arrived in either the mercantile (in a rural area) or the dry goods store.
In my Uncertain Sweethearts series, a small town grows over the five years spanning the series. The Transcontinental Railroad, in part, makes that happen. As new residents arrive, they increase the demand for goods in the area.
In the last addition to the series, I've added a dry goods store. Rather than be in competition with O'Hanlon's Mercantile, the owner focuses on fabrics and notions.
Can he sell ready-made dresses? Probably not. A local seamstress could be hired to sew a dress if a woman could not sew. Bachelors would go to her for a shirt, if they needed one.
In Aggie Ambushes the Rancher, my main female character dreams of being the seamstress for the small Kansas town. From the book:
With a twist of her head, she cast a longing glance at the open doorway. It represented freedom, a chance at something new. She would go with Aggie, and she would not return to Topeka.Alice Mackenzie would help her stay in Fox Creek. She could set up a business there, repairing garments and sewing new ones. After all, women could not go to the dry goods store and simply buy a dress. They needed her to create those for them, as Fox Creek had neither a seamstress nor a dress shop.
And she had saved her wages. It would be enough to get her business started. Probably Paul O’Hanlon, the mercantile owner, would give her a discount on fabrics or at least extend her credit to buy what she needed. He understood the importance of a fresh start. After all, he had been a drunk and womanizer until he came face to face with God’s grace and forgiveness.
“Yes,” Ida whispered. “I’ll travel with her to Fox Creek.”
How would this be different in a city? This is where the sweater becomes important.
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| https://victorianweb.org/painting/ holl/paintings/4.html |
No wonder people were willing to escape to the unknown and little in soddies on the prairie. There, they could at least grow their own food.
A woman has a chance at a new life—one she did not know she wanted.
Ida Parton never expects to fall in love with the man she
intends to protect her charge from marrying. As a chaperone, it is her duty to
save Aggie from marrying the notorious drinker, Clint Evans. But upon returning
to Fox Creek, Ida discovers Clint is not the man she remembers. He is a rancher
with a heart that speaks to her own, making it impossible for her to fulfill
her duty. But with Aggie set on marrying Clint, Ida show her that marrying
Clint would be a terrible match.
As the tension between them grows, so does the risk of losing Clint to Aggie.
But when Clint's prized horses disappear, Ida realizes she may need more than
just her love to save him. Can their secret love overcome the obstacles in
their way? And what will happen to Aggie if she doesn't marry Clint?
With the help of the tough rancher, Ida must navigate a twisted path to protect
her heart and the man she loves. Fans of western romance will be swept away by
this tale of love, duty, and danger. Buy now!
- Strong
Heroine
- Rugged
Cowboy Hero
- Secret
Love
- Unexpected
Twists
- Small-Town
Setting
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