ROBBING THE GREAT CHICAGO FIRE by Marisa Masterson

The building was grand. Opened in 1868, it towered at six stories on Chicago's State Street. Locals nicknamed it the Marble Place because the front was covered completely in marble. For all its grandeur on that October day in 1871, the Field, Leiter & Company store was in trouble. 

Ultimately, the company would become known as Marshall Field's. Today it no longer exists since Macy's bought out the chain fifteen years ago. But, in the nineteenth century, it was the premier department store in Chicago.

That day in October, 1871, company officials learned of a terrible blaze headed their way, literally devouring the city. One of the partners, Leiter, owned a house out of the fire's path, and he was determined to save the costly inventory by moving it to his home. 

How could he do it in time? That involved building a fire in the store.

One of the wonderful things about this tall store was the elevators. An employee raced to the basement and broke up wooden crates to built a fire in the huge boiler. As soon as the elevators were working, employees hustled out goods as well as the company's records to waiting horse-drawn wagons.

They worked all night--loyal employees who wanted to save the company so they'd have a job after the fire destroyed the city. At the moment the last employee exited the lovely marble-faced store, flames shot out each window. The Great Chicago Fire had reached the Marble Palace and consumed it.

The fire totally destroyed the store. Those employees who'd worked tirelessly had saved so much inventory that it was able to repoen in few weeks in a temporary location. Of course, the company rebuilt and went on to be a favorite store in the city for decades.

The Marble Palace plays an early role in my newest novel. Still being written, the novel features a teacher headed west to be both wife and educator. She stops in Chicago and visits this store. What she leaves with is unbelievable! You'll have to wait a while to find out more...

Check out www.marisamasterson.com for information on all of my latest books.

A Sailor's Life

Have you ever wondered about ocean and river travel in the 1800s? I had the wonderful experience of participating in a project with some other authors recently that had me doing some research on the subject.

History books tell us that the oceans of the world have been navigated for centuries. It seems so scary to me to think of a boat full of men using the wind to carry them across a stormy sea. Ocean travel has been done for years to trade or explore and of course in war. In the nineteenth century wooden ships started being replaced by iron and steel ones. Sails were replaced with steam engines.

One of the most dangerous jobs on an early ship was the rigger. The job was done high up in the sails where the footing was slippery and unstable. The rigger was responsible for releasing the sails at just the right time to catch the wind and propel the ship forward. Many riggers were lost at sea doing their jobs when they fell from their position high above the decks.

Life on board ship for a sailor was exhausting and physically taxing work. A sailor had to be tough to survive the difficulties they faced. They were kept busy by officers to reduce the chances for trouble. Since being at sea for long periods took a toll on emotions, keeping them busy kept them from getting into fights and causing trouble. A busy crew normally meant higher morale in the ranks and the chance of a mutiny was much lower.

Cabin boys on a ship were there to run errands for the officers as they needed. He also delivered messages all over the ship. A cabin boy’s main job was to serve the captain, though. Anything the captain needed the cabin boy knew how to get it done. During the nineteenth century boys took these opportunities to escape bad situations or find work when jobs were scarce. And sometimes boys as young as ten years old were kidnapped and put to work on the ships. They worked long hours and were almost always on duty or on call.

Another job for younger boys was the position called powder monkey. The title comes from the British Navy, but the job was necessary for all war ships. The responsibility of the powder monkey was to deliver gun powder from the magazine to the guns. Sadly, many of the boys in this job were forced to do it.  

Ships usually had a cook, a surgeon, and a parson to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the crew. The general crew included a boatswain who was in charge of maintaining the sales. Obviously this position became obsolete with the introduction of the steam engine. Deck hands carried out most of the other duties, such as handling sails, caring for ropes, and cleaning decks. Keeping watch at all times was important to the safety of the ship, cargo, and crew against pirates. All crew members took turns at watch.

The captain and his officers were responsible for navigation and managing cargo on board. The captain set the tone for the operations and his officers carried out his orders to the letter or they risked being punished and eventually kicked off the ship.

So the life of a sailor at sea wasn’t as romantic as it seems like it could have been. But after their time on the ocean was done, they started a new life in the Sailors and Saints Series. And in this sweet and fun series the sailors found true love.

Find the Sailors and Saints series on Amazon!

~~~~~

Annie Boone writes sweet western historical romance with a happy ending guaranteed in every single story. Inspiration comes in many forms and Annie finds more than one way to make her stories entertain and inspire.

To connect with Annie, find her on Facebook, Twitter, or her website.

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Fact and Fiction Behind the Oak Grove Series ~

By Kathryn Albright

With the release of Christmas with the Outlaw over the holidays, the Oak Grove Series that I wrote with Lauri Robinson came to its conclusion. I loved writing this sweet series set in Kansas, diving into the history of the land and  the people there so that the stories would come alive with authenticity. I thought I'd share some of the behind the scenes facts that helped drive and layer the plots of each book.

For example ~

Book #1 

FACT:  

A year after the 1878 setting of the first book in the series, I learned that a prominent issue in the state legislature was prohibition. Carrie A. Nation, was living at Medicine Lodge, KS at this time before she began her famous crusade against alcohol. By 1880, an amendment to the state constitution was in place that prohibited the manufacture, sale, or gift of liquor. And by 1881, Kansas had become the first state to prohibit all alcoholic beverages.

FICTION:

So, in Mail-Order Brides of Oak Grove (set in 1878) when twin sisters, Mary and Maggie, were “railroaded” into the fledgling town as obstinate mail-order brides-to-be, it was only natural for them to try to escape their predicament. As daughters of a snake-oil salesman, and in the midst of the brewing controversy (pun intended,) they resurrected their past livelihoods and began making their meade-based family health elixir.

Book #2

FACT:  

Flooding of the Smoky Hill River often occurred in the spring and eventually dams were built along the river to try to control the worst of it. While bridges were slowly being built along the more populated areas of the river (Salina), Oak Grove still had a ferry crossing. In the spring of 1879, the heavy rains brought intense flooding that destroyed the crops and land to the south of the river. In soddies, it wasn’t unusual for the roof to cave in. (For more on this, see Homesteading on the Prairie, a previous post of mine.)

FICTION:

In The Prairie Doctor’s Bride, it was this torrential rain and flooding that necessitated that independent, isolationist Sylvia Marks leave her soggy soddie and brave the river so that she and her son could survive. It also forced her to leave her comfort zone and look to others for help. Eastern-educated Doctor Nelson had a lot to learn about women and life on the prairie, and Sylvia was just the one to teach him, if he’d only put aside his prejudices.

Book #3

FACT: 

In 1873, George Grant transported four Angus bulls from Scotland to Kansas and showed them at the Kansas City Livestock Exposition. Breeding these bulls with Texas longhorns produced a much heartier breed. (For more see my post From Longhorns to No-Horns.)  In 1874 four Kansas Railroads shipped 122,914 head of Texas cattle to the east. Mennonites from Russia introduced Turkey Red wheat to the state. And the Native Americans were forced to move to the reservation in Oklahoma Territory. In 1878, the last Native American uprising in Kansas occurred in Decatur County.

FICTION:

In Wedding at Rocking S Ranch, Raymond Wolf is looking out for the ranch of his best friend. The ranch had once been an encampment of his mother’s people – the Wichita. He is studying the breeding of the Texas longhorns with Angus cattle. When his best friend’s widow arrives in the autumn with news that she intends to sell the ranch, Wolf’s life is suddenly upended. Amid the arduous work of branding and driving the cattle to market, they discover that the truths they have believed were an illusion, and that what matters most is far more important.

BOOK #4 

FACT:

Newspaper work is dangerous! Missing fingers and long hours. (See The 19th Century Newspaper Office)  It was fun gathering facts about small-town newspaper offices and touring Midway Village ~ a nearby living history museum. I was able to speak with the docent there who just happened to be a small-town newspaper man!

FICTION:  

In Christmas With the Outlaw, my novella in A Western Christmas Homecoming, Abigail White is a straight-laced, just-the-facts, unemotional journalist. It’s safer for her heart that way. When a man from her past stumbles into her newspaper office to hide from the law, suddenly she is confronted with an emotional crisis. Should she be true to her journalistic sensibilities and report him to the sheriff? Or will her heart win out? She must learn that not all is what it appears on the surface of a person’s life.

** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

Researching my stories always gives my plots more layers ~ even though often I disappear for hours down the "research rabbit hole" chasing trails that are down right fun, but don't lead anywhere productive. But then...sometimes they do!

HAPPY 2019!

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BLOG TOUR TUESDAY & A NEW RELEASE!

By Kathryn Albright

I am excited to share the release of my newest book with you!

(First - a little introduction. By the way, this isn't the cover...)

MAIL-ORDER BRIDES OF OAK GROVE

When twins, Mary and Maggie McCary are caught selling
their family tonic without a permit,
they're forced to agree to become mail-order brides to stay out of jail.
Taking the train to Oak Grove, the pair are separated--
For Mary, falling off the Oak Grove train
into Steve Putnam's lap changes everything.
Could he be the cowboy to tempt her down the aisle?
And running from trouble, Maggie doesn't intend to actually marry...
until she shares one sensational kiss with Jackson Miller!

When the mayor discovers the twins' side business and their plans
to avoid the bride contract, things begin to fall apart for the sisters.
They both have a lot to learn about the men of Oak Grove...and likewise,
the men have a lot to learn about these two McCarys!

Twin sisters say "I do" in the Wild West!

Sweet and sassy and double the trouble, when twins Mary and Maggie sign contracts to become mail-order brides with every intention of escaping before the actual wedding!

Mail-Order Brides of Oak Grove kicks off a new series by Laurie Robinson and me.
I loved collaborating while she wrote Mary's story and I wrote Maggie's.
These are two young women with a penchant for fun and trouble.
Mary and Maggie's youth and unconventional upbringing make their view of life slightly skewed from other "normal folk. Rules don't apply in the regular sense. They turn Steve and Jackson's lives into two big knots with their shenanigans!

Today is the release day for paperback and on June 1st, it will be available in eBook format. Here is the link to Order!

ORDER!

I hope that you enjoy this short excerpt ~

"Taming the Runaway Bride" from Mail-Order Brides of Oak Grove

~  * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The worst of the screeching subsided as the engine shuddered and then slowed to a turtle’s crawl.

Her three companions created a fair wall with their noses pressed to the glass. Maggie could only see bits and pieces of the town moving by through the spaces between the three—Miss Know-it-all Rebecca, Miss Quiet-and Quaint Sadie, and Miss Gullible Anna. She couldn’t understand why they were excited about a new beginning and gaining a husband along with it. She certainly wasn’t. That’s all her life had been for as long as she could remember—always a new city, a new town, a new horizon. A seed didn’t have time to flower, nor dust to settle, the way her family lived. And she sure didn’t plan to get yoked to a man. A man would only complicate things between her and her sister. 

He might even separate them.

But while she was here, she would like to see a real cowboy. One with boots…and a Stetson. Or one of those ten gallon hats that the other girls had been giggling about. Did cowboys always wear spurs? These were things a girl should know.

She stored the deck of cards in her satchel. It wouldn’t do to lose them. She might have need of a little spending money or even a little “get out of town” money.

She stepped behind Anna to peer over her shoulder. From this position all she saw was a small sea of dusty and dirty cowboy hats and bowlers. A few men waved faded flags—bleached by the sun and whipped by the prairie wind.

She swallowed. Men. All men. At least thirty of them. She rose to her tip-toes in order to see better.

Some were really young, but most looked middlin’ to old. A few appeared…weathered. One thing was obvious—no two of the men staring back from the station platform were the same. They were all shapes and sizes. And whether they wore big grins or not as they vied for the front row, they all looked curious to see who would be stepping off the train. Some, she noticed uncomfortably, appeared eager—a bit too eager.

With that thought she shrank back and looked in the seat behind her for her sister. Where had she disappeared to so fast? This bride contract had been her idea from the start. She should be here.

“Oh! I see the one I want!” Anna squealed, her voice blending with the last screech of the brakes.

The train shuddered horrendously to a complete stop. With it, a band started up. A band? A trumpet played Oh! Susanna! and was joined by the beat of a drum and the trill of a fife.

Panic seized Maggie. She wasn’t ready for this! “I have to find Mary,” she croaked out. Swaying slightly, she headed toward the back end of the rail-car. She wanted to be with her sister when she faced the men gathered outside—not with these women she’d known only a handful of days.

The door before her swung open.

“Well now, Miss McCary,” the conductor said, raising his bushy brows. “A bit anxious I’d say.”

She glared at him. He was in league with the sheriff back in Bridgeport—that scoundrel.

Behind him, a man from the platform climbed the steps, pausing when he arrived at the top as if the exertion winded him. He was dressed in his Sunday best, right down to the gold watch fob and chain dangling from his black satin vest. The suit appeared a bit small at the neck…and other places. 

Probably cutting off his breath judging by the redness of his face. He peered first at her and then at the other women behind her as he blotted a trace of sweat on his forehead.  

“Welcome to Cedar Grove, ladies. I’m Mayor Melbourne.” He paused, looking over the four of them. The welcoming mien dissolved and he turned to the conductor. “Where are the rest?”

The man fumbled in his pocket, withdrew a sealed envelope and handed it to the mayor.

Mayor Melbourne pressed his lips together. He slipped his wire glasses from his vest pocket and settled them on the bridge of his nose, bending the ear wires over his ears. Then he broke the wax seal on the envelope and quickly read the contents. If possible his face reddened further.

“Not coming!” he sputtered. “Not coming! I asked for twelve and all that answered the call are these four?”

“Actually, Mayor, that would be five,” Rebecca said from over Maggie’s left shoulder. “Mary McCary is also with us…somewhere.”

“Five, you say? The committee sent enough money for twelve. My brother has some answering to do.” He read the letter again, the perturbed look on his face slowly settling into resignation as he folded the paper and stuffed it in his pocket. “Very well. Ladies? Welcome. Please come meet your town.”

She sensed Anna, Sadie and Rebecca gathering in force behind her. “What about our things?” she asked quickly, hoping to stall a few minutes longer.

“Plenty of men here to see to them,” the mayor said. “Please follow me. As you can see, they are anxious to have a look at …I mean…meet you.”

Behind her, the others pressed forward, prodding her out the door and onto the steps. A blast of warm Kansas wind swirled around her and picked up her skirt.

“Whoo-wee!” a man in front called out. “Got a looker right off!”

Her cheeks heated as she struggled to subdue the billowing purple cotton and then she focused on the gawker, raising her chin defiantly and fixing him with a bold glare. She would make sure never to find herself alone with him.

He grinned. “Got spirit too! She’s mine. Might as well just check her off your list, men. She’s mine! Whoo-ee!”

“Not unless you take a bath and wash off that cow smell, Rader,” someone yelled back. A round of chuckles from a few of the others followed.

Behind her, Sadie, Rebecca and Anna must have crowded into view for a cheer went up from the men. “Hip-hip-hooray!” Several even threw their hats into the air and the small band played louder at a furious pace.

Four strong-looking men stepped forward and with a great deal more enthusiasm than the situation called for, took hold of her upper-arms and whisked her—her body floating through the air—down the last two steps to the platform.

She wasn’t ready for this! Where in heaven’s name was Mary?

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Mail-Order Brides of Oak Grove

Copyright by Harlequin Books & Kathryn Albright

Permission to reproduce text granted by Harlequin Books S.A.

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