Families in the Wild West

Some of the most well-known stories about the western territories include bandits, gamblers, saloons, and duels in the streets. They’re fun to read and they easily spark mental images of how things might have happened.

While I enjoy stories or movies about the rougher side of the wild west, I also love to read about families. Parents and children making a difference for each other and their neighbors. Working together to make life as good as possible. Parents raising their children with respect for others and appreciating the value of hard work.

I’ve read a few accounts of what life was like for farm families. Loneliness, isolation, and complete self-reliance is one scenario for the reality farmers faced. This opinion says that a family lived in misery and taught their children that community doesn’t matter. While it’s likely that this was the case for some, I don’t think it was the norm.

From what I’ve read, I’ve come to believe that a rich social network was part of the life of a pioneer farmer. They needed each other and were happy to lend helping hands. They appreciated each other and valued community.

Most of the organized events usually had three purposes—work, supper, and fun. Work needed to be done, so they’d get together and do it. Then they’d have something to eat. Of course, someone would bring a fiddle so they could sing and dance. Fellowship and good food were great rewards for jobs well done.

Children learned to work hard, but they also had fun. I’m certain life wasn’t perfect for all, but that’s the reality for some. I doubt that many children enjoyed a life of no chores or responsibilities, and that was the start of learning the importance of a job well done. This is how children were taught the value of hard work and being helpful to those who need it. I fully believe there was more than enough time for children to run through the fields and play and laugh together.

I imagine that most families enjoyed a life of fellowship and friendships along with the hard work. Little House on the Prairie is probably a romanticized view of what family life was like, but I think it's far more realistic than the idea of farm families choosing to be isolated and alone. God created us to come together as a community and the pioneer farm families believed that this was the way to success and happiness.

I love the Laura Ingalls Wilder stories. I choose to believe that life was hard, but fun and meaningful. 

If you enjoy stories of family and children, you might enjoy my new release in the Colorado Matchmaker Series. Book One, Susannah and Lucas, tells the story of a couple who wanted children but found out they'd never be able to be parents. While this is a heartbreaking event for them - and probably readers, too! - they overcome it. Their marriage is greatly tested, but they don't pull into a shell. They reach out to others who need them. They change their plan and enrich their lives and marriage in the process. This is the story that sets the stage for the rest of the series - more happy couples who have babies and make beautiful families!

Susannah and Lucas is available now on Amazon.

 

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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.

Follow Annie on Amazon, Bookbub and get email updates.

Good Guys and Outlaws

Let's face it. Life was hard in the Old Western American Frontier. Nobody had it easy. That didn't always bring out the best in people. If a person already had a mean streak, things could get dicey.

At the time, the newspaper headlines from the old west were a big deal in the big cities back east. Civilized and cultured people longed for news that was full of adventure - something they knew nothing about. The news was embellished and there was a thirsty audience just waiting for details of the most recent train robbery or bank hold up.

Though their crimes were horrible and often included murder, they were interesting to those who led stuffy and boring lives. Many of the outlaws became famous. Those legends live on today. The robberies, shootouts, and cattle rustling have been romanticized in fiction, movies, and maybe even in our minds.

Portrait of Outlaw Jesse James

While most of us would never endorse or approve of the actions of the outlaws of the past, many of us are still fascinated by the history. I visited the home of Jesse James in St. Joseph, Missouri and it was an amazing experience. I saw the hole in the wall made from the bullet that killed him. I toured his childhood home where there once was a shootout. If I'm ever in the area again, I'd be happy to do the whole tour again.


For all the famous outlaws in history, there are many more who weren't famous. There were even some who tried to be an outlaw and failed. Some research I did recently uncovered a lawman who got tired of being a good guy and turned to robbing and killing. So, then as now, it took all kinds.

To take that thought a bit further, the good guys usually didn't make the news. They were the ones who were dependable, honest, and hard-working. They took care of their families and made the best living they could. There were lawmen who honored their oath to uphold the law.

Those are the heroes we read about in the western historical romance stories we love. But every now and then, we need a villain. That's where I found myself as I wrote Family Ties.

Maggie Anderson meets the man of her dreams - Thomas Smith, a handsome and much-loved sheriff. The story was going much too well for the couple. Obviously, that had to stop. So, Maggie's outlaw father shows up in town. I had a great time researching to find the right persona for him and it reminded me just how dangerous it truly was in the American Frontier when the west was being settled. Outlaws - well known, one and done, and bumbling fools - all were part of the tapestry of the west.

If you want to find out what happened when Maggie met her outlaw father for the first time, Family Ties is available on Amazon.

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Annie Boone writes sweet western historical romance with a happy ending guaranteed in every single story. Take a look at Annie's latest contribution to the beloved Cutter's Creek series - Perfect Timing.

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

Follow Annie on Amazon, Bookbub and get email updates.