GOLD!

 Post by Doris McCraw

writing as Angela Raines

GOLD!

In 1848 gold was found in California. Although there had been some placer gold found in the southeast, this was a game-changer. When word arrived back east of the Mississippi the rush was on.  Unfortunately, many of the thousands who sailed around the southern tip of South America crossed at Panama or traveled across the country in wagons and carts failed to find enduring riches.

SS California, the first ship of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company. This ship was used between Panama and San Francisco between 1848 and 1894, when she was wrecked off the coast of Peru. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Then in 1859, another rush was on. Gold was found in Colorado. Many of those who missed the first rush headed west across the Great American Desert to the Rocky Mountains. From 1859 on gold was found in a number of the Western states, the Dakotas, Nevada, Montana, etc. The last rush was in the 1890′s in the Cripple Creek region of Colorado and Alaska. Many people followed one rush after another, most to no avail.

In their haste, so many rushed across or destroyed what many would call true wealth. In California some of the pristine areas were forever blighted as the gold was extracted from the earth. The Great American Desert, which many spent months crossing,  was, in reality, to become part of the breadbasket of the nation. Forest, mountains, rivers all were all sacrificed to the need for quick wealth.

Quick wealth was the pipe dream many sought. While some miners found gold nuggets just lying around, but most of the prospectors and miners worked hard, long hours, barely breaking even. It was those who supplied the gold seekers, or processed the gold ore that won the prize.

Denver in 1859 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Perhaps you are wondering why the history lesson. For me, it's the lessons learned that make it worthwhile. Many times we search for the quick answer and the bonanza strike of gold in our lives and work.  We dream of bestselling books, an easier life, more money. Those dreams can come true. The thing we need to watch for; not rushing by and missing the true gold. Friends, family, home. Savor the journey and those we share it with. In the end, they will be the ones who help us find our own gold.

It is friends who come to Clara's aide when the past catches up to her in "Home For His Heart". Below is an excerpt:

    Clara hummed as she put the finishing touches on the venison roast. In the two years

since arriving in Agate Gulch she prepared an annual special meal for friends. The past year was

especially wonderful. Even the gingham curtains on the restaurant windows smiled with her

tune. She felt she could finally put Henrietta 'Ettie' Heath to rest. Clara Cross was her life now.

Oliver was in the past and would stay there.

    Sensing someone behind her, as she turned her friend Sally was standing in the door.

    “You know you should sing in the church choir,” said Sally.

    “Oh I couldn't sing in public. The idea of all those people looking at me and judging, I

couldn't stand it,” replied Clara with a shudder.

    Sally's millinery shop was next to the restaurant. They both lived in homes behind their businesses.

 During the past winter, she and Sally developed a strong friendship. Still, how could Sally, who

 was petite and pretty, understand Clara's fear of being laughed at. Music was her special place

and any criticism would destroy that. Something most people didn't understand.

    “Clara, they would love you. Just as they love your cooking and your kind heart.”

    “I feel pretty lucky. To have so many customers who are friends, and of course you.”

    “Thank you for including me in that list,” replied Sally with a smirk.

    “You know what I mean. This meal is just my way of saying thank you for all the kindnesses 

 everyone has shown since I arrived, especially Fred.”

Amazon

Doris Gardner-McCraw -

Author, Speaker, Historian-specializing in
Colorado and Women's History

Angela Raines - author: Telling Stories Where Love & History Meet

Books: Angela Raines Books

Website: Angela Raines - author

Angela Raines FaceBook: Click Here

WHY BLOG?

Post by Doris McCraw
writing as Angela Raines

Why Blog?

July is almost over. For most of us, we are more than half-way through the year. I like to take the time to take stock of where I am in my plans and goals.

Perhaps you’ve asked yourselves these same questions. Am I on target in our writing? How about that ‘blessed’ thing called marketing? How does blogging, and the time it takes, fit into all that? Why blog if no one reads or comments on what I’ve taken the time to think, research and write about? I rethink this every year, asking myself the same thing, why blog?

For me the answer is a bit complex. I’ll break it down into three sections. 1. Marketing 2. Research and 3. Name recognition, (the one that’s a bit tricky for me.)

1. Marketing:

If we write stories, be they short, flash or full length, we want people to read them. Even with non-fiction we want the information to get to those who might enjoy what we’ve researched and written.

For someone like me, who writes slow, there can be a long time between the various stories. Added to that, I write in two historical genres: Western and Medieval. I love both equally. You add to that the poetry I occasionally write, along with non-fiction work, and it gets busy. Facebook can only do so much, as well as emails. Plus, how do you expand your readership. To me, blogging is one of those ways.

I realize not everyone will like what I write, despite my desire that they do. At the same time, finding those readers who will like my work, is a challenge. It helps to use all the options at my disposal, and blogging is one of those for me.
Photo property of the author


2. Research:

This is probably the primary reason I blog. I want to share the research I have done with others. History and the people who made it are a compulsion with me. To tell the stories of the people and places from history is something I want to do. I don’t want those pieces from the past to be lost. The nice thing about blogs, especially with the tags, your posts are available via searches almost forever.

For over ten years I’ve researched the story of a Colorado criminal. I told his story at the Pikes Peak Library History Symposium presentation on June 9 of 2018. It is my hope to complete the story of the whole family. A very telling piece of history and the time in which they lived.

The other research that’s important for me to share is the story of the early women doctors in Colorado. While ‘Doc Susie’ is a part of that story, it has been slanted her way for far to long. There were so many others who did as much if not more than she. Between blog posts and articles I've begun to balance that scale. For those who may be interested, the article in Saddlebag Dispatches can be read here: Dr. Quinn, Doc Susie and the Reality of Colorado Women Doctors

The stories of the doctors and so many others need to be preserved for future generations. When you feel like you can’t do something, just take a look at what those who preceded you did. It sometimes helps when put into that perspective.









 3. Name Recognition:

Since I write fiction under a pen name: Angela Raines, it is important I share that information on my posts. When you add my online name, Renawomyn, it gets a bit tricky.

At the same time, my non-fiction work is important. I simply do not want readers of romance to pick up a book with my real name expecting a sweet story and they are reading about juvenile delinquents, early criminals or lynchings. By using pen names I hope to avoid that problem. Of course the reverse could also be true. Can you imagine buying one of my books about the trials and tribulations of early women doctors, and find your reading a story about a medieval woman and the man she loves?

In the end, whether anyone reads or comments on my blog posts, I have things I want to say. Yes, it hurts when no one seems to care, but in the long run, it’s the future I write for. So, here’s to the future and to the readers who want to know what I have to share.

And on a lighter note, the book birthday for my first story is this July. It will be six years old. How time does fly.

Here is a brief excerpt:

He wrapped strong arms around her, pulled her close, bent his head to kiss her forehead. He looked into her eyes, and without warning, put his hand under her chin and raised her lips to his. Clara stiffened at his touch. Then, he was kissing her. Clara put her arms to his shoulders. She relaxed, leaned into his strong chest. Their lips touched, breath slowing until nothing else existed except the two of them. It felt so good to think someone cared, someone loved her… even if it wasn’t really true. 

Sam drew back, his breath deep, as if swimming for the surface of the water. He stared into Clara’s eyes, as though he were trying to see if she had felt what he did. Lightening the moment, he stepped back, but continued to gently hold onto her. “Whoa, if I knew that kissing you... well I’d have done it a lot sooner.” He smiled



Amazon

Doris Gardner-McCraw -

Author, Speaker, Historian-specializing in
Colorado and Women's History

Angela Raines - author: Telling Stories Where Love & History Meet


Books: Angela Raines Books

Website: Angela Raines - author

Angela Raines FaceBook: Click Here

WHO AM I? A Belated Introduction

Post (c) Angela Raines/Doris McCraw

Pikes Peak at Sunset

 As you can see by the byline, I'm two different people. Both are very private, introverted yet gregarious when necessary. When friends were asked to describe Doris, the offered the following pieces of information:

She is and has been a tremendously talented actress, she is also a very extravagant singer as well!
Started acting at age 2 ½
"Mom" to the young. Doesn't take guff. Tells people to "Just do it!"
Has a dry or sarcastic sense of humor which when one stands back and watches it unfold, it's really funny and entertaining. 
In college was in the “New Frontiers” trio? (We were something of a hit in Denver, IL!)
Played the role of ‘Olive’ in the female version of “The Odd Couple”, and once performed as Helen Hunt Jackson on a moving bus!
Directed a film
Directed a stage productions including  “Inspecting Carol”
Love rock music, Alice Cooper, Rush, etc. along with Western, Classical, Folk and Broadway music
Like to stop in the middle of the road to allow her passengers to take pictures

Both Doris and Angela share the following creative endeavors:

Doris spent over three years writing haiku five days a week and posting on a haiku blog along with sharing the photographs she takes while out and about.

Doris has written three 'scholar' papers for the regional history series in Colorado Springs: 'Still Life to Reel Life, the story of  Karol W. Smith' in the "Film and Photography on the Front Range" book, 'The Cripple Creek Volcano: a 35 million year disaster' in the "Disasters of the Pikes Peak Region", and soon to be published "Myths and Mysteries of the Rocky Mountain West" which should have the chapter 'Doc Susie & Hollywood: Myths of 19th Century Women Doctors in Colorado'.

Both love to hike and take trips to the mountains. Of course research is a passion and Doris is considered an expert on the women doctors in Colorado prior to 1900.

Both have always been storytellers according to relatives. Doris was writing plays as young as six and continued to write 'mysteries' for Red Herring Productions, the murder mystery company she was a part of for 19 years.

Angela was born in 2014 with the publication of her first novella, "Home for His Heart" an Agate Gulch Story. Since that time Angela has published two additional Agate Gulch stories, "Never Had A Chance" and "Gift of Forgiveness."

 Her two other Western Romance stories are: "Angel of Salvation Valley" and "Josie's Dream" part of the amazing 'Grandma's Wedding Quilt' series. 

Angela also has two Medieval Stories available: "Lost Knight" and "North Star", that are part of Christmas anthologies from Prairie Rose Publications.

So what does the future hold for this two in one person? More writing, more research and lots more hikes and photographs. What's in the future for you?

Doris Gardner-McCraw writing as Angela Raines is an Author, Speaker, Historian-specializing in Colorado and Women's History

For a list of Angela Raines Books: Here 

Photo and Poem: Click Here 

Angela Raines FaceBook: Click Here

     

THE WOMAN IN HISTORY EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW

Post by Author Angela Raines



One of the early women in Colorado history is Maria Teresa 'Teresita' Sandoval. This amazing women was born in 1811 in Taos, in what is now the state of New Mexico. She married at seventeen and had four children, Juana, Cruzita, Jose and Rufena, with her husband Manuel Suaso. In the 1830's she moved to Mora, New Mexico Territory on a land grant given to them by the Mexican government. It was there she met Matthew Kinkead. She left her husband, took her children and moved in with Kinkead, a naturalized Mexican citizen who came from Kentucky, who also had a land grant in the area. The family left Mora and moved to the American side of the Arkansas River. In 1841 they moved to Ft. Pueblo, a trading center for trappers, travelers and Indians. There is indications she and Matthew helped build and run this Fort, planned by George Simpson, Alexander Barclay, James Beckworth and Joseph Doyle. It was a thriving business that kept the couple busy. Some of the people Teresita came into contact with is like a who's who of early American traders and trappers, James Beckworth, Jim Bridger, Kit Carson and 'Uncle Dick' Wooten, the man who built the twenty seven mile toll road over Raton Pass. http://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-richenswootton.html

Eventually Kinkead left for California with their nine year old son, Juan. At that point in 1843 Teresita moved in with Alexander Barclay and they moved to Hardscrabble, a settlement northwest of Ft. Pueblo, then later returned to Mora where Barclay planned to build a fort. He hoped to sell to the U S Government after the Mexican American war in 1848, but the government built a fort of their own. 

The only known image of Teresita, done by Alexander Barclay
coloradovirtuallibrary.org 

Teresita left Barclay sometime between 1848 and 49 and moved in with with her daughter, Cruzita, who had married Joseph Doyle, on their ranch Casa Blanca in the Arkansas River Valley. Her other daughter, Juana, married George Simpson. Teresita remained in the Arkansas River Valley the rest of her life, but she wasn't done yet. When Cruzita's husband died, Teresita took over the running of the property, keeping it from falling into the hands of rival cattleman. Teresita died 1894, a woman still in charge of her own life.

A further note on this time in history.  Before 1848 while the region Teresita lived in was still under Mexican law, women shared ownership with their husbands, could purchase land, and establish businesses on their own. Women were also allowed to divorce. Once the land became part of the United States many of these rights were taken away.

In my story 'Never Had a Chance' in the current Prairie Rose Publication anthology "Cowboy Celebration" the heroine looks up and is named for Teresita Sandoval. Leave a comment and one lucky person will win an e-book of this anthology, full of great stories and even greater recipes. Also watch for the Christmas in July event later this month from Prairie Rose Publications. You will not be disappointed with the stories awaiting you.


"NEVER HAD A CHANCE" , second in the Agate Gulch stories, in the Prairie Rose Publications "A COWBOY CELEBRATION" anthology http://amzn.to/1GzwJhw


HOME FOR HIS HEART the first in the Agate Gulch stories. http://amzn.to/1GJhpSu

Author Page: http://amzn.to/1I0YoeL

Angela Raines is the pen name for Doris Gardner-McCraw, Author, Speaker, Historian-specializing in
Colorado and Women's History. She also posts a photo and haiku five days a week at: http://fivesevenfivepage.blogspot.com