Fort Churchill, Nevada by Zina Abbott

 

Nevada has been known for many reasons, but not for having an abundance of frontier forts. It had one notable military fort: Fort Churchill.

First, as part of Utah Territory (Nevada became its own territory on March 2, 1861 and a state on October 31, 1864), much of the California Trail crossed what is now modern-day Nevada.

Second, starting in the 1850s, the mountains just east of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range became a destination in and of themselves due to the discovery of gold and silver. The Comstock Lode in the Virginia Mountains discovered in 1859, the first major discovery of silver in the United States, drew fortune-seekers from all over.

 

Third, the American Civil War, even though most battles took place in the Eastern states, also caused issues in Nevada.

Two battles with the Northern Paiute tribe in May and June of 1860 prompted the federal government to appoint Captain Joseph Stewart to establish a military outpost near the Carson River. It is located east of Carson City and about twenty-five miles southeast of the territory’s largest city at the time, Virginia City. The largest and most elaborate post built in the Nevada Territory, it overlooks the river through the big cottonwood trees ten miles south of Silver Springs.

Buckland Station

The fort was built adjacent to Buckland Station, a stagecoach station established by Samuel Buckland in the 1859. During 1860-61, Buckland Station also served as a Pony Express station.

 Completed in 1861, Fort Churchill—named after Sylvester Churchill, an Inspector General for the Army—was built to provide protection for this section of the Pony Express, protection from Native Americans attempting to reclaim their territory, maintain the telegraph lines, quell any skirmishes resulting from the Civil War, as well as those who either lived in or passed through western Nevada. The fort also doubled as a supply depot for the Union Army.

 

Volunteer soldiers who served at the fort came from Carson City, Lake’s Crossing—which was renamed Reno in 1868, Virginia City, and Dayton. It is believed the fort housed an average of 200 at any given time.

After the fort was abandoned in 1869, the state of Nevada declined to take ownership. The fort’s buildings were auctioned off for $750. Nothing was done with the remaining structures, so they stayed in place, subject to time and weather.

In 1885, the bodies of forty-four soldiers who died and were buried while at Fort Churchill were exhumed and moved to  Carson City’s Lone Mountain Cemetery in the Grand Army of the Republic section. All but two had originally been buried in wooden coffins. The only man identified was the fort’s commanding officer, Charles McDermit. Therefore, the headstones of the other forty-three read U.S. Soldier. Most of the deaths occurred between 1863 and 1866.

Remains of Fort Churchill

In 1932, the National Park Service took control of the property. The NPS began restoration efforts and built a visitors center. In 1957, Fort Churchill became a Nevada State Park.

 

Fort Churchill would have been an active fort during the time in which my Prairie Roses Collection book, Lucy, was set. It would have been all but abandoned at the time of Sue, my most recent book in the series.

To find the book description and purchase options for Sue please CLICK HERE

 

 

 

Sources:

https://www.inkedwithwanderlust.com/nevada/fortchurchill

https://www.nevadaappeal.com/news/2022/may/04/forgotten-soldiers-tribute-honors-fort-churchills-/

https://mynews4.com/news/knowing-nevada/knowing-nevada-fort-churchill-and-the-battles-of-pyramid-lake

https://www.ancestry.com/historical-insights/war-military/civil-war/nevada-civil-war

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Churchill_State_Historic_Park

 

Where Does My Female Character Fit In the Family? by Zina Abbott

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the challenges of staying on track while working on the computer is avoiding the time-wasters. Some I have struggled with through the years have been emails, Pinterest, and Facebook. My latest (thanks, but no thanks, A.I. and targeted marketing) are the articles that pop up when I click on a browser. I try to ignore them. However when one catches my interest, I decide it is time for a "break," and I read.

That was how I came across the article titled

Eldest Daughter Syndrome: What It Is And 12 Signs ToLook For, According To Experts

This caught my interest for two reasons. 

First, I am an oldest child and an eldest daughter. Did I recognize myself in some of the common traits listed? Oh, yeah.

Second, the heroine in my current work in progress, Sue, is an eldest daughter. As I reread some of the interactions between her and her mother in the first chapter, I realized had it down pat how to depict an oldest daughter. Here are a few excerpts:

"...I suspect he is looking for a milkmaid as much as a wife. It’s one thing to milk one cow for a family’s personal use. But, a whole barn full of cows that need milking twice a day?” Puffing a breath through almost closed lips, she raised her gaze to the ceiling.

            “You’ve never complained, so I had no idea you felt that way about milking the cow...." 

and (speaking of when her stepsister, Lucy, lived with the family):

"...Before she took over all the teaching duties, we mothers were taking turns having the local children at our houses. After she took over, I noticed you gradually became less of a student and more of an assistant teacher.”

and again:

"...But, at least I had my own room. I was the oldest, and I knew you counted on my help. That helped me feel special.”

            “You have always been special, Susan. I hope you never felt like I ignored you or took you for granted..."

"That never meant we forgot you, Susan. You were our constant in the storms of life. When more was required to take care of this family than what your Papa Jack and I could do alone, we knew we could always count on you to pitch in.”  

            “Thank you for saying so, Mama.” Lips parted, Susan jerked her gaze to the side as she allowed her mother’s words to sink in. Our constant in the storms of life. As much as she loved copying her mother’s ways and following in her footsteps, she never realized that was how her mother and Papa Jack saw her...."

What characteristics can often be seen in an eldest daughter?

 - She is given more responsibilities than younger siblings.

 - She learns to anticipate what her parents will expect, and she organizes things in advance in order not to disappoint them. "A place for everything, and everything in its place."

 - She is expected to set a good example for both behavior and accomplishments.

Older sister cares for brother while mother away

 -  She is expected to do more household chores and sibling childcare than expected of younger siblings. She tends to be assigned the more difficult or unpleasant tasks compared to her siblings.

  -  She is expected to help manage the emotional well-being of younger siblings, to be responsible to "keep the peace," regardless of whether or not the younger siblings are willing to cooperate.

 - Because parents tend to have higher expectations of their eldest daughter, she can often experience anxiety, guilt, or frustration when she does not or cannot meet those expectations. 

Children whose birth order falls elsewhere have other challenges and characteristics. 

A middle child or children do not feel under as much pressure as the eldest daughter. However, they often feel overlooked, which can lead to acts of rebellion.

Youngest children are not under the same pressure to help take care of younger siblings. They tend to be more outgoing, playful, creative, and independent. By the time they come along, parents are not as rigid--they have learned what works and what doesn't. Parents are older and often have less energy, so younger siblings get away with things more easily.

 

Sue, book 55 in the Prairie Roses Collection, is currently on pre-order. It is scheduled for release on May 16, 2025.

For the book description and purchase options, please CLICK HERE.

 

When I reread this article, I found it interesting to realize my heroine in my last year's Prairie Roses Collection romance was also an oldest daughter. The way I wrote her character, she also exhibited eldest daughter traits, but several were different than those of her stepsister, Sue.  Right now, Lucy is on a Kindle Countdown sale. In addition to being available on Kindle Unlimited, it is for sale for only 99c through May 14, 2025.

For the book description and purchase options, please CLICK HERE.