National Women's History Month - Investigative Reporters

 Post by Doris McCraw

writing as Angela Raines

Photo property of the author

Nellie Bly, Polly Pry were two early reporters. There were a number of others. In this post, I am sharing some stories of additional women and their work.

Eva McDonald Valesh
from Wikipedia

Eva Valesh was also known as Eva Gay. Eva began her career as a reporter in Minnesota by exposing labor issues. Born Mary Eva McDonald in Maine in 1866, the family moved to Minnesota when Eva was still young. In 1888 an article on the working conditions for women in the garment industry was the first of many for the St. Paul Globe where Eva went undercover to learn the truth about labor conditions. 

After the difficulty of the birth of her son Frank in 1891, Eva continued her news career working at editing instead of undercover. In 1896 Eva moved to New York. She continued working for the rights of the worker. She ended her career as a proofreader for the New York Times. She died at the age of ninety in 1956.

Eleanor Stackhouse Atkinson
from Wikipedia

Eleanor Stackhouse was born in Indiana in 1863. She worked as a teacher, and between 1888 and 1890 she wrote for the Chicago Tribune under the name Nora Marks. Her focus was on domestic workers. There were times she'd pose as a worker, others as a wealthy matron looking for help. 

Unlike Valesh, Eleanor Stackhouse Atkinson moved on to write novels, most notably "Greyfriars Bobby". She died on November 4, 1942.

Link to the first Eva Gay St. Paul Globe article: Mong Girls Who Toil

You can find two of Atkinson's works here: Greyfriars Bobby and Lincoln's Love Story

Until next time happy reading and writing.

Doris McCraw

Cowboy Sayings - Don’t Put the Cart Before the Horse

“You don’t put your boots on before your socks, or the cart before the horse, so why are you eating dessert before dinner?”

In cowboy times, driving a cart pulled by horses was a common occurrence. Nearly every day, the the cowboy was either doing it himself, or he saw someone who was. Carts often carried loads that would be harder to just set on the back of a horse. But what a cowboy didn’t see was a cart being pushed by a horse.

It’s much easier to get a horse to pull a cart than it is to get him to push it. Moving forward is what horses do minutes after they are born, but pushing against things that are in front of them isn’t second nature. So the point of this saying is that you put the cart behind the horse, not in front of it—meaning there is a natural order to things, and you don’t do things in the wrong order.

The first time this idiom was used in literature is in the 1500’s, but it was likely an oft used phrase well before then, since horses and carts have been around a lot longer. But now that horses and carts are a rare occurrence, we may not hear the phrase often. What about you?

Have you ever heard this saying before? Used it yourself? Could you see yourself using it now? Let me know in a comment!

On average, P. Creeden releases a story each month. Interested in learning more? 

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Civil War Housewife by Zina Abbott

 

 

 

 

Civil War soldiers did not have much in the line of extra clothing, so the clothing they wore took a lot of wear and tear.  Soldiers were often sent off to war with “housewives” or small sewing kits made by their wives, mothers, or girlfriends. 

These were usually made from scraps of fabric such as cotton, twill, or silk and sometimes leather. They could be folded or rolled to pocket-size, and then fastened with ribbon, yarn, or a button.   They contained essential sewing supplies such as needles, pins, thread, buttons, a small pair of scissors, extra scraps of fabric for field repairs, and possibly a thimble.  When a soldier needed to sew on a button or mend a tear, all of the necessary supplies were available. 

 To see an example of the "housewife" that is part of the Minnesota Historical Society collection, please CLICK HERE

A “housewife” was also known as a “huswife” or “hussif”. Today we would call this a sewing kit. “Huswifes” became very popular in the 1700s and were often elaborately embroidered. They were easily carried, lightweight, and essential for soldiers, sailors, or a men in a variety of occupations who constantly needed sewing supplies to mend clothing that could not be easily replaced either due to lack of availability or cost. “Huswifes” were used throughout the 1800s.

To see an example of a Civil War-era housewife that at one time was available on eBay, please CLICK HERE. 

 

An essential part of any soldier’s gear, these mending kits were not an army-issued item. Commercial versions were available from sutlers, who were civilian merchants who followed the army camps. This housewife of oil cloth and silk , above, could be rolled for storage.

The above housewife, or sewing kit, was given to Capt. Leo Rassieur, 30th Missouri Volunteer Infantry.

Ladies even enjoyed making these fabric sewing kits for themselves. Some of them were made of silk and included elaborate embroidery designs reminiscent of the “crazy quilts” popular in the late 1800s. For an example, please CLICK HERE.

One popular source of sewing needles was the "James Smith & Son's" brand. The needle could also be used for removing splinters, and on occasion, sewing up a wound. Some soldiers even took up recreational needlework. After the First World War (1914-18), embroidery became a popular therapeutic occupation for wounded soldiers.

 

The above is a military sewing kit or housewife (hussif), 1NZEF, World War 1 sewing kit of brown suede with three reels of cotton, buttons, thread and needles comprises .1 holder .2-.4 cotton reels .5 seven metal buttons .6 three plastic buttons .7 wad of thread and needles. Military issue of this style of sewing kits, or hussifs, continued through World War 2.

Today,  sewing kits usually come in zippered pouches or cheap plastic boxes,

If you would enjoy making your own American Civil War-era housewife or “hussif,” Please CLICK HERE to find a pattern. Use fabric scraps with small prints. For greater authenticity, use Civil War reproduction prints.  

 Although my latest novel, Abilene Gamble, is set after the Civil War, during a flashback scene, I make mention of a housewife. To find the book description and purchase link for this book, please CLICK HERE.

 

 

 

Sources:

https://ageofrevolution.org/200-object/housewife-sewing-kit/

https://hylandhouse.org/at-home-activities/make-your-own-huswife-a-colonial-travel-sewing-kit/

http://digital.chipublib.org/digital/collection/wha/id/356/

https://uniondb.com/products/civil-war-house-wife-cam-044

https://thedreamstress.com/2015/11/a-lucky-sixpence-hussuf-and-what-are-hussuf-or-housewives/

Wikimedia Creative Commons

Fern Hobbs - A Brave Woman Ahead of Her Time

March is Women in History Month. 

Today, I'd like to introduce you to Fern Hobbs.   

In January 1914, Fern Hobbs became an international celebrity when her boss, Oregon Governor Oswald West, sent her as his personal representative to the unruly town of Copperfield, Oregon, where she played a key role in w hat would become known as the Copperfield Affair. 

 Fern was born in Bloomington, Nebraska to John Alden and Cora Brush Hobbs. The dates on her birth vary, but it appears to have been in May  1883. Her family moved to Salt Lake City when she was six. The family's next move took them to Hillsboro, Oregon. 

Her father had financial struggles, so Fern helped raise her younger brother and sister, enrolling them in school. She supported them by working as a governess in Portland while studying stenography. She got a job as secretary to the president of the Portland Title Guarantee and Trust Company, which failed while she worked there. Ben Olcott, appointed by Governor Chamberlain to represent the state in investigating the bank over the state's assets, took note of Hobb's strong loyalty to her employer.  

After the bank's failure, she worked as a governess for J. Wesley Ladd in Portland while she continued her studies. Olcott, who managed Oswald West's successful campaign for governor in 1910, recommend West hire Hobbs to work as his private stenographer. 

She was given the job and impressed the Governor so much, she became his private secretary two years later, making her the first woman in Oregon to hold an important political position. It also made her the highest-paid woman in public service in the United States, earning $3,000 per year (roughly $84,000 in todays dollars). 

By studying for a law degree in her spare time, Fern graduated from Willamette University and passed the bar in 1913. Governor West soon sent her to Washington D.C. to represent the state, making her the first woman to represent a governor's interests in the nation's capital. She successfully negotiated  with congressional committees and the U.S. Department of the Interior to straighten out ownership issues around various parcels of land worth millions of dollars.

Later in the year, letters began to arrive for the governor from concerned citizens of a tiny town located near the south end of Hell's Canyon on the Snake River. Copperfield had once been a booming construction camp where big copper strikes in the area had generated interest from developers. A railroad branch line, dam and power plant were soon constructed. The project brought hordes of workers to the area and the population by 1907 had reached about a thousand people.  Stores and hotels were opened, with reportedly eleven saloons and as many brothels. Brawls broke out daily. Drinking and illegal gambling provided entertainment. Then the construction projects wrapped up and the population plummeted to around eighty. 

 The economy became based primarily on alcohol, gambling, and prostitution, establishing a reputation for Copperfield as a wild, lawless place. 

 Residents who were unhappy with the turn the town had taken for the worse, penned letters to Governor West, complaining the city had been taking over by saloonkeepers and riffraff. 

 The governor could not abide alcohol and leaned heavily toward prohibition for the state. The letters became an opportunity for him to push his prohibition agenda. He sent a telegram to Baker County sheriff in December 1913, directing him to close and keep closed all saloons and establishments selling liquor in Copperfield. The sheriff was given a deadline of completing the task by Christmas. 

 When nothing had been done by the deadline, it angered the governor. The sheriff and and the district attorney declared it would be illegal to shut down properly licensed saloons in a "wet" town. They claimed the unrest in the town was a feud between a few saloonkeepers and they could resolve their issues without further interference. Threats were made to shoot the governor if he dared set foot in Copperfield. 

 Governor West then reportedly told the press he would send his diminutive secretary, Fern Hobbs, to demand the resignations of corrupt city officials, close the saloons, and declare martial law if necessary. The media had a field day with the proclamation and people scoffed at the governor's plan. No one thought he'd actually do it, and they certainly didn't think "little Miss Hobbs" could close down some of the wildest saloons in the West. 

The governor pushed the story of the Baker County officials refusing to act. Headlines soon popped up across the nation, highlighting a story of how David had challenged Goliath in the rugged hills of eastern Oregon. A photograph of petite Fern was in every Oregon newspapers. 

 Before she left for Copperfield, a reporter questioned Fern is she would go armed. 

She replied, "Armed? Well, yes; I am. I have a dressing bag, a portfolio and an umbrella." 

 The governor sent a telegram, addressed to the mayor of Copperfield. He requested the mayor arrange a public meeting so Fern could address the mayor, city council and citizens to deliver the message from his office. 

 Saloonkeepers H. A. Stewart and William Wiegand, also known as the mayor and city councilman of Copperfield, weren't pleased with the telegram. They draped patriotic flags in conspicuous places, and festooned the bars with pink and blue ribbons and cut flowers. 

 On January 2, 1914, Fern Hobbs arrived in Copperfield. According to an article in The Spokesman Review (January 19, 1914), all the residents of Copperfield were at the depot when she stepped off the train "dressed plainly in blue with a neat little hat covering her wealth of blonde hair... There was such a pretty smile in her blue eyes and such a womanly gentleness about her that, when she asked for the city officials, rude jest was turned to admiration." Other reports say she wore a fur coat and black boots. 

 Accompanying Fern on the trip were Lieutenant Colonel B.K. Lawson of the Oregon National Guard, and five members of the coast artillery with rifles "locked and ready." The "welcoming committee" greeted her well armed, warned by the attorneys for Steward and Wiegand to use force if necessary to keep the saloons open. 

 When Fern requested a platform from which to speak, someone produced a soap box for her to stand on. It was cold. Snowing. But in a clear tone she stated she'd been sent by the governor. Reportedly, gallantry won over pride and she was directed to speak  at "town hall" instead of a soap box in the street. 

 Mayor Stewart held an umbrella and escorted her to the meeting hall that had quickly been reorganized from a dance hall to a makeshift city hall.  A platform stood at one end of the room. Fern walked right up on it and according to an article from The Oregon Daily Journal published January 2, 1914, she said, "I have a proclamation here from the governor." 

 The mayor told her to read it.

 "I have been sent here as Governor West's representative with a message addressed to the mayor and city council, which I wish to read to the assembly before delivering it to the mayor." Fern read the complete message from the governor, and then presented typed letters of resignation she'd prepared on behalf of the city officials. 

The mayor declared he refused to sign without a hearing. 

Four of the other six council members also declined. 

 Colonel Lawson read the governor's prepared proclamation establishing martial law and posted it on a wall. He declared all liquor in all saloons had to be ready to ship out of town by four the following afternoon, and demanding the confiscation of all weapons. 

The women who had attended the meeting were asked to leave the building. Lawson's declaration was the first time martial law had been  put into effect in Oregon since the Civil War. While the meeting had taken place, the militia men who accompanied Lawson had been closing the saloons, padlocking doors, and confiscating weapons. 

 The town was soon disarmed, order restored, gambling equipment was confiscated, and more than 170 weapons were seized. Fern left Lawson in charge and took the four o'clock train that afternoon back to Baker City where she officially removed Copperfield's town officials before a judge before returning to Salem. 

 The Copperfield Affair became headline news not only in Oregon and across the nation, but also overseas. 

 Writer Stewart Holbrook reported: In England, the Copperfield story escaped all bounds. One read that Miss Hobbs took off for the hellish place in command of a full battery of field artillery, plus machine gunners, in a special train; that she snapped commands to her troops and had them unlimber and train the heavy pieces on the doomed city.

  There was even a theatrical reenactment of the event, advertised in the Oregon Journal, January 28, 2014. 

 The actions of Governor West and Fern were challenged in court, but the Baker County circuit court determined the governor's actions were within his powers and the Oregon Supreme Court agreed. 

 Petite Fern Hobbs became the girl who tamed a lawless town, even though she didn't see the overwhelming importance of her actions in facing down an armed mob. 

 A few months after her visit to Copperfield, a fire of "unknown origin" destroyed several buildings. Two more fires occurred, and in 1927 the post office closed, leaving Copperfield as a ghost town. In 1965, the community of Oxbow was founded near the site of Copperfield when the Idaho Power Company was building the Oxbow Dam. Today, Copperfield Park includes 12 acres of manicured lawn, paved roads, terraced landscaping and numerous trees as well as a campsite.

Fern Hobbs had a long and remarkable career. In WWI she traveled with the Red Cross to France where she assisted with the war effort. She died  April 10, 1964, in Portland and was and buried in the pioneer cemetery in Hillsboro.  

USA Today Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield writes character-driven romances with relatable heroes and heroines. Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”

Convinced everyone deserves a happy ending, this hopeless romantic is out to make it happen, one story at a time. When she isn’t writing or indulging in chocolate (dark and decadent, please), Shanna hangs out with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller.

Find out more about Shanna on her website at shannahatfield.com

Gadgets of the 19th Century and the Strange History Behind Them by Kimberly Grist

Hibbard vs Hibbard
Susan Hibbard, who invented the feather duster in 1876, disputed her husband’s claim to the patent in court. While details of the case are vague, it was reported that Mr. Hibbard could not define certain novel features of the invention. Mrs. Hibbard was granted the patent, opening the doors for future women inventors to apply for patents in their own names.

Too Much Muscle
The first “calculating machine,” invented in 1885 by William S. Burroughs, gave wildly different answers depending upon how hard you pulled the handle to make the calculation. Burroughs patented an improved calculator in 1893.

Jail Time Inspiration

When William Addis of Whitechapel, England, was jailed in 1770 for inciting riots, he still wanted to keep himself presentable. Not fond of using the common method of rubbing a rag with soot and salt on his teeth, he carved a small handle from a bone and inserted boar bristles held in place by wire. After leaving prison, Addis successfully mass-produced his invention in 1780.

He died a wealthy man in 1808, leaving the business to his son, William. By 1840, toothbrushes were mass-produced in England, France, Germany, and Japan. Pig bristle was used for cheaper toothbrushes and badger hair for the more expensive ones.

Addis' son began exporting products abroad to the US in the 1880s. The company retained its family ownership until 1996 under the name Wisdom Toothbrushes. The company now manufactures 70 million toothbrushes per year in the UK.

The first US Patent for a toothbrush was filed in 1857 by H.N. Wadsworth (US Patent No. 18,653) Mass production of toothbrushes (These brushes still used animal hair) began in the United States thirty years later.

The First Can Opener-A Hammer and Chisel
Tin cans for food preservation were invented in 1810. However, the can opener wasn’t patented until almost fifty years later in 1858.

The first cans could be as thick as 3/16 of an inch and were too thick to be opened with anything but a hammer and chisel. The first can opener was patented by an American inventor Ezra J. Warner on January 5, 1858, when iron cans were starting to be replaced by thinner steel cans.

Who Needs a Sewing Machine When You Have A Safety Pin

American mechanic Walter Hunt invented the safety pin in 1849. He also built America’s first sewing machine in 1834. However, he didn’t pursue a patent at the time because he thought the device would put hand-sewers out of work.


The Reason I Type So Slowly

And my favorite, typewriters, were invented in 1868, and the QWERTY keyboard layout was designed in 1878 to slow down typists to keep typewriter keys from jamming together. (Now I know the reason why I type so slowly.)

In my upcoming release, Audie's Audacious Bride, both my hero and heroine's life is influenced by a strange event causing a mix-up of an extraordinary nature. Can this mismatched couple blaze a trail to form a partnership of the romantic kind?

LET THEM EAT GRASS! by Marisa Masterson

You probably recognize the saying, "Let them eat cake." It's attributed to Marie Antoinette, something she may or may not have said. Regardless, the idea behind it launched a uprising.

A similarly cold reaction to people's suffering started another rebellion, and also in the 1800s. This time, starving people were told, "Let them eat grass."

Native Sioux--a people group also called the Dakota--had been moved off 24 million acres of land. Sent to live on reservations, the people were expected to farm. That was something they'd never done. Still, they could have learned except that a terrible drought made feeding themselves impossible.

1904 painting depicting Dakota
attack on Indian Agency, 1862.

Surely the government would help. After all, the native people had a treaty with the US government that promised food. When the Indians asked that they receive what was promised, the Indian agent in charge was quoted as saying, "Let them eat grass." As if they were animals!

In response, Dakota men attacked the agency. The agent, Andrew Myrick, was found dead after the attack, his mouth stuffed with grass. Unfortunately, this man's inhumanity led to many other deaths besides his own.

From Regina's Replacement:

Pounding hoofbeats brought Eli only a few feet from his nephew when he yanked back on his gelding’s reigns. The horse’s head went backward, and its body stiffened to make the sudden stop after their race from Excelsior. The smell of dirt and grass filled the air as shod hooves dug into the lawn Josh had mowed that day.
“Bad news, boy. The Dakotas are on the move.” Eli all but shouted the words as he vaulted from the saddle.
“Dakotas? They’re on Indian land up by the Minnesota River.”
Eli ran an agitated hand through his hair, dislodging his bowler. It fell to the ground at Josh’s feet. Both men stared at it, obviously unsure of how such an ordinary thing could interrupt this important conversation. Then Josh reached for it, handing the hat to his uncle.
Eli grabbed it and slapped at his leg with hit. “Been a heap of trouble over that way. All because the year’s been sort of odd.”
“What’d you mean, Uncle Eli?”
“Well, those Dakotas aren’t really farmers. They’ve always sort of traveled after animals and hunted to feed their people. But now, they have to stay put.”
“Yeah, that’s not new this year. What’s happened?”
“That really wet, cold spring we had and now this dry summer’s left them hungry. I heard that the Indian agent, Myrick’s, refused to give them any of the stored grain he’s got at the Lower Sioux Agency.”
Josh put a hand to his brow and rubbed backward over his hair. “Thought the government sent the food out for the Indians? Why’s the man not doin’ his job and gettin’ it to ‘em?”
Eli shrugged and began to wring his hands. “He just isn’t. Heard tell that he told them to ‘eat grass’. Someone found his body after the Dakotas attacked the agency. His mouth was stuffed with grass.”
“The Dakotas attacked?”
“That’s why I’m here. They’ve killed hundreds of settlers, too.” He pointed to the house. “You have to get Regina and her daughter. We almost have the stockade finished around the schoolhouse.”

Communities in the Dakota Territory and Minnesota gathered together. They hid in churches or schools. I decided to use this fact in my own novel. The hero refused to leave his farm. At least, he had until his wife and stepdaughter were in danger by the uprising. 

People escaping Indian Outbreak, 1862 (quoted from source, http://collections.mnhs.org/cms/display.php?irn=10680765) 

I set my novel in the real town of Excelsior, Minnesota on Lake Minnetonka. The people who settled there did leave their farms to gather in the school. They even built a stockade around it. When a shot sounded, everyone was sure the Dakota had arrived. Instead, one of the men had accidentally fired his gun while cleaning it. Later, someone saw an "Indian" in the woods. It was an old woman picking berries. I used these facts and embellished on them in my story to keep it historically appropriate and as accurate as I could make it. (https://lakeminnetonkamag.com/how-dakota-war-1862-impacted-lake-area)

And in case you are curious, the Dakota never arrived at Excelsior. Many of the women did end up frightened and in danger on a steamer stuck out on the lake. Poor ladies never reached the island that was to be their safe haven. More of the comedy of misadventures that surrounded Excelsior in 1862. Poor people! Truly, it made for fun writing!

Available now! Free in Kindle Unlimited.

Visit a time when Minnesota was land still being claimed and settled...

Joshua Gibson had enough courage to save his uncle. He’s not brave enough to show his face in town after being badly burned in the rescue.

Regina Richardson decided marriage to a stranger was better than living through a war that had nothing to do with her. After Union troops brought a battle near to her farm, she grabs at the chance to marry a man in Minnesota. Only, she discovers the man has never lived in the town where she’s told to go.

A desperate aunt and uncle see this as a God sent opportunity for their hermit nephew. Will Regina find the love of her life or will she end up with one more burden to bear?

And what about the man killed at Joshua’s farm the night that he was burned? How will the couple protect themselves when Joshua and Regina have no idea that revenge stalks them?

Generations of Characters ...

 

Hi, Kit Morgan here and for today's blog I had to really think about what to write. With as much writing as I do, one would think I could come up with something! Then it occurred to me, wow, I DO do a lot of writing, don't I? After creating 128 books, I can say that. But when you have that many books, something happens. You have characters that are getting older, they have children, then grandchildren, and readers want more!

This is what happens when you've created a family or group of people that readers fall in love with. They know these characters almost as well as I do. They've seen them fall in love, get married, have babies. They've watched those babies grow up into young adults and eventually reach marriageable age. (I write a lot of historical westerns) and then they want to see what happens to them.

But what happens when the characters you started out with get old? I mean, really old? I have one character whose been around since the beginning of my writing adventure. Grandma Waller from Clear Creek. She's 100 years old now in her current timeline (and brags about it too) has appeared in multiple series, and is still kicking. Readers would be devastated if something happened to her. Thankfully I found a solution to keeping Grandma around, but not every author can do what I did. You can find out how in The Tales of Tom Turner: Clear Creek. And it's not just Grandma that's getting up there. I have all the original settlers of my fictional town of Clear Creek with lots of candles on their birthday cakes too.

Anyway, I'm going to be delving into a third generation of characters soon. If not this year, then the next. But what does that tell us about characters like these? Well, it's simple. We love them. They're family to we as authors and you as readers. I'm not the only author working with different generations of characters in their stories. Many of the authors belonging to Sweet Americana Sweethearts have two, three, even four generations of characters they work with. Those are some big family trees! And, of course, some of those characters pass on, and some are only spoken of in passing in a new series. Maybe said series takes place twenty years after the last time the character appeared. Still, we all get attached, but the beauty of it is, we wouldn't get that way unless the story is good and the characters too! 

So here's to the life of our favorite characters in all those wonderful books we love to read. May they live on in books and in our minds and for some, even in film and television! Dealing with generations of characters is one of the advantages of writing historical fiction, and one of the reasons I love writing it! 

Until next time,

Kit

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