It's One of George's...

 

As some of you know, I’m a historic house plan collector. I’ve got boxes of books and house plans from the Victorian and Edwardian eras and on into the 1920s and 30s. One of my favorite architects, is George Franklin Barber. I have lots of plan books with his designs in it. In fact, I can spot one of George’s houses pretty easy. I like using them in my books and have also seen his plans used by present day designers creating what’s called “new old houses.” 

George was known for his mail order house plan business. In fact, he was doggone good at it. He advertised like nobody’s business and was widely published. His Victorian couture designs could be spotted all over Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and a host of other states. 

George was born near Ft. Scott in Kansas, moved in 1884 to Dekalb, IL, and started a business, Barber & Boardman. They were contractors and builders. He moved to Knoxville four years later and went into business with Martin Parmelee. Worked with a Mr. Linden in 1889 and a Mr. Mould in 1890, then finally settled into George F. Barber and Company. He filled an entire floor with draftsmen once he reached that stage of his business life. 

George was very popular, and his houses are featured on old house realty sites and in numerous books and magazines. But I came across one house of his years ago that I had never seen the plan for and fell in love with it. One sees a lovely Victorian Cottage by George and thinks, “Oh, if only those walls could talk!” Well, this house’s does, after a fashion. The realtor got a little history of the house, and though the little hamlet in Alabama where it’s located isn’t the bustling place it used to be, it’s still fascinating to read the history behind such a delectable piece of architecture and the little town of Orrville, Alabama.

The house was built by George F. Barber and displayed in the May 1896 edition of George’s American Homes. John E. Dunaway, the home’s builder and first owner, was quite the busy gentleman back in the day. Mr. Dunaway owned J.E. Mercantile Company in Orrville which handled Dry Goods, Groceries, 5000 bales of cotton annually, 1000 tons of fertilizer, 600 plows & plantation furnishings. 

 

The house he built consisted of 4674 sq ft with 7 bedrooms & 3 baths has beautiful pine floors, original mantels, wainscoting, spool work detail, bay windows & porches on 3 sides! The 1.7 acre lot is level & tree shaded with a brick carriage house in back. I’m sure he had more land back in his time, but in our time, 1.7 acres is what the home has. Oh, the temptation!

 

In 1850, the town of Orrville didn’t exist yet. It was nothing but a stoop on the road near the town of Cahawaba, best known for an Artesian well that refreshed travelers trekking through Alabama. One early map called it Orrs Mill in 1853, and by 1860, the town was officially named Orrville. Orrville’s entrepreneurial founder, James Franklin Orr, was a young man when he and his wife Mary settled on their farm in nearby Bogue Chitto. An inventive fellow, Orr owned all the adjacent lots in town and designed a public square based around the boundless Artesian well. 

He set up his gin, grist, and sawmills, and over time, 

included a planning mill, flour mill and two

blacksmith shops all clustered under one very large roof. Mr. Orr also acquired over 10,000 acres of farmland and grew cotton, corn, wheat and even experimented with raising rice. He raised cattle, horses, and even made scuppernong wine from his backyard vineyard. A natural tinkerer, Orr invented an air rifle and earned $5000 for designing an off set screw driver. He’s best known for his prized cotton gin, which was patented in 1857. Orr and Mary had four young children and contributed a place for churches to worship on a rotational basis and donated acreage to build the towns first school.  the Orrville Male Academy, a Greek Revival mansion on Academy Street that is a private residence today. A female academy was also built, which later burned down. Other families started moving here in the late 1800s and Orrville was incorporated in 1907. For much of the 20th century, Orrville prospered as banks, schools, cotton gins, druggists and mercantile stores all served the population in and around the one-square mile town. 

 

Staring at the cottage George designed and Mr. Dunaway built (yes, I know, all 4674 sq. feet is considered a cottage) it’s hard to imagine all that industry in one square mile. Driving through Orville now there’s very little, and I have fun imagining the bustling little place a hundred and thirty years ago. 

 

So the next time you drive by an old house, try to turn back the clock and imagine what life was like and what it’s walls would say.

 

Until next time,

Kit

 

ONE A PENNY, TWO A PENNY, HOT CROSSED BUNS! by Marisa Masterson

 Easter time! Bring on the traditional foods.

Why ham at Easter? As I researched, I discovered two possible reasons for this traditional Easter meat in the United States.

Traditionally in the past, hogs were butchered in the fall. By the tine spring and Easter arrived, the hams would be ready to enjoy, fully smoked and delicious.

I also learned that in the mid-1800s, Easter was not widely celebrated in the North. But in the southern part of the United States, the religious background was different. Easter was a time for feasting and ham was typically always included on the table of wealthier people. This meat was a good substitute for lamb, as well, because it was larger and more inexpensive.  (https://www.marthastewart.com/1538183/how-easter-ham-became-traditional-easter-dinner#)

Another traditional food came as more of a surprise to me. Hot crossed buns, one a penny, two a penny, hot crossed buns. I remember singing that little ditty as a child. (By the way, that little song goes back to the 1700s when street vendors first used it as a jingle to see the bread.)

My family did not eat these at Easter, but I have heard of many people who do. The spices in the buns are said to represent the spices used for Christ's body, and the cross drawn on top represents his sacrifice. Not only are they delicious, but they are a way to remember the meaning of Easter.

Truly, though, this food goes back further than the celebration of Christian Easter. The buns were made in honor of Esotre, the Saxon goddess. Her name is where we get the word Easter.

So, Christians adapted something they had already learned to enjoy as a part of celebrating the coming of Spring. They retained their tradition but turned it into something that would remind them of their new faith. The same thing was done when eggs became a part of the holiday.

Good or bad, I can understand those new converts hanging on to a tradition they treasured. I also love my holiday traditions.

HAPPY EASTER! MAY THE LORD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.

She calls herself Elspeth. How long will Liza be able to keep up the ruse? 

If she thought her groom would accept her as herself, she would abandon her sister’s plot. No, he wants her twin. 

Liza desperately needs him to learn to love her before Adam discovers who he really married.

Can liars ever prosper? Will Adam be able to forgive her when he discovers that he mistakenly married the wrong woman?

Look What Our Authors Published in March!

 

Our authors have been busy writing to bring you your next favorite stories. Here is what we published in March!

 

A Match for Gabe (The Matchmaker, Agatha Returns, Book 8)

By Kimberly Grist

A harsh, scar-faced, rancher, An impulsive, whimsical teacher go together like dandelions and daydreams. Well, she thinks so anyway… 

Callie Ann Dixon’s impulsive nature has cost her a teaching position. Destitute, she agrees to seek the help of a matchmaker. She believes there’s a happily ever after within reach for everyone, and she’ll work hard to make her dream come true. Casting her past failures aside, she’s thrilled with the idea of moving west and requests a match with someone who embraces adventure and will be enthusiastic about building a romantic relationship.

Gabe Russell, former solider and regimented rancher, isn’t looking for love. Instead, he needs a cook, housekeeper, and babysitter for his four younger siblings. Hence, his request to the matchmaker includes, “My desired match should be a no-nonsense, hard-working woman who knows the importance of following a schedule.

Released March 1, 2023

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BNGNL7C5

Mail-Order Marietta (The Confederate Gold Widows)

By Marisa Masterson

Marietta can't go home. No, she won't give her father a chance to sell her again.
Determined and desperate, she heads west as a mail-order bride. Little does she know that an equally determined man is chasing after her.

Released March 3, 2023

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BVKPZ631

 

Enchanting the Innkeeper: Sweet Historical Western (Love in Apple Blossom Book 5)

By Kit Morgan

A Pretty Innkeeper
One Nervous Englishman
And a whole host of folks making sure they don't fall in love!

Phileas Darlington (Darling to the locals) has been in the town of Apple Blossom with his brothers for mere weeks, and four of them have already fallen in love! Worse, they're getting married! This catastrophe has led poor Phileas to re-assess his duty as one of six brothers in line to inherit their father's title and estate in England. If his four brothers all stay in Apple Blossom, then he has to be the one to take on the responsibility. Poor Oliver, the youngest, can't do it. He hasn't got a clue. Now all Phileas has to do is help Dora Jones, the owner of Apple Blossom's quaint hotel, do a little remodeling and of course, not fall in love with her. if he can do that then he and Oliver can go home to England and pick up where they left off. Or can he? Find out in this hilarious romp full of pure fun and romance!

Released March 17, 2023

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BWLF88DB

 

Not all of our authors make their books available on pre-order. However, for those who do, those advance sales go a long way toward boosting their sales rankings. Here are future releases:

Pre-orders for April:

 

Treise: Rescue Me - (Mail Order Brides) book 14

By Linda Carroll-Bradd

Printer’s assistant Treise O’Hara works with her father who runs a small-circulation newspaper but wishes she could be a reporter investigating stories. Father publishes a controversial op-ed about an unscrupulous business owner in Philadelphia. The newspaper office is invaded, and equipment is broken. Father is beaten and carted away. Hiding in a storage cupboard, Treise witnesses the attack and recognizes the thugs and who their boss is. She overhears their intention to bury him so she’s forced to go into hiding and stays in her cousin, Eveleen’s, room where she works as a maid. The women make a plan to answer ads for mail-order brides in the small city. Treise is counting on disappearing behind a new last name.

Sheriff Paxon Waldemarr works hard to keep the lawless element in Laramie, Wyoming Territory, under control. His brother and sis-in-law were killed in a robbery, leaving a five-year-old daughter in Paxon’s care. He runs an ad for a mail-order bride, hoping for someone to care for his niece and maintain a household. His work life is hectic, and he wants calm at home. What he doesn’t expect is a determined suffragette intent on securing the vote for women in the new government. If her actions reflect on his career, how will their marriage survive?

Releases April 3, 2023

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BLT7PG7K

 

Luella: Rescue Me - (Mail Order Brides) Book 15

By P. Creeden

What has possessed Luella to ever consider being a mail-order bride?

In order to escape the abusive life she has in North Carolina, Luella Carter decides to answer an advertisement for a mail-order bride. The gentleman who placed the ad claims to only want companionship and help around the house, and does not need love, children, or other wifely duties. This seems to suit Luella just fine, but when she arrives, she wonders if this was all a big mistake.

Cyrus Brady is the town's undertaker, and as such, he knows what it means to be an outcast. But his lonely life of solitude is horribly interrupted by his sister who takes it upon herself to advertise for a mail-order bride back east for him. Now a young woman has arrived, ready to become his bride, and Cyrus doesn't know if he's ready to become a husband.

Releases April 10, 2023

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BMGV9CYF

 

Love on Target: Sweet Western Romance (Pink Pistol Sisterhood Series Book 2)

By Shanna Hatfield

Will romance hit its mark when true love is the target?

Desperate for a fresh start, Rena Burke journeys from Texas to Oregon with only her father’s pistol and a plodding old mule for company. She takes a job working with explosives at a mine, spends her free time emulating her hero Annie Oakley, and secretly longs to be loved.

Saddlemaker Josh Gatlin has one purpose in life and that is his daughter. Gabi is his joy and the sunshine in his days. Then he meets a trouser-wearing woman living life on her own terms. Rena is nothing like his perception of what he wants in a wife and mother for his child, but she might just prove to be everything he needs.

When tragedy strikes, will the two of them be able to release past wounds and embrace the possibilities tomorrow may bring? Find out in this sweet historical romance full of hope, humor, and love.

Releases April 10, 2023

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BWPL69LN

 

Clara: Prairie Roses Collection - Book 25

By Zina Abbott

They might be young, but they know what is in their hearts.

After the death of both parents along the Oregon Trail, Clara Alderman, just shy of turning fifteen, and the oldest of four siblings, finds herself the head of her family. Fortunately, her older friend and mentor, Pearl, follows a prayer prompting to return to the wagon train. Arriving in time to witness her father’s death, Pearl insists on becoming the Alderman children’s guardian. Michael Stanwyck, the freighter and tradesman, who follows Pearl back to the train, overcomes the wagon master’s reluctance to write a guardianship document when he volunteers to marry Pearl and share the responsibility. Michael’s employee, Will Clayton, volunteers to marry Clara, but the Stanwycks refuse, citing Clara’s youth. Clara felt an attraction to Will from the first moment she met him, but could she expect a good future married to a young man whose goal it is to make his fortune in the California gold fields?

To escape the grinding poverty of their Kentucky home, Will Clayton and his best friend, Jeremy, accept jobs as bullwhackers for Mr. Stanwyck’s three freight wagons, which provided a means to travel to California where they plan to make their fortunes mining for gold. Will soon realizes there is something he might want more—a future with Clara. However, between her guardian’s refusal to allow then to court until she is sixteen and having nothing to offer, he decides to stick with his original plan. Is there a fortune waiting in California? Is his future in the gold fields or back in the Carson Valley, where the Stanwycks and Alderman children circled their wagons for the last time?

Releases April 23, 2023

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BXNRKZ7B

 

Abilene: Rescue Me - (Mail Order Brides) Book 17

By Kimberly Grist

A marriage made in Heaven, a hard-hearted Sheriff and a bootlegger's daughter go together like moonshine and bad decisions. Will she find a way to penetrate the barriers of his heart?
Daughter of a bootlegger and hopeless romantic, Abilene is on the run and looking for her happily ever after – including an understanding husband, a house in the country, and tranquility. Sheriff Mark Joseph needs a practical wife who understands that chaos is part of his job and tenderness, love, and affection amount to sentimental hogwash. Will she find a way to penetrate the barriers of his heart?

Releases April 24, 2023

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLZ9J2Z4

 

Winning the Widow's Heart (Mended Hearts)

By Jo-Ann Roberts

She was branded as a traitor to the Union.
He was her sworn enemy.
A marriage of convenience would be perilous…wouldn’t it?

In the summer of 1864 in Roswell, Georgia, war widow Sofie Bishop struggles to manage the small family vineyard on her own. The War Between the States took her husband and her way of life. Now, with the taxes due, she’s about to lose her home. Her only option? Finding work at the Ivy Woolen Mill.
Her woes only continue to worsen when the Yankees arrive on Roswell’s doorstep and destroy the mill. Branded as a “traitor” for making fabric for Confederate uniforms, she is arrested and transported north with the women and children who worked in the mill.

Captain Seth Ramsey, a dashing, surprisingly courteous officer and a gentleman, is not what Sofie expects from a Union soldier. Despite her misgivings of falling for the enemy, she finds herself drawn to the handsome officer.

She didn’t think she could lose much more to the Yankees.
But she was wrong.

Releases April 25, 2023

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BKH9K4DP

Bullet Proof Bride: Sweet Western Romance (Pink Pistol Sisterhood Series Book 4)

By Kit Morgan

Goldie Colson has lost everything, including her parents in a bank robbery. So, she does what any other woman would do in her predicament. She becomes a mail-order bride. Unfortunately, before she can tie the knot, she loses her betrothed and his father to train robbers! Now she’s stuck in Nowhere, Washington with nothing but the two mens' meager belongings, including a pistol she found in her future father in-law's satchel. Considering she shot one of the train robbers, it might come in handy if she ever ran into him again.

Rhys Miller couldn’t complain about his life. He was best friends with some of the Weavers of the famous Weaver Farm, and enjoyed working at the town’s only bank, even if it was a little dull. Then she came to town and Rhys didn’t know if he was coming or going. Goldie Colson was scared and rightly so. Strangers were asking after her at the Weaver Farm, and after hearing about what happened to her with a bunch of train robbers, a few of them might want her dead. But Rhys isn’t sure which is worse, guarding Goldie from danger or guarding his heart from her.

Releases April 30, 2023

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BWX33PM9

Tilda: Prairie Roses Collection Book 31

By Linda Carroll-Bradd

Following her parents’ death, Tilda Torsdotter turns to her cousin, Rakel, for help and joins her family’s preparations to head to California. Tilda’s job will be to assist pregnant Rakel with her two children under age five and receive the protection of Rakel’s husband, Albert. Then Rakel sickens and dies, and Albert looks to Tilda to fulfill her cousin’s duties--all of them.
Flynn Mannix has his eye set on reaching the gold fields of California. An easy-going guy, he’s always made his way doing one task or another but now he wants to make something of himself. Hiring on as a driver on a wagon train seems like the easiest way to reach the west coast. Until he witnesses an inappropriate encounter and steps in. Suddenly, he’s committed to a marriage of convenience with Tilda and responsible for her safety until they reach California. At the end of the trail, will the couple go their separate ways, or will they realize the experience has made their marriage real?

Releases April 30, 2023

Pre-orders for May:

 

Sabrina: Rescue Me - (Mail Order Brides) Book 19

By Zina Abbott

Responsible for a younger sister, Sabrina thought she was running from a bad situation to something better. However, when she discovered what sort of “wife” her prospective groom had in mind, she knew she had to escape.

Hugh could use a housekeeper and someone to cook for his ranch hands, but he has no desire for wife. He particularly does not like redheaded women. However, when one vocal redhead with her sister in tow bumps into him—literally—it soon becomes apparent the two need rescuing. As long as the feisty redhead’s claim she can cook is true and she stays out of his way, he’ll give her a chance. After all, he cannot pass up thwarting the plans of a man he has grown to detest.

Releases May 8, 2023

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BLRGNXL5

 

Pre-order June

 

Eveleen: Rescue Me - (Mail Order Brides) book 24

By Linda Carroll-Bradd

Eveleen Murphy works as a maid in the house of a Philadelphia lawyer. Amiable and fun-loving, she is a favorite in the household. But when her employer’s younger brother moves in, she is confronted at every turn by his unwanted romantic advances. When her cousin is in danger, she takes in Treise. The women make a plan to answer ads for mail-order brides in the small city. But when jewelry goes missing and Eveleen is blamed, she has to go on the run. With only one letter from a potential husband in hand, Eveleen sets out for Wyoming Territory.

Dairy farmer Bjorn Crosby has been content to work the family dairy farm with his younger brother. Days after his brother marries and moves to his wife’s farm, Bjorn places an ad for a mail-order bride, hoping for an experienced farm woman. The first woman to reply is from the city, and he doubts the wisdom of his communication. When he’d faced with the woman’s arrival at his farm, he has to decide to move her into his home or fund her ticket home. With such a tenuous start, what hope does this relationship have?

Releases June 12, 2023

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BLTBF1Q2

 

Davis's Debt: Hers to Redeem Book 13

By Marisa Masterson

Her brother saved Davis during the war. Now Josephine becomes his way of paying back the debt.

But marriage! Can anything good come when the man is forced by honor to marry her?

 

 

Releases June 20, 2023

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BXQ2F47R