[Reprinted from a 2007 blog for History Hoydens]

“A gold mine is a hole in the ground with a liar at the top." – Mark Twain

When I began doing research for my first novel, Texas Gold, I was searching for a special type of location. It needed to be isolated, with a means of support for those who settled in the town. I didn’t want the town to be too prosperous – that eliminates some of the available conflict for a story. Also, the area had to be right for the nefarious to operate – cattle rustling, horse stealing, etc. – and have numerous places for them to hide.

I already knew my hero was a Texas Ranger, the tall, dark and dangerous type, who preferred the assignments that sent him out alone, far from civilization. My mental picture of the heroine was his total opposite, a fragile-looking woman with golden hair.

Golden? Aha! A gold mining town. But was gold ever mined in Texas in the 1800’s? The answer, it turned out, was yes. Not much, and never profitably, but there were gold mines in Texas in the 1800’s.

Most gold mining took place in the far southwest part of the state, in the area called Big Bend. There was some mining in the Davis Mountains, and also in Presidio County. The Mexicans and Spanish are said to have left behind ristras, granite bedrock milling stones, on the banks of creeks after abandoning their mining attempts. There are persistent legends of large veins scattered through the land, enough to keep panhandlers searching. Even today, panning turns up small amounts of gold around the ruins of Fort Davis.

The part of Texas I chose is a high desert area, remote, difficult to get to by wagon, but with sufficient water and wood for a town to be built. Fort Davis, established by the United States army in 1854, was a day’s ride away, close enough to give the inhabitants of my town supplies and contact with others, but not so close that the bad guys would avoid the area. While researching the history of Fort Davis, I found mention of a wave of gold seekers coming through on their way to California from San Antonio. Their need of protection helped drive the placement of the fort. Fort Davis was manned from 1854-1891. My story takes place in 1890.

I now had enough of a factual foundation on which to build my fictitious town. I placed the town of Lucinda, named for the founder’s persnickety wife, out in the middle of that deserted area.

From all I’ve read no one, person or mining company got wealthy digging gold in west Texas, but dig they did. And for a fiction writer, that’s all we need to create our own little piece of the past. Maybe Mark Twain had it right – although I’d rather consider myself a weaver of a tale rather than a liar.

TG

What Inspires Your Stories?

Post by Doris McCraw writing as Angela Raines 

Photo property of the author

It's the first Sunday in November after a Halloween that was filled with a time change, blue moon, full moon, and fairly warm temperatures for October. As I pondered what I would write about this month, I realized the year is close to finishing. It made me wonder what women thought about in the 1800-early 1900s. How was life different for those who lived in the cities on the Eastern seaboard from those who lived in the small towns or had made the journey cross-country to begin life anew? In answering those questions I find the stories I want to tell.

The very first story I had published, way back in 1997, was a short mystery about a couple who were out hiking. One falls off the side of the trail and is hanging on as the other ponders what their life was like and the abuse that was a part of that. While I never want to fall off the side of the trail, nor was there any abuse, the hikes I had taken with my ex-husband were the germ of that story. I was also had recently retired from working in juvenile lock-up. Yeah, there is a lot of fodder for stories from those years. 

Photo property of the author

I had always had an affinity for storytelling, and as an actor that need was filled in every show I performed in. Writing always seemed a natural expansion of that tendency, but I kept dragging my feet. I credit Cheryl Pierson for pushing me onward to fiction writing and Chris Nichols from the Pikes Peak Library District for the non-fiction writing. 

Once I made the decision the rest was easy. I can hear you now, 'Easy?". Yes, easy. No, putting myself in the chair and typing isn't easy, but finding stories is. My affinity for research and spending time in cemeteries leads me to some amazing pieces of information. As an example, there was a short article in the local paper from the 1880s, I believe, about a woman whose husband wanted her committed to an insane asylum because she wanted to rent a house she owned to a man. It was taken to court with the judge finding on her behalf. The judge said it was her home and she could do what she wanted with it. What would happen if she filed for divorce? Maybe she moved in with her renter? There are so many options and she owned property. Women back east might not have had the privilege. Maybe she had a friend back home she corresponded with? 

Photo property of the author

Another piece had a woman in black, with a covering over her face meeting a man under a light near the train station late at night. I never found anything else on the particular incident, but it has stayed with me for years. Someday I will find a way to tell this story, whatever it may be.

So, in answer to the question, what was life like, I find so many options and all those can and do lead to the stories I tell. What leads you to the stories you tell? I really would love to know.

Have a wonderful November and for those doing NaNoWriMo, good luck. For the rest, have a wonderful Thanksgiving here in the U.S.  For everyone, happy writing and I can't wait to see the stories you had to tell. 

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

Opening a Can of Beans or How to Feed Your Characters

by Patti Sherry-Crews

A brief history of the can opener might not be the most romantic topic for a blog post to be written by a romance writer, but as a writer of historical fiction stopping my narrative to ask questions such as "how did people in the old west get their food out of the can?" is part of my process.

When I sit down to craft a story I probably spend as much time researching as I do writing—if not more. Especially if I'm working on an historical novel. I might start a line of dialog and then wonder if a certain word or phrase was in use at the time, so I have to open a new tab on my laptop to look up the etymology of said word or phrase.

Likewise, dropping in historically accurate details requires research. The minutiae of my characters' lives is what brings depth and texture to the story. They don't just sit down to eat, they have to eat something and it better be something available during that time period.

So, I spend a good amount of time looking up details about clothing, food, medicine, etc.

When I wrote my first historical western, Margarita and the Hired Gun, the two main characters spend most of the book out on the trail—for weeks on horseback. They had to eat, and though they did live off the land to some extent, they mainly had to rely on food they carried with them. This presented a problem for me because how would they keep food from spoiling on their long journey?

In researching this question, I was surprised to find how early canned food became available. Canned food has been around since 1810. It would have been one of the foodstuffs Michael and Margarita carried with them in their saddlebags in the late 19th century.

While working on my most recent project, I once again put my characters out on the trail. In one chapter they sit down together to share a can of beans....but, wait....how do they open that can of beans? I never thought about that before.

 Hero and heroine stare mutely at one another across the campfire holding a can of beans aloft and wondering how to open it. Author, help us out here, their bewildered eyes seem to say.

* the author opens a new tab.

I quickly looked up when the first can opener was made to see what this handy tool would have looked like. In 1858, Ezra J. Warner designed the first can opener. Warner's design consisted of a pointed blade with a guard made to puncture the can. Then a second, curved blade would be worked around the top of the can in a sawing motion.

But, pay attention: Peter Durand got a patent from King George III for his canned food process in 1810. Notice that? Canned food was out there 50 years before anyone could figure out how to get the food out of the can!

That's like building a garage around a car before envisioning the need for a door the width of a car to drive out of the garage. So how did folks open a can of peaches before 1858?

 Briefly, let's look at canned food, the need for which was a by-product of war. Needing to move troops great distances for long periods of time, Napoleon offered a reward to anyone who could solve the problem of feeding an army on the move. In 1809 Nicolas Appert first preserved foods by putting them in hermetically sealed and heat sterilized containers. Unfortunately these early containers were made of glass, which is not the ideal for rough travel.

The first cans (short for "canisters") made by Durand were of wrought iron with a tin lining. In order to open them, the use of a chisel and hammer was recommended. As you can imagine canned food did not immediately take off like it was the best thing since sliced bread. 

Then came the American Civil War and canned foods once again kept moving armies fed. Canned foods like oysters, meats, fruit, and vegetables made their way from the battlefield to the general stores at this time. 

But early can openers were not user-friendly. The threat from the sharp blade and the jagged edges left on the open can frightened the customers, so store clerks would perform the service of opening cans for them during purchase.

Now, back to our romantic campfire dinner now completed and recently published story, His Unexpected Companion. Since Kit and Olivia are traveling after 1858, I was able to provide them with a Warner can opener.

Excerpt:

They worked together around the campfire. He kept a deliberate distance from her all the while. He levered open the can of beans with a firm grip on the wooden handle of the can opener, slicing the curved blade through the metal. Because it was so new, the blade was very sharp.

“Watch your fingers.” Her voice so close to his ear startled him, causing him to

jerk his hand. 

He took in a sharp breath. He could have easily sliced his hand open. It was a narrow miss.

“You might want to give a warning before a man picks up a sharp object. Not while he’s using it.” He finished opening the can of beans and dumped it into the skillet with the bacon already cooking and filling the air with its fragrance.

She clicked her tongue. “Kind of jumpy aren’t you?” her sights fixed on him as he cleaned off the can opener with his kerchief. “I see you got one of those fancy openers.”

“I bought it in town. No sense in wrestling with a can. How do you open them?”

“With my knife.”

You can see the can opener plays a small part in the story. It gets mentioned a couple more times, and the reader probably doesn’t think anything of it. But from the author’s point of view, a lot of behind-the-scenes work went into this simple passage. The exchange also tells us something about the hero and heroine.

Authors, have you come across any interesting facts while doing research? How much time do you spend researching versus writing? Do you have any go-to places to search out your facts? Readers, do anachronism stop you dead in your tracks while you’re into a book?

About His Unexpected Companion:

Olivia Darling is her own woman—self-sufficient, intelligent, and wise to the ways of the world. She’s also beautiful enough to rile other women and garner unwanted attention from men, which could bring more danger down on her than living the outlaw life she’s taken to. Headed home to Colorado, she’s ready to put her past behind her—but what kind of reception will she get?

Kit Traver is headed home to Colorado, giving up his law practice back East to return to the place he loves—and the woman he intends to marry. His life neatly planned, this journey will give him the time he needs to be alone with nature before he takes on the responsibilities of practicing law again and being a married man. 

When Kit and Olivia meet in Denver, it’s not the best first impression—for either of them. But, they are traveling the same trail, so it’s only natural they ride along together. It’s obvious to Kit that Olivia needs his protection—if only from herself!

But traveling together ignites a fire between them that can’t be ignored, especially once they arrive, only to discover that everything has changed while they’ve been away. With her father mysteriously murdered, Olivia has her hands full trying to keep the big ranchers from pushing her off her family’s small spread. Can Olivia and Kit make a home together? Will Kit walk away from his socialite family for the love of HIS UNEXPECTED COMPANION?

Available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08CN617WV

To see more books by Patti Sherry-Crews visit her website http://pattisherrycrews16.wix.com/author-blog

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pattisherrycrewsauthor/

The Long History of the Hedge Maze

 If you thought the hedge maze, or the more American version, especially in the fall, the corn maze, was an English tradition, you’d be sadly mistaken. The first such maze was invented more than 2000 years ago, in ancient Greece. It was a labyrinth and was created for Grecians to use when embarking on a spiritual journey. There was only one circuitous route to follow, so it was serene and enlightening. In Germany, the labyrinth was even used as a rite of passage for young men as they passed from childhood to adult. Nordic fishermen walked through labyrinths before setting sail to ensure a bountiful outing and a safe return. 

A maze is different for a labyrinth, since it branches in all directions, with many dead-ends and routes that lead one back to the same point. The hedges used in the creation of the maze are taller than most visitors who dare enter, making sight cues impossible. The word “maze” itself dates back to the 13^th century and is derived from the word “delirium.” Webster defines the word as such: “A confusing, intricate network of winding pathways; specifically with one or more blind alleys.” Mazes were constructed in Europe in the 16^th century to entertain royalty. One such hedge maze, on the grounds at Hampton Court Palace in England, occupies a quarter acre of space and was used as the design of the first maze assembled to study the movement of rats and to judge their ability to learn and remember. England’s long fascination with hedge mazes has ensured them as a fixture in the countryside. Today, there are over 125 mazes open to the public. 

 

King Louis XIV had an extensive labyrinth created at the gardens of Versailles. As part of the layout, there were 39 topiaries formed in the shape of the fables of Aesop, with water dripping from the mouths of each to represent speech. 

In the 1970s and 1980s, mazes found their way into every person’s realm, first as puzzle books and then as video games. No longer was it necessary to devote acres of land and a horde of workers to maintain a hedge of boxwoods for the entertainment of the wealthy. But such mazes do still exist, to the delight of those who have a sense of adventure. The longest maze is now in Wahiawa, Hawaii, on the grounds of the Dole Pineapple Company, and is comprised of more than 14,000 tropical plants and has 2.5 miles of paths. It is one of only a few permanent botanical mazes in America and has eight secret stations that offer clues to a mystery for the hardy souls who venture in to solve. 

The largest corn maze on record was in Dixon, CA and spanned sixty acres. It made the Guinness book of records in 2014. Several people had to call for help after being lost in the maze for hours. 

Since most simple mazes have walls connecting to the outer boundary, if you trail your right hand along this hedge and follow it, you’ll find your way out again. If you have an idea to build your own maze, the rules are quite simple. You need at least one path between the entrance and the exit. If you build in blind alleys and dead ends, make certain they’re long enough to not be easily discernable. And it might be a good idea to equip your participants with a cell phone, just in case. 

http://mentalfloss.com/article/70964/15-intricate-facts-about-mazes

http://www.unmuseum.org/maze.htm

https://www.doleplantation.com/worlds-largest-maze/

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

 https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/winding-history-maze-180951998/

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

Becky Lower writes mostly American historical romances, but occasionally crosses the pond to Regency England. In addition to History Imagined, she has a weekly blog at http://beckylowerauthor.blogspot.com.

While doing research for a new Regency series, she investigated the history of the maze and weaved it into her story line. Becky only entered a maze one time and spent hours trying to find her way out before vowing to never again set foot in them. 

Click here to find out more about Becky’s books: http://www.beckylowerauthor.com