Wild Bill Hickok, born James Butler Hickok on May 27, 1837, was a legendary figure of the American Old West. He is renowned for his skills as a gunfighter, lawman, and scout. Hickok gained fame during his time in the Union Army as a scout and spy during the American Civil War. His reputation as a sharpshooter and a fearless lawman grew as he served as a marshal in towns like Hays and Abilene, Kansas.
One of the most notable events in Hickok's life was the infamous "Wild Bill Hickok vs. Davis Tutt" shootout in Springfield, Missouri in 1865. This duel, considered one of the first "quick-draw" gunfights in the West, solidified Hickok's legendary status. Despite his fame, Hickok's life was fraught with danger and controversy, and he was known for his larger-than-life personality and adventurous spirit.
Hickok's life came to a tragic end on August 2, 1876, when he was shot in the back of the head while playing poker in Deadwood, South Dakota. The hand he was holding at the time of his death--aces and eights--has since become known as the "Dead Man's Hand." Wild Bill Hickok's legacy continues to live on in popular culture, where he is remembered as one of the most iconic figures of the Wild West.
Chapel at Evergreen Cemetery, Colorado Springs Image (C) Doris McCraw
Martha J. Hurd married William T. Douglass in Menard, Illinois, on December 17, 1867. She was born on October 21, 1837, in Illinois. This was Martha's second marriage.
Martha J. Harrison married John J. Hurd in Menard, Illinois, on June 3, 1857. In August 1862, John enlisted in the Union Army and mustered out in September of the same year. He served in Company F of the 114th Illinois Infantry. According to the records, he died in Duckport, Louisiana, on June 17, 1863, of 'pernicious fever'.
Martha's second husband, William T. Douglass, was also in the 114th Illinois Infantry but served in Company K. The two men may have known each other, at least by name, having lived in the same area. John, who was born in 1834, would have been seven years older than William, who was born in 1841.
Image of the Douglass headstone from Find A Grave
According to the 1900 census, Martha had four children; none of them survived. According to a newspaper article, the couple's land in Illinois was sold in 1878.
By 1879, the couple had been living in Colorado Springs, where they remained. Willam died in 1909, and Martha died on December 9, 1911.
Until Next Time: Stay safe, Stay happy, and Stay healthy.
Doris
* Note this article is a repost from an earlier story.
I was catching up with a friend by phone, and she said one of her New Year’s Resolutions was to buy no more books. She needs to read the ones she has already purchased.
My book shelves
I can relate. Starting in 9th grade when my teacher Mrs. Neff suggested we buy books, I’ve been doing just that. I had good role models. My parents had bookshelves filled with books, fiction and history. My mother was a paperback reader. She even filled notebooks with lists of books she read. She told me she didn’t want to read a book she’d already read. My father read historical novels. And I loved to read. I went off to college and eventually changed my major to English because I loved to read and write.
Even my late husband “read” audiobooks. He had a subscription to Audible and always had a book started on his phone. Currently, I read Kindle books on my iPad. But like my friend with her paperbacks, I have a bunch of unread eBooks in my “to be read pile.”
In the article Lynne talks about Understanding the Allure of Books.
The love of books is not a new phenomenon. People have been collecting books for centuries, but in today's world, where minimalism and decluttering are trendy, the notion of having a personal library full of unread books seems paradoxical. Yet, book hoarding remains prevalent, and understanding its allure requires us to look at several psychological factors.
•The Comfort of Potential
•The Influence of Social Identity
•The Collector's Mindset
•The Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
She also delves into The Emotional Attachment to Books.
Books hold a unique place in our hearts, often transcending their role as mere objects. They represent memories, aspirations, and milestones in our lives, contributing to the emotional attachment we feel toward them.
•Nostalgia and Sentimentality
•The Ritual of Reading
Finally, she explores Breaking the Cycle: How to Manage Book Hoarding (If you want to...).
•Embrace a One-In-One-Out Policy
•Set Reading Goals
•Explore Digital Alternatives
•Host a Book Exchange
Well, I already have “digital alternatives”, and that pile has grown. I’ve even donated physical books to Locust Grove, a local historical home that has used book sales to raise money. I saw on Facebook today I saw a post from someone who has a goal to read a certain number of books a year. Not me. I read what hits me at the time.
I don’t know the answer. I tell myself I’m going to read books I’ve already purchased. But I’m not good at following through. Maybe I don’t want to. Maybe I feel comfortable with a fiction book. When I read a novel, I visualize what I’m reading. I can “see” the action and a good writer will make me feel the emotion. Let’s face it, sometime the escape is something I want and need.
What about you? Are you going to restrict your book buying habits in 2025?
However, if you’re in the mood to buy a new book, I have a paperback, eBook box set, and audiobooks of my Western mystery/romance that may be just for you! https://books2read.com/GhostMountainRanch
HAPPY NEW YEAR! I don't know about you, but I'm ready for 2025!
Having been raised in Texas, I grew up with the tradition of eating black-eyed peas and cabbage on New Year's day - the peas for luck, and the cabbage for money (financial prosperity in the coming year). I think my business plan has a better chance of making me rich than a bowl of veggies, but I'm covering all my bases. LOL
What about you? What traditions do you and your family observe?
That's one slang name for a horse. There are many because cowboys and horses are like peanut butter and jelly. They're perfect partners. I love writing about the special relationship cowboys have with these sometimes (often!) temperamental animals. Everybody who has ever worked on a ranch has a story about a horse and those stories often bring sentimental tears to the eyes.
Some other colorful names for "nags" include man killer, fantail, buzzard bait, bangtail, knothead, snake stepper, broomtail, bucker, and tail buster. Speaking of color, the major colors of horses are bay, black, brown, chestnut, and white. Other variations are dun, gray, palomino, pinto and roan.
Common color names are sorrel, chestnut, bay, buckskin, calico, dapple, and strawberry.
Beyond colors, cowboys have other ways to describe their mounts. For instance, a horse whose color fades around the mouth and chin is called "mealymouthed." Or "baldface" if the horse's face is mostly white. If a horse has small black or blue spots all over it, a cowboy might say he's "fleabitten" or "speckled." Black mane, tail, and feet are dubbed "points." A horse that is a hard-to-describe color could be called "katty colored." Scattered colors over a dark background is called "overo." A horse with black and white spots is a "piebald." Any other color of spots is a "screwbald." Large patterns of color on a white background is referred to as "tobino."
As for personality, cowboys come up with all kinds of descriptions! One of the first horses I had was part Shetland pony and part Devil. He was as sharp as a tack and he dearly loved to aggravate me. He'd spot a low branch and head straight for it, hoping to knock me out of the saddle. Or he'd sidle up to a barbed wire fence in hopes of snagging my jeans leg. As a novice, I did everything wrong with him. I learned that I couldn't walk into the pasture with a halter in my hand. He'd run like the wind and I'd never catch him. I had to hide the halter behind my back or drape it over my shoulder and offer him a bite of apple or carrot to have any hope of saddling him. Oh, yes. He also did the age-old horse trick of filling his lungs when I tried to cinch the saddle so that it would be loose when he exhaled. Then, if he was lucky, I'd slide sideways once I was in the saddle! That happened a couple of times before a cowboy showed me how to knee the Devil Horse in the side and make him exhale before I cinched him up.
Have I nudged some memories from you? I'm sure most of you have a good story or two about being bamboozled by an ornery hoss! But when you master that symmetry with a horse -- when you begin to think alike and he or she anticipates your need before you can relay it -- that is astonishingly magical.
I hope you find Happy Trails all through 2025!
In December 2023, Captain Cavedweller and I were able to cross one trip off our travel bucket list - seeing the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. That visit inspired me to write a new holiday series of books set in a fictional but beautiful home on the Columbia River in Oregon. The four books follow four generations of the Hudson family, beginning with Brant Hudson, who builds Hudson House, and the feisty woman who captures his heart.
He came to build the house of his dreams, but found a home for his heart.
After an extensive search for the ideal location to build a house he’s spent years designing, Brant Hudson knows he’s found the perfect site the moment he sets foot on the land near Silver Bluff, Oregon. However, frustrating delays leave him laboring alongside the very crew he hired to finish the house in time for Christmas. His work leads the woman who catches his eye to believe he’s a carpenter rather than the owner of the grand manor.
Holland Drake grew up on a farm, but she aspires to secure a position as a housemaid at Hudson House. While delivering lunch to her brother at the worksite, the door opens to a job when Holland encounters a strikingly handsome carpenter whose charm captivates her. Soon, Holland discovers the enchanting man is none other than the owner of the house and her new employer.
As the holiday season arrives amid a flurry of excitement and possibilities, Holland and Brant face choices that could change their lives forever. Will fear hold them back from stepping into the future together, or will their Christmas dreams of love come true?
A Christmas Dream is the first book in the Hudson House Holiday series of wholesome, heartwarming Christmas romances full of the joy of the season.
Will Christmas spark a romance that blooms into lasting love?
After losing his brother and part of himself on a French battlefield during the Great War, Kase Hudson seeks refuge from the haunting memories at his childhood home. He finds solace in carving wooden Santa figurines in his workshop in the stables that he sends to gift shops to sell. Kase distances himself from his family’s unwanted sympathy until his sister, Sarah, arrives for the holidays with her vibrant friend. He never expected beautiful Dori to breathe warmth and joy into the house right along with his heart.
With no family of her own, photographer Dori Stanford eagerly accepts Sarah Hudson's invitation to join her for Christmas at her family’s home in Oregon. The two friends travel from their college in California to Silver Bluff, excited to spend the holidays at Hudson House. Once they arrive, Dori makes it her mission to connect with Sarah’s sullen brother, Kase, and draws him into the wonder of the season.
Will her persistence and encouragement be the spark Kase needs to step out of the past and into his future—possibly one that includes Dori?
A Christmas Spark is the second book in the Hudson House Holiday series of wholesome, heartwarming Christmas romances full of the joy of the season.
Will a Christmas romance lead two searching hearts to a lifetime love?
Bound to the Hudson House family estate, Vienna Hudson strives to uphold the legacy her grandparents established. When she’s not busy preserving her heritage or managing the family corporation, she steals away for horseback rides across the sprawling grounds—until a chance encounter with a handsome stranger turns her world upside down.
Surveyor Sam Bishop is tasked with plotting a new interstate through the Silver Bluff area. He faces a significant challenge when his calls to an elusive landowner go unanswered, prompting an impromptu visit to Hudson House. Excited to explore the beautiful acreage, nothing could prepare him for Vienna's fiery welcome—armed with a pistol and a courageous spirit.
As holiday bells ring across the estate, Vienna and Sam work together to navigate the complexities of both the road project and the ever-evolving feelings dancing between them. Will the pair find a way to embrace their unexpected connection? Or will the pressures of responsibility and ambition tear them apart before they realize love is the most precious gift of the season?
A Christmas Love is the third book in the Hudson House Holiday series of wholesome, heartwarming Christmas romances full of the joy of the season.
A heartfelt holiday tale of a family’s legacy that leads two hearts to love.
Reeling from the recent death of his father, Alex Hudson returns to Silver Bluff to protect his family's legacy. Upon reaching Hudson House, he discovers the once-vibrant estate all but abandoned. On top of that, his conniving aunts seem intent on seizing his inheritance. In search of support, Alex turns to a local attorney. There, he meets a woman who becomes an ally, friend, and the one person who can give him hope and a place to belong.
Nori Laroux enjoys working as a partner at her father's law firm. However, when he entrusts an important client to her care, Nori finds herself grappling with her feelings for Alex Hudson from the moment they meet. Committed to protecting his inheritance, she is determined to help Alex preserve the legacy of Hudson House, even if it means risking her own heart in the process.
When Alex suggests the idea of reopening the historic home for a Christmas celebration, Nori and her family eagerly step in to help deck the halls and fill Hudson House with cheer.
Will the holiday season bring Alex and Nori to the discovery that hope is a special gift and that love is the most treasured of all?
A Christmas Hope is the fourth book in the Hudson House Holiday series of wholesome, heartwarming Christmas romances full of the joy of the season.
USA Today Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield is a farm girl who loves to write character-driven romances with relatable heroes and heroines. Her sweet historical and contemporary romances are filled with sarcasm, humor, hope, and hunky heroes.
When Shanna isn’t dreaming up unforgettable characters, twisting plots, or covertly seeking dark, decadent chocolate, she hangs out with her beloved husband, Captain Cavedweller.
Shanna is a member of Western Writers of America and Women Writing the West.
Belva Lockwood was born in 1830 in Royalton, New York, to
farmers. From that modest beginning, she would eventually become a self-made
middle-class professional woman.
Widowed at 22 with a young daughter, she made the unpopular
decision to separate from her child for three years so that she could attend
college. She studied at Genesee College, where she became interested in the law.
She graduated with honors in 1857 and became headmistress of Lockport Union School.
But whether she was teaching or administrating, she was only paid half of what
her male counterparts were making. Before pursuing her political career, she
bought The Owego Female Seminary where she served as Principal, and she offered
a curriculum to the girls that was on par with their male counterparts.
In 1868, Belva remarried to Ezekial Lockwood, a much older
American Civil War veteran. He supported her desire for legal studies and
encouraged her to pursue subjects that interested her. In 1871, Belva earned a
Master of Arts from Syracuse University. She was able to gain admission to the
National University School of Law in Washington D.C., but upon completion of
her coursework in 1873, the school refused to grant her a diploma because of
her gender. She wrote a letter to then President of the United States, Ulysses
S. Grant, appealing to his position as ex officio president of the Law School,
asking for justice. Within a week of sending the letter, she was granted her
Bachelor of Laws at the age of 43.
Belva Ann Lockwood
In 1876, the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court refused to
admit her to its bar, so she single-handedly lobbied Congress. They passed “an
act to relieve certain legal disabilities of women.”
On March 3, 1879, on the motion of Washington attorney
Albert G. Riddle, who had long been her champion, she became the first woman
admitted to the Supreme Court bar, sworn in amidst “a bating of breath and
craning of necks.” A year later, she argued Kaiser v. Stickney before
the high court, the first woman lawyer to do so.
In 1906, Belva represented the Cherokee Nation in United
States v. Cherokee Nation. She was successful in ensuring the payment
of the five-million-dollar suit, one of the largest made at that time to a
Native American tribe for land ceded to the government. She also
represented hundreds of family members of Civil War veterans in their pension
claims. Lockwood later sponsored Samuel R. Lowery to the Supreme
Court bar, making him the fifth black attorney to be admitted, and ultimately
the first to argue a case before the court.
Lockwood had a 43-year career as a lawyer.
She was also the second woman to run for President of the
United States. She ran as a candidate of the National Equal Rights Party in the
elections of 1884 and 1888. Since women couldn’t vote, and most newspapers
opposed her candidacy, her campaign didn’t get far.
She died in 1917 and is buried in the Congressional Cemetery
in Washington, D.C.
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