One Hundred and Sixty Acres for $1.25 per Acre! by Reggi Allder

 Does $1.25 per acre to buy land, does the sound good?

 The Homestead Act on May 20, 1862 law established a three-fold homestead acquisition process: file an application, improve the land, and file for deed of title. It was for land not in the original thirteen US states. This would bring people to settle the west.  

Nebraska sod home. I love the cow on the roof.

Any U.S. citizen, or intended citizen, who had never borne arms against the U.S. Government could file an application and lay claim to 160 acres of surveyed Government land.

 Local land offices forwarded the paperwork to the General Land Office in Washington, DC, along with a final certificate of eligibility. The case file was examined, and valid claims were granted patent to the land free and clear, except for a small registration fee. Title could also be acquired after a 6-month residency and trivial improvements, provided the claimant paid the government $1.25 per acre. After the Civil War, Union soldiers could deduct the time they served from the residency requirements. 

Many pioneers had a rough time once they arrived on their land. They often build sod homes that gave them little protection from the elements as it has little isolation. One woman reported a roof of sod dropped dirt, grass, and bugs from the ceiling. 

Sisters living in a small sod home in Nebraska.

     Still, in 1870 a Montana settler reported spending only $2.78 on the construction of his entire sod home. However, since the house was literally built of dirt and grass, it was constantly infested with bugs, mice, snakes, and assorted other "varmints and vermin." One sod-house settler lamented that, "In the afternoons, every afternoon, the rattlesnakes would come out of their hidden dens in the walls and roof, and sun themselves on the western window-sill." The very best sod roofs tended to leak, which turned indoor dirt flooring into a quagmire. Wet roofs took days to dry out, and the enormous weight of the wet earth caused many roofs to collapse.

Making a living farming or keeping animals under was difficult with bad weather, drought, floods, etc. Even so, by 1934, over 1.6 million homestead applications were processed and more than 270 million acres—10 percent of all U.S. lands—passed into the hands of individuals. The passage of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 repealed the Homestead Act in the 48 contiguous states, but it did grant a ten-year extension on claims in Alaska.

Sod house with windows, Oklahoma 

Some of the above text was adapted from the article "The Homestead Act of 1862" by Lee Ann Potter and Wynell Schamel, 1997.

In my book Our Country Heart the third book in the Sierra Creek series, Emanuel Gordon is building a home with his own hands. Is he a fool hoping Vanna will ever see it let alone live there?

      Reggi Allder Sierra Creek Series Book Review, “Book is so good I didn’t want it to end. A great stand-alone book. Wonderful Characters!” "Reggi Allder will hold you on the edge of your seat as you follow her real-to-life characters."

Have you ever made a mistake you would do anything to change?

Two people return to the small town of Sierra Creek to right a wrong. Can they ignore the past and put aside their problems for the good of the town? Are they wrong to have confidence in their ability to work together without breaking a heart? 

Excerpt Our Country Heart Sierra Creek Series Book 3:

 “At loose ends.” The saying had no meaning until today. Vanna Danelavich surveyed the California town of Sierra Creek spreading out in a vista before her. In the small village, brick and stucco houses dotted the landscape and surrounded the Main Street shopping area, where no big box stores were allowed.

From the knoll where she stood, the morning sun glistened on the bell tower of the church where her best friend was married a week ago.

This time yesterday, she was working a temp job at the preschool. The teacher returned today, after being on maternity leave. Now, Vanna confronted an uncertain future with few prospects in the rural community, where jobs were scarce, and opportunities limited. Still, it was her hometown.

Tired of being anonymous in Los Angeles, she’d thought of Sierra Creek, population five thousand, and longed for close friends, clean air and little traffic. In LA, with a population of over ten million, finding a friend to say good morning to was often impossible as people lived in a huge geographical area and met only by appointment.

Heat, smog, and gridlock were the only things LA residents could rely on. She might have tolerated those but for a disastrous relationship that left her shaken. Then her mother had a health scare and needed her. It seemed the right time to leave Los Angeles. So, at twenty-seven, she gave up her unrealistic dream of being an actress in Hollywood and came home.

She returned to the place of her birth and a better quality of life should have fallen into place. Too bad reality is never as perfect as a person’s desire. Vanna laughed without humor. She was home now. She’d better make the best of things in Sierra Creek because living in Los Angeles was over.

Could witnessing her best friend’s marriage, and seeing Amy so happy, after years of struggle, be the catalyst for her musing? Vanna had reveled in the joy Amy Long found with Wyatt Cameron, but she couldn’t escape the realization of her own empty personal life.

With a groan, she turned toward Main Street and Sophie’s Ice Cream Parlor. Today, it was her turn to open her mother’s shop. Just then, a sleek black sports car drove down the street. The car parked near the courthouse and a handsome, well-built, brown-haired, man left the vehicle and jogged up the steps to the entrance and disappeared inside. Not many strangers in this community. Who could he be?

 

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If suspense is your thing, check out Dangerous Web and Dangerous Denial solve two mysteries in the California Wine Country.  

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Family Ties ~ Ruthie L Manier

The older I get, the more I want to know about my family history. Does that sound familiar? I think most of us do. I recently visited my Auntie Darlene, who has researched our family history for years. She gave me some more information that I found interesting. 

 John Harvey Tabor, son of pioneer Elijah Tabor, was raised in Marion County Arkansas, along with the native Americans who lived their first. John’s schooling was hunting and fishing. He was the first white man to start a commercial Apple orchard in Arkansas. John planted 40 to 50 trees for his brother-in-law. This was fifty years before the big apple boom in the rest of Arkansas. At first, they could only sell locally, due to the fact there were no trains near their area. After the trains extended into their county, they were able to expand the business and sell the apples commercially. 

John lived a long life to the age of ninety seven years old. He was a great frontiersman and people loved to listen to his stories of when the country was young and the buffalo still roamed the wild frontier. Wen Arkansas became a state, he witnessed his Indian friends being relocated to a place that is now Oklahoma State. Some of his relatives were murdered in the Mountain Massacre in Utah, as they were on a wagon train migrating to Arkansas. 

 

We have researched my family history on my father’s mother's side back eight generations and I can’t wait to discover more. I might even write a book! 

Speaking of books, I just finished my first draft on “Saving Christine,” This story is dedicated to my sister Martha Christine Moore who recently lost her battle with cancer, a cruel disease. The story is different from my other’s and is part religious, part romance, and part fantasy. I hope you will check it out when it is available! Until then, here is a short summary: 

Susan is grieving the loss of her sister. She's angry at God for taking Christine and is having suicidal thoughts. God (aka boss, or big boss, or boss man) notices and sends Saint Peter on a mission to save Susan. Saint Peter enlists his employee and best friend Gabriel (aka Gabe) to help with the mission. Pete sends Gabe to Middle Realm, the realm between heaven and hell, to speak to Susan and see if he can turn her thinking around, to help her understand that Christine is in a much better place and has no pain. As Gabe starts his mission, he notices right away that the mission's plan needs to be changed and scoops up Susan from the beach. He throws up onto his horse, Midnight, and rides hard to upper ground. Susan fights her grizzly sized kidnapper, but he's much too big to thwart. As the story continues, Susan and Gabe strike up friendship, which leads to love, Gabe takes her up to the Heavenly Realm. I cannot say much more without giving away more of the story.  

Thank you for reading. Have a wonderful, safe, Independence Day!

Frontier Justice

  Out on the frontier, justice didn't always wear a badge. In towns where the sheriff was miles away--or didn't exist at all--folks often took the law into their own hands. Whether it was a cattle rustler caught red-handed or a stagecoach bandit hauled in by the posse, frontier justice was swift and sure. Sometimes that meant a noose over a cottonwood branch, or a quick showdown at high noon. It wasn't always pretty, but to many, it was better than letting lawlessness take root in untamed country.

Western novels have long captured the grit and fire of this kind of justice. We read about lone gunslingers delivering vengeance, or tight-knit towns standing up against outlaws when no one else would. It's part of what makes the genre so compelling--the sense that right and wrong still matter, even when the lines get blurred. But for every tale of noble retribution, there's a darker side too. Mob hangings, hasty accusations, and payback disguised as justice weren't uncommon. And not everyone got a fair shake, especially if they were outsiders or couldn't speak for themselves.

Still there's something timeless about the code that governed those rough places. Even if it wasn't written in law books, it was carved into the hearts of those who lived by it. Frontier justice reminds us of a time when justice rode on horseback, and doing the right thing sometimes meant doing it yourself. But it also teaches us to tread carefully--because justice without law can turn into vengeance without mercy. And in the West, every man had to live with the weight of his own decisions. 

Sandra 

 Books available at Amazon

 

The End of an Era - The Ridge Ranch

This fall, we say goodbye to Ridge Ranch with the final book in the series: Loving Annie — Isaac and Annie’s story.

(Unless I write the origin story… which I still might.)

Readers met Isaac early on. He’s Conner’s best friend and once served as the corpsman for Conner’s Marine unit. He was also Cooper’s roommate, and in Redeeming Cooper, we saw that Isaac found his happily ever after… but how did he get there?

Over the next few months, I’d love to introduce you to Isaac and Annie in a deeper way — to share their hearts, their journey, and everything in between. It’s a story I still can’t get out of my head.

Let’s send off Ridge Ranch with love.

Meet Isaac
Isaac has been part of the Ridge Ranch family from the very beginning. He’s steady, selfless, and quietly devoted to those he loves.

But you haven’t seen the story behind his happily ever after.

Isaac never failed Annie. He loved her—always. Even when she married someone else. Even when she pushed him away. He left Maple Creek to protect his heart… but he never stopped carrying hers. He never forgot.

Years later, a snowstorm, a stranded SUV, and a brave young boy named Van bring them face to face again. Van is Annie’s son—and in an instant, Isaac sees the woman he never stopped loving… and the family he didn’t know he was missing.

In Loving Annie, Isaac must decide if he’s willing to reopen old wounds to find something even stronger: healing, hope, and a love that never really left.

Meet Annie
Reader’s have seen her from a distance. Isaac’s first love, the one who got away. But Annie was never just the girl who broke his heart.

She was surviving.

Married young to a man who didn’t love her the way she deserved, for reasons most wouldn’t understand, Annie spent years trying to make a broken life work. She lost herself in the process, gave up the one person who truly saw her.

Now a single mom doing her best to protect her son, Annie has rebuilt everything from the ground up. She’s strong, guarded, and more determined than ever to stand on her own.

But fate has other plans.

When a snowstorm, and a wreck bring her face to face with Isaac again, the past crashes into the present and the future she never thought she could have is suddenly right in front of her.

In Loving Annie, you’ll meet a woman who’s protective, honest, and finally ready to fight for the love she’s always wanted… even if it scares her to death.

Next month, we're going to have an opportunity to interview these two. I can't wait.

Writer's Block

    

The dreaded writer's block.

I used to think that writer's block wasn't a real thing. It was just an excuse not to write. Boy was I wrong!!! 

   I have been struggling to write for the past couple years. I have over seventy books started but can't seem to finish a book. I have four that are almost finished but every time I sit down to write my mind goes blank.  So frustrating!!!

    

  Too keep some of my creative brain going, I tinker and make book covers for all those books I have yet to write.

  There are many causes for writer's block.

        Perfectionism, self-doubt, fear of judgement, imposter syndrome, burnout, lack of inspiration, plot problems, lack of time, poor writing environment, digital overload, lack of routine, ADHD, and anxiety or depression. The list is vast.

  

   There can be the continuous feeling of uncertainty about your writing, the fear it won't be good enough, and the fear you're not original are always running around in your mind. Plotting and planning can be overwhelming, and your mind can shut down.

  I am a total Panster when I write. Most of the time I don't know what is going to happen in my book until the characters do it. I find it a fun way to write. I've made attempts at plotting. I use the Plotrr program and though it's a good program, I find the idea of planning out a story overwhelming. Then I shut down.

  A lot of the time I have too many ideas far too many different ideas for too many different books rolling around in my head and I can't grab an idea and run with it. Opening an unfinished book and staring at the pages trying to think of how to finish it is stressful. Then I shut down.

      

  How to get out of the writer's block slump?

     Just write. It may not be what you are intending to write. It might be terrible and nonsensical. Just put things down on paper. Set attainable goals. Instead of forcing yourself to write the best scene of your life, tell yourself to write 200 words.

     Talk with friends or fellow writers. Bounce ideas off of them and get feedback on what you have been struggling with. My cousin is my "creative advisor".

     Face and overcome your inner doubt. An author is their own worst critic. 

     Always remember that you aren't the only one that struggles to write. Each author has trouble keeping focused at times.

    Identify what is holding you back is the key. I discovered something called the neurodivergent author. I fall into that category. So I've been digging into that and ways to overcome. I even discovered dyslexic friendly fonts.

     

   Lately since I can't seem to finish a western romance, I decided to just write nonsensical things rolling around in my head. Writing is writing and I hope to get back to my romance books soon. Instead, I've been writing things outside of my genre and am enjoying the creative diversion.

   I was listening to Radio Classics and Nick Carter Private Detective came on. My brain ran off and I wondered what if Nick Carter was a woman? What if she was half vampire and a detective in the 1920's? So I played with the idea and came up with a few book ideas and started writing. It's been fun. Something completely out of my comfort bubble.

Just for fun book covers.

  During Hallmark season, I kicked around a Hallmark movie style Christmas story. I have a good start on it and it's coming along nicely. Will I actually finish it by Christmas? I intend to. I'm putting my fear of deadlines to the test and will push through my anxiety and get it done.

Happy writing to all!

Let's Shake On It ~ D. K. Deters

 

Recently, I wrote a scene for my work in progress (WIP) with characters shaking hands. While I had received several critiques, only one savvy reviewer flagged it to me. Specifically, I showed a woman shaking hands with a man in the mid 1800s, when, in reality, the handshake for women became widespread late in the 19th to early 20th century.

As it turns out, a wealth of information is available about the handshake.

How did the handshake start? In 1870, Harper’s Weekly states: “In early and barbarous times, when every savage or semi-savage was his own lawgiver, judge, soldier and policeman” two strangers would offer each other their right hand — “the hand alike of offense and defense” — in order “to show the hand was empty, and that neither war nor treachery was intended.”

Before handshakes, a woman might greet a man with a conservative nod or a curtsy. Through the years, the handshake evolved from a simple gesture to a social ritual with several rules of etiquette.

I’ll mention a couple of early guidelines. In a 1900 issue From The Delineator, How and When to Shake Hands: “When a man is introduced to a woman, she does not shake hands with him unless he is decidedly elderly or distinguished. If he is the husband or brother of the woman presenting him, it is natural to receive him cordially by shaking hands; but it is not good form to do so if he is a mere acquaintance.”

Also, from Lillian Eichler’s “Book of Etiquette” published in 1921: “The etiquette of handshaking is simple. A man has no right to take a lady's hand until it is offered. He has even less right to pinch or retain it. Two ladies shake hands gently and softly. A young lady gives her hand but does not shake a gentleman's unless she is his friend. A lady should always rise to give her hand; a gentleman, of course, never dares to do so seated.”

The times have certainly changed since then. Now that I’ve updated my WIP to show the characters politely nodding, I wonder what our ancestors would say about the handshake today.

Dr. Alida Avery - A Brief Look

 

A Brief Look at Dr. Alida C. Avery

 Post by Doris McCraw

aka Angela Raines

Photo (C) Doris McCraw

 Alida C. Avery

Dr. Avery arrived in Colorado in 1874, two years before the state was admitted to the Union. She located in Denver and set up a practice at 339 Twentieth Street, on the corner of Champa. According to the advertisement in the Daily Rocky Mountain News, Dated June 13, 1874, her office hours were from 10:00 to 12:00 and 3:00 to 5:00.

Alida Cornelia Avery was born June 11, 1833, in Sherburne, New York, to William and Hannah Avery. Her mother died in 1842 when Alida would have been around nine. It is said she taught school at sixteen, but in 1857, she began her medical studies at the Pennsylvania Medical College. She studied there for one year. She eventually attended the New England Medical College in Boston, where she received her MD in 1862.

In 1865, she joined the faculty of Vassar College as a professor and the resident physician. She remained there for nine years, at which time she left and moved to Colorado. The article in the Rocky Mountain News quotes the 'Poughkeepsie News' as saying that during her tenure, not a single death occurred among her pupils. The Rocky Mountain News article also states that she usually had around four hundred in her care at any one time.

Alida was also involved in the suffrage movement. When it appeared that Colorado would attain statehood, a Territorial Women's Suffrage Society was formed. On January 10, 1876, at a meeting in Denver, Alida C. Avery was elected president of this organization. She remained active in the movement throughout her years in Colorado and after moving to California in 1887.

Alida also strove to become part of the two medical societies established in Denver in the early years, but they did not discuss allowing women until 1877. Even then, they were still denied membership. By 1881, when Colorado started licensing physicians, that no longer held true.

Dr. Alida Avery died on September 22, 1908, in San Jose, California. Her obituary on ancestry reads as follows: San Jose, Sept 23 – Dr. Alida C. Avery, widely known as a physician and a woman suffragist, and for years prominent in the San Jose Woman's Club, died yesterday. She was a graduate of Vassar and later of the New England Female Medical College and the Boston University School of Medicine. Her property was lost in the 1906 San Francisco fire, and she died penniless at the age of 76. A brother, Dr. J. Dixon Avery of Pittsburgh, and a sister, Mrs. Harriet Bowen of Atchison, Kansas, survive her.

In 2020, Dr. Avery was inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame.

This is a repost.

Until Next Time

Doris