Indian Cave State Park

    For my yearly trip to Nebraska, I was finally able to stop and see Indian Cave State Park. My cousin told me about it several years ago. She and her friends take their horses and ride the beautiful trails. She took me and though we didn't take the horses, we still had a great time. I went a little too early in the year so the grass hadn't greened up and there were no new leaves yet, but I still enjoyed it.

Indian Cave State Park, is along the Missouri River near Shubert, Nebraska, is a blend of natural beauty and historical significance. Spanning over 3,000 acres of beautiful land, the park offers a variety of activities and attractions for outdoor adventurers and history buffs alike. 

Indian Cave is more of a dramatic overhang than a deep cavern, this sandstone formation provided shelter for Native Americans. But it's not just the cave's impressive size that draws you in. Here, protected from the elements, are prehistoric petroglyphs. These ancient carvings show wild animals and human figures and are believed to be thousands of years old. Although their exact origins remain a mystery, they offer a beautiful connection to the region's Native American history. Visitors can view the cave and its petroglyphs from a handicap accessible boardwalk, with benches and informative signage that enhances the experience. It's a great place to sit and listen to nature. 

Like most places, vandals have carved their names in places. It's sad to see.

  One of the park’s most unique attractions is the partially reconstructed town of St. Deroin. Once part of the Nemaha Half-Breed Reservation, this 1853 village has been lovingly preserved. Established in 1854, even before Nebraska became a state, St. Deroin was a bustling hub, a vital steamboat stop teeming with life. Imagine the sounds of paddleboats chugging along the river, the lively chatter of merchants in the general store, and the laughter of children in the schoolhouse. Named after Joseph Deroin, a significant figure in the local fur trade with Otoe heritage, the town seemed destined for prosperity.

The first man buried in the St. Darion Cemetery was Joseph Derion in April 1858. According to the legend he was buried astride his horse. His saddle and bridle sat in the notch of a tree to mark the grave for many years.

Many of the headstones in the Cemetary are to worn to read. Like many old Cemetaries, there were a lot of headstones for babies.

I would like to do a little more research about St. Derion. I think the history of the town and the people who lived there would be very interesting. 

Beyond its historical significance, Indian Cave State Park is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. Over 22 miles of scenic trails beckon hikers and bikers to explore. The park offers well-maintained campgrounds nestled amidst the trees, providing a perfect basecamp for exploration. Many picnic areas invite you to savor a meal surrounded by nature's beauty. The Missouri River offers opportunities for fishing and boating, with a convenient boat ramp within the park.

Throughout the year, Indian Cave State Park comes alive with various events. Living history weekends in the St. Deroin area offer a fascinating glimpse into 19th-century life, with demonstrations of traditional crafts and skills. In October you can take a spooky hayride and a variety of games.

Indian Cave State Park is far more than a park; it is an exploration of history and nature. It offers an opportunity to think about ancient civilizations, reflect on the development decline of frontier life, and experience the serenity of natural environment. Indian Cave awaits an ideal destination.

Indian Cave State Park is a great place and I hope to visit it again. Only next time I may go in the fall to enjoy the changing leaves.

It's a beautiful gem in Nebraska that is a must see.

Indian Cave | Nebraska Game & Parks Commission

Western Tropes

 

 

Ever wonder what a Western trope is?

Western tropes are the elements that define the genre of Western storytelling, evoking rugged landscapes, iconic characters, and timeless conflicts. At their core, these tropes often explore the themes of lawlessness, frontier justice, and the struggle between civilization and wilderness. The Western frontier itself becomes a character, representing untamed lands filled with opportunity, danger, and moral ambiguity. The iconic image of the lone gunslinger or wandering cowboy embodies self-reliance and stoicism, navigating harsh environments and grappling with personal codes of honor.

Another enduring Western trope is the classic "good versus evil" showdown, often represented by the hero squaring off against a morally corrupt villain. This trope frequently culminates in the dramatic gunfight--a symbol of justice and retribution. The small, dusty town serves as a recurring setting, where saloons, sheriffs, and drifters converge in a microcosm of societal tension. Within these towns, the sheriff, an emblem of law and order is often at odds with the outlaws who thrive on chaos, showcasing the clash between order and anarchy.

The role of Native Americans, often reduced to stereotypes in early Westerns, has evolved in modern storytelling to reflect more nuanced and complex narratives. Similarly, the trope of the damsel in distress, once a staple of the genre, has been challenged and subverted in contemporary Westerns, where female characters are increasingly portrayed as resourceful, independent and central to the plot. These shifts demonstrate the genre's ability to adapt while retaining its foundational elements.

Ultimately, Western tropes remain a compelling framework for exploring universal human themes like identity, morality, and resilience. Whether through the haunting isolation of the desert, the thunder of horse hooves, or the quiet resolve of a cowboy walking into the sunset, these tropes continue to resonate, inviting audiences to reflect on the enduring legacy of the American frontier. 

Sandra

 

 

Second Chance & Later in Life Tropes ~ Jan Scarbrough

 

As the years go by, I find I’m drawn to second-chance romance and later-in-life tropes. (“A trope speaks to a ‘type’ of story that readers expect. It is a genre-specific device that is the catalyst for the central plot or conflict in a story.”)

I’ve written my share of twenty and thirty-something stories, but I also like exploring characters who have made mistakes, experienced sufferings, and are looking for a better life, even if they don’t know it. One of my favorites is a Montana cowgirl named Liz, divorced, remarried, and now a widow. She doesn’t have time for a third marriage—she thinks!

He’s a silver fox seeking solace. She’s a resilient widow guarding her heart. Can a Montana ranch give them both a second chance at love?

After a devastating loss and a life spent chasing Hollywood’s next big hit, producer and scriptwriter Chaz Kingston craves something real. He’s done with false glitz and tired of an ex-wife—and her fame-hungry family—who only care about trending headlines. When an opportunity arises to adapt a feel-good novel set on a working Montana ranch, Chaz jumps at the chance to escape. But he never expected his R&R to include a bold, beautiful widow who stirs feelings he thought were long gone.

Liz Dawson has battled heartbreak before—once with her wonderful second husband and another time with a man who wasn’t so kind. Now that she’s single again, her focus is on keeping the Six Buckles Guest Ranch going strong. Romance? She’s got no time for that. But when this handsome Hollywood outsider arrives, her determination to stay guarded wavers. As sparks fly in the wide-open Big Sky Country, will Liz and Chaz learn that sometimes love finds you—just when you need it most?

Discover this heartwarming, second-chance Western romance where two wary souls learn that finding hope—and taking risks—can lead to the most unexpected happily ever after.

Liz: The Dawsons of Montana Book 3 can be read as a standalone or as part of the beloved Dawsons of Montana series. Grab your copy today and immerse yourself in the rugged beauty and timeless charm of Big Sky Country!

 

 

Did Someone Say Biscuits? ~ D.K. Deters

When I wrote The Texan’s Favor, one of the main characters, Kat, a farm girl with plenty of cooking experience, relied heavily on tried and true classic recipes.

Have you ever wondered what some of those old-time recipes taste like? Well, I decided to try one out. Full disclosure: I’m not a cook. I also used a conventional oven.

Recipe for baking biscuits (from the Tallahassee Museum, Tallahassee, Florida):

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup shortening (Shortening could be substituted with butter, lard, bacon grease, or chicken grease. The latter two will give the biscuits a different flavor.)

¾ cup milk

Preheat oven to 450F degrees.

Sift the flour in a medium bowl. Add sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in shortening using a pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through the ingredients) until it looks like fine crumbs. Stir in milk until dough leaves the side of the bowl. Place on a floured surface. Knead 10 times. Roll or pat ¾ inch thick. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

In the 1800s, pioneers typically used a wood-burning stove on the farm and a small Dutch oven (a cast iron pot with a lid) on the trail.

Some cooks would gauge the stove’s temperature by placing a water kettle on the front burner. When the water boils, the stove is around 450F degrees.

Interestingly enough, the idiom “on the back burner” stems from placing a pan on the back burner of a stove where it’s not as hot.

       

LOL, as you can see, I used the pat method rather than a roller. These aren’t too pretty, but they were flaky, and the consistency was what I expected. 😊 My husband used them for sliders and thought they were good. So, there you have it.

On the trail, Kat would often make Soda Biscuits. I think of these as a no-frills biscuit. She’d cook the biscuits in a Dutch oven surrounded by hot coals.

Another method, which I’m sure many of you are familiar with, is to wrap a biscuit around a large stick and hold it over the campfire.

Have you ever tried an old-time recipe? How did it turn out?

Harvey Girls

Civilizing the West

 In 1876, an enterprising young man named Fred Harvey saw an opportunity to make a name for himself by providing decent meals for rail travelers at decent prices. As it was, travelers were at the mercy of locals at water stops, who preyed on them by selling sandwiches and fruit at exorbitant prices. Since there were no dining cars back then, a passenger had to either go hungry or go broke!

Eventually, Fred opened Harvey House restaurants along railroad lines, providing filling meals at honest prices. He even had refrigerated rail cars for fresh meat and produce to his diners. He also provided meal services on the trains when the railroads opened dining cars and opened a few hotels for train travelers. It's believed that "blue plate specials" began at the Harvey House because meals were served on blue patterned china. Additionally, he offered larger pieces of pie, having them divided in four pieces instead of six.

Besides the excellent meals in his restaurants and clean hotel rooms, what made the Harvey Houses a success were the employees. Harvey wanted his dining service to be as high quality as his meals. He placed ads in newspapers for "single, well-mannered, educated, young women, 18-30 years of age of good character" to apply to be a Harvey Girl. Her salary would be $18.50 a month (generous for that period) plus room and board. She would be required to sign a contract that stated she would be employed at Harvey House for a period of six months. Should she leave before that time, she would forfeit half her salary. She would be expected to wear the Harvey Girl uniform and have a curfew of 10 p.m. Uniforms were starched black and white dresses and aprons with sensible shoes and a white ribbon to tie back her hair. She must wear no cosmetics or chew gum.

Girls often left before their six-month employment to marry, which isn't surprising. After all, these were industrious young women. They'd have to be to travel from their (mostly) back East homes to the wild west to embark on an independent life where they didn't know a soul. However, since they were of good character, educated, adventurous, and served delicious food, they were very attractive to men. Humorist Will Rogers said that they helped civilize the west and he was probably right.

Judy Garland starred in a film about the Harvey Girls, sparking renewed attention to them. Harvey Houses still exist today. I visited one in Hugo, Oklahoma at the old Fisco depot. The food was tasty and the atmosphere was fascinating. I couldn't help but imagine what it would have been like to be a Harvey Girl. Of course, the writer in me couldn't resist and so I wrote a book with a Harvey Girl heroine ("Tough Talk, Tender Kisses") and I had so much fun researching and writing that one! She was the "senior girl" or house mother in charge of the other girls and she took her job very seriously.

If you ever get the chance to stop in at one of the remaining Harvey Houses -- the most famous one is La Posada in Winslow, AZ -- be sure and do so. There are still quite a few scattered across the west and while the restrictions on the servers no longer apply, the food is still a good bargain.

Thomas Wentworth Higginson - More than a Mentor

 

Post by Doris McCraw

aka Angela Raines

Photo (C) Doris McCraw

Have you heard of Colonel Thomas Wentworth Higginson? How about Emily Dickenson? Maybe Helen (Hunt) Jackson? 

Col. Higginson mentored and edited both. He also led one of the all-Black regiments in the Civil War. In all honesty, that is just the tip of the iceberg.

Born December 22, 1823, in Cambridge, MA., and passed on May 9,1911, in Cambridge, MA. He entered Harvard at 13 and graduated at 18. He later returned to Harvard Divinity School, where he received another degree and was ordained as a Unitarian minister at 24.

He was also an abolishist, a supporter of women's suffrage, an author, and a poet. He served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives for two terms.     

Higginson during the Civil War
from Wikipedia

For those who are interested, Higginson wrote the following:

Army Life in a Black Regiment 

Common Sense About Women 

Women and Men

For more about Higginson, there is a recent biography, "A Man on Fire: The Worlds of Thomas Wentworth Higginson", by Douglas R. Egerton. You can read an overview on the Wikipedia page: Higginson - Wikipedia

Until Next Time:

Doris McCraw

Angela Raines - Amazon

Doris A. McCraw - Amazon

The Cherokee Strip

By Kristy McCaffrey

The Cherokee Outlet was established in 1835 as a piece of land accessible to the Cherokee Nation as part of their move to a reservation in what is now northeastern Oklahoma. The Outlet was 225 miles long and 60 miles wide.

Due to a survey error, a 2.5-mile-wide tract of land that buffered the Kansas state line became known as the Cherokee Strip, and the entire Outlet was often called the Strip.

At the end of the Civil War, a new treaty with the Cherokee allowed several tribes (Ponca, Osage, Pawnee, and Nez Perce to name a few) to settle on the eastern part of the Strip. This was punishment for the Cherokee for siding with the Confederacy during the war. It also cut off their access to the western part of the Strip.

In 1880, the Cherokee Strip Livestock Association was formed and proceeded to lease the western portions for cattlemen from Texas to graze their herds, netting a steady income for the Cherokee. But due to pressure to open up the lands for white settlement, all leases were nullified by Congress in 1890, forcing the Cherokee to sell the land to the U.S. government at well below asking price. (As a side note, actual payment for this land didn’t occur until 1964 when Cherokee claims were finally settled in court.)

In September 1893, the Cherokee Outlet was opened for Oklahoma’s fourth and largest land run. It was inadequately run and chaotic, resulting in massive fraud, widespread suffering, and several deaths with over 100,000 pioneers pursuing 40,000 homesteads. Immigrants from almost every part of the U.S. and many foreign countries participated.

* * *

Pre-Order THE SWAN

Amazon | Apple Books | Nook | Google Play

(it will also be available at Kobo and in paperback on release day)

Oklahoma Territory
November 1899 

Dr. Anna Ryan has been spurned by the Dallas medical community for the simple reason of being a woman. Wanting more than a rural practice alongside her mother, also a doctor, Anna accepts an invitation from a mentor to join a private hospital for disabled children in Oklahoma City. But when she falls in with a band of women attempting to liberate a town of innocents, she’ll need more than her medical training to survive.

Malcolm Hardy has skirted the line between lawlessness and justice since escaping the mean streak of his father and his no-good half-siblings a decade ago. In Oklahoma Territory he created enough distance from his family name to find a quiet purpose to his days. But then Anna Ryan walks back into his life, and his hard-won peace is in jeopardy.

The last time Malcolm saw Anna, she had been a determined girl he couldn’t help but admire. Now she was a compelling woman who needed his help to find The Swan, a mysterious figure with a questionable reputation. But one thing was clear—Anna’s life path was on a trajectory for the remarkable while Malcolm’s was not. Surrendering to temptation would only end in heartbreak.

Anna is the eldest daughter of Logan and Claire from THE DOVE. 

The Wings of the West Series Reading Order
Book One: The Wren
Book Two: The Dove
Book Three: The Sparrow
Book Four: The Blackbird
Book Five: The Bluebird
Book Six: The Songbird (Novella)
Book Seven: Echo of the Plains (Short Story)
Book Eight: The Starling
Book Nine: The Canary
Book Ten: The Nighthawk
Book Eleven: The Swan (Coming Soon) 

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