The Van Buren Sisters
I took a break from watching Hallmark Christmas stories last week, and scrolled through the other offerings on television. I landed on a show about the town of Sturgis, SD, long-known for its… Continue reading
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Living History: Cades Cove Under Threat
As I write this on Wednesday, November 30, 2016, one of my favorite places on earth is burning out of control. It was the family vacation spot of my childhood and holds a… Continue reading
Thanksgiving Without the Pilgrims
November moves along and it is time for tall black hats, turkey, and indigenous peoples in highly incorrect head dresses. In the United States we all know the drill: the Pilgrim Fathers of… Continue reading
Anniversary of Ellis Island’s Closing–November 12, 1954
In light of recent events here in America, and the possible tightening of our somewhat porous borders, I thought the anniversary of the closing of the busiest of our immigration inspection stations—Ellis Island,… Continue reading
November 11, a Day of Remembrance
The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. . . November 11, 1918. In a railway carriage in the Compiégne Forrest some 65 km from Paris, the first step in… Continue reading
They Also Serve
A novel is generally considered “historical” when it is set fifty years or more in the past. By that standard any story set before 1966, when the first of the baby boomers left… Continue reading
Hurdy-Gurdy Girls
Since this blog is about imagining history, I’d like you to indulge me for a few minutes. Imagine yourself as a young single woman as the Civil War drew to a close. Because… Continue reading
Living History: Connecting with Heritage, Part II
Some people are fortunate to grow up in a community and/or family where heritage is fixed and known to all. Others know little about their ancestors or have only vague information whence they… Continue reading
The Worst of Times—The Bristol Riots
Unrest in the streets, peaceful demonstrations for change overshadowed by rioting and violence, demands increase in law and order—Baton Rouge? Ferguson? No, Bristol 1831 at the height of the Reform Crisis. Longing for… Continue reading
Downing’s Oyster Restaurant
The latest addition to the national mall in Washington, DC is the National Museum of African American History and Culture. It opened its doors on September 24, 2016 after thirteen years of… Continue reading