A footnote from history by Stephanie Grace Whitson
Mention the word
"pioneer," and most of use envision hardy men and sun-bonneted women braving
hostile environments and facing untold challenges with near-mythic grit and
gumption. I love reading (and writing) about pioneer times, but I'm also thankful I don't live in the 1800s. I like my microwave and indoor plumbing, and central heating.
But I can also learn from the pioneers, because while their lives were difficult, they also made time for fun. Here's proof, gleaned from gleaned from pioneer memoirs and letters:
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Nebraska State Historical Society nbhips 11164 |
"In the winter
time, no matter how cold the weather, we would bundle up and climb into the
straw-filled lumber wagon, with plenty of quilts and blankets and drive to
Uncle Will's. . . He lived in a sod house and his two sisters, Laura and Lydia
kept house for him. Lydia played the violin and could dance and jig with
the best of them. Will and Steve and Lydia played for dances and I used to 'chord'
for them on the organ some times."
"There were only
ten women and forty men and we danced all night, and the men nearly danced us
women to death."
" ... at a Calico
Ball, the lady made a calico dress and a necktie to match it. The men were
given a bunch of neckties and asked to choose one without seeing the lady whose
dress it matched. In this way, original partners were selected."
Sod house pioneers lucky
enough to have a wood floor would sometimes put all the furniture outside to
make room for dances. Apparently it wasn't unusual for someone to play the
prank wherein babies asleep on a bed were re-bundled and, in the wee hours of
the morning when the dance broke up, mothers simply took up the familiar
blanket (who would have thought to check to see if the baby was the right
one?!) ... and at some point on the way home or the next morning discovered
they had the wrong baby! The anecdote I read about this incident closed with
the line, "it was two weeks before the neighbors got all the babies traded
back." I could almost hear the storyteller laughing.
Friendships were
forged during those days that lasted a lifetime. I love the mental image drawn
by this account of how a friendship began:
"George and I
precipitated an acquaintance with Dr. and Mrs. Purdum ... they lived in a
dugout with a sod roof on which grew tall sunflowers and through which they
thrust their stovepipe and in driving one Sunday afternoon we drove upon the
roof and our pony stepped through before we knew we were on their dugout. A profound
apology cemented our friendship."

Sunday drives and
calico balls ... dances no matter the weather ... Authors and Dominoes and
Checkers ... and a mention that "twenty miles isn't so far to drive"
all remind me that while twenty-first century life may be stressful, there's
value in taking time to have a little fun, too.
What pastime would you have enjoyed as a pioneer?
________
Award-winning novelist Stephanie Grace Whitson began playing with imaginary
friends (i.e., writing fiction) in the 1990s when an abandoned pioneer cemetery
near the Whitson’s country home provided not only a hands-on history lesson for
her four home schooled children, but also a topic of personal study. When not
writing or researching, she enjoys reading, quilting, spoiling her dozen grandchildren
and/or Kona Kai (the golden retriever), and riding her motorcycle named Kitty.
Learn more at www.stephaniewhitson.com.
The ebook format of Stephanie's novel set during the Dakota War of 1862 is FREE today (October 12). Here's the link:
This was SO fun to read! I love the idea of emptying the room of furniture to dance the night away, and the dresses and ties to choose partners. How clever!!! I also need to investigate that game, "Authors". Bet I'd lose that one, I'm terrible with the classics.
ReplyDeleteThanks Connie. Like you, I’d be in trouble with the game... especially the 1897 version!
DeleteA great post with fun added into the era of the pioneer days. I've always admired this time period and have enjoyed reading stories set during this era. Thank you for sharing and for the free ebook today. Another great one to read.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed the post Marilyn. Hope you enjoy Valley of the shadow.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your great post. It is a pleasure to visit here and learn.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it!
ReplyDelete