A Miraculous Escape from Auschwitz - A WWII Story

by Cindy K. Stewart

Courtesy of Auschwitz.org

Walter Rosenberg, who later changed his name to Rudolf Vrba, and fellow prisoner Alfred Wetzler escaped from the infamous Auschwitz Death Camp on April 7, 1944. Their method of escape was rather unique, and the comprehensive report they wrote about the mass executions taking place at Auschwitz helped to save the lives of thousands of Hungarian Jews.

Walter was 15-years-old when he was forced to leave school and study at home due to the anti-Jewish laws passed by the pro-Nazi German protectorate of Slovakia. Three years later, at age 17, he'd had enough. He tore the Star of David off his clothes and left home in a taxi, hoping to make it to Great Britain. At the Hungarian border, frontier guards captured him and sent him to a transition camp. Hoping to improve his situation, he volunteered for a "Work Farm" assignment, which was in reality a one-way trip to Auschwitz. He held various jobs at Birkenau (Auschwitz II), where the gas chambers and crematoriums were located.

By April of 1944, about 90% of the new arrivals to Auschwitz (6000 people) were sent straight to the gas chambers each day. Drunken SS guards spilled the news that Hungarian Jews would soon arrive. Auschwitz II had a very active camp underground/resistance organization made up of prisoners who worked in various departments in the camp. After the group learned that Rosenberg and Wetzler wanted to escape, the members aided their plans. It was past time to expose the Nazi's secret crimes to the outside world. 

Confiscated clothing in the "Kanada" section of Auschwitz
Courtesy of Wikipedia. Public Domain.

The underground gathered data from the central registry, a list of the SS officers working around the crematoria, drawings of the layout of the gas chambers and crematoria, records of the transports gassed in two of the crematoriums, and a label from a Zyklon B canister. In one department, prisoners sorted through the large quantities of items confiscated from the new arrivals and packaged the goods to send to Germany. From this supply, the underground gathered suits, socks, underpants, shirts, a razor, a torch, glucose, vitamins, margarine, cigarettes and a lighter for Rosenberg and Wetzler. 

Courtesy of Auschwitz.org

A barbed wire perimeter surrounded the barracks where the prisoners slept at night, and the Nazi guards erected another external perimeter during the day. A stack of wood for constructing new buildings had been placed in a construction area between these two perimeters. The men created a hollowed-out space in the wood pile, and on Friday, April 7th, 1944, Rosenberg and Wetzler, clad in suits, overcoats, and boots, climbed inside their hiding place. A Russian POW had previously told them they needed to soak strong-smelling Russian tobacco in petrol and dry it out to hide the men's scent from the guard dogs. Their underground helpers piled wood around the escapees and sprinkled the area with the prepared tobacco. 

Rosenberg had observed that after someone went missing at Auschwitz, the SS would hunt for them for three days and three nights before calling off their search. The two men stayed in the wood pile undetected for three nights and throughout the fourth day. After nearly 80 hours, they crawled out of their hiding place at 9:00 PM on Monday, April 10th. 

Rosenberg and Wetzler headed south to Slovakia, eighty-one miles away. Polish civilians assisted them with food and shelter, and they crossed the border after eleven days. A peasant family in Slovakia put them in contact with a nearby Jewish doctor who sent them by train to the Slovak Jewish Council in Žilina. Although the Slovakian government had turned over thousands of its Jews to the Nazis who deported them, part of the Jewish community was left alone to operate its schools and synagogues as a show piece for German propaganda.

Vrba and Wetzler's Escape. Courtesy of Wikipedia and Martin Gilbert.

Rosenberg and Wetzler wrote a full report of the atrocities taking place at Auschwitz, including drawings and detailed facts to back up their testimony. Rosenberg signed the report with his new name - Rudolf Vrba. The report was translated from Slovak into German and completed on April 27th. It was copied and taken to Hungary, Switzerland, the UK, Romania, and the United States. The story eventually hit the newspapers, and leaders of several countries pressured Hungary to stop the deportations. The U.S. and Britain bombed Budapest on July 2 and dropped leaflets stating those responsible for the deportations would be held accountable.

Miklos Horthy
Wikipedia. Public Domain.

Although the Nazi's had invaded Hungary in March of 1944 to prevent the country from withdrawing from the war, the Germans had left Hungarian Regent Miklós Horthy in power. After the Allies bombed Budapest, Horthy reasserted his authority and ordered an end to the mass deportations. Prior to that, 437,000 Hungarian Jews had been sent to Auschwitz between May 15 and July 7. The order to stop the deportations resulted in the sparing of 200,000 Jews in Budapest.

Vrba and Wetzler survived the war, wrote books about their experiences, and lived to an advanced age. Vrba argued to the day he died that more lives could have been spared if the report had been disseminated immediately. He maintained that politics had played a part in keeping their account quiet for a time. Over the years many theories have been presented for why this may have happened, but that's a story for another time. 

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Sources:

Memorial and Museum Auschwitz Birkenau - "Escapes and Reports"

Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team - "Rudolph Vrba - I Escaped from Auschwitz"

Wikipedia - "Rudolph Vrba" 

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Cindy Stewart, a high school social studies teacher, church pianist, and inspirational historical fiction author, is a 2020 finalist for the Georgia Romance Writers Maggie Award of Excellence, placed second in the 2019 North Texas Romance Writers Great Expectations contest, semi-finaled in the American Christian Fiction Writer’s Genesis contest, and won ACFW’s First Impressions contest in the historical category. Cindy is passionate about revealing God’s handiwork in history. She resides in North Georgia with her college sweetheart and husband of thirty-nine years. Their married daughter, son-in-law, and four adorable grandchildren live only an hour away. Cindy’s currently writing a fiction series set in WWII Europe.

Will Rogers – Oklahoma’s Native Son

Will Rogers’ famous tag line: “I never met a man I didn’t like.”

William Penn Adair Rogers was born on his family’s ranch in Oolagah, Oklahoma on November 4, 1879. He was the youngest of eight children. Both of his parents were of Cherokee descent.

As a youth, Will worked cattle on the family ranch. He learned to ride and lasso from a young age and grew highly skilled at roping. He even earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for throwing three lassos at once. One went around a horse's neck, another circled around a rider, and the third flew under the horse, looping all four legs together. That must have been a sight to see.

“Everything is funny, as long as it's happening
to somebody else.” W.R.

Though Will attended several schools, he dropped out in tenth grade to become a cowboy. He traveled to South Africa with Texas Jack's Wild West Show, where he played "The Cherokee Kid" and did roping tricks. Then he traveled to Australia and New Zealand with the Wirth Brothers Circus. He returned to the United States in 1904, where he did trick roping at the World Fairs in St. Louis and New York City. He continued his career in entertainment, touring vaudeville circuits in America, Canada and Europe from 1905-1915.

Will married Betty Blake on November 1908. They had four children: Will Jr., Mary, Jim and Fred. Betty was a loving and supportive wife to Will until his death.

“Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.” W.R.

During his years in the vaudeville circuits, as well as his time with Ziegfeld Follies, Will's act evolved from the exhibition of his lasso skills to the development of his own unique style of humorous monologues. Will had always regretted quitting school, and enjoyed talking to people and reading. These two interests became the basis for his humor, which focused on intelligent and amusing observations about people, life, the country, and the government in simple language that his audience could understand. Before long, audiences hankered for Will's humor more than his roping feats.

In 1918, Will began acting in silent films, including Laughing Bill Hyde (1918) and The Ropin' Fool (1921). When "talkies" came in, Will Rogers became a national star. His “talkie” film credits include such titles as They Had to See Paris (1929) and State Fair (1934). His humble way of talking and country roots appealed to audiences. Throughout his career, Will starred in 71 films and several Broadway productions. In 1934, he was voted the most popular male actor in Hollywood.

“Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over
 if you just sit there.” W.R.

Will's career soon moved beyond the realm of show business. He wrote 4,000 syndicated columns and six books and became a prominent radio broadcaster and political commentator. He called politics "the best show in the world" and described Congress as the "national joke factory." His folksy humor and honest, intelligent observations about the government and America earned the respect of the nation.

Eventually, Will roped in some nominations of his own. He declined a nomination to be governor of Oklahoma but he did become honorary mayor of Beverly Hills in 1925. For the 1928 election, Life magazine formed the Anti Bunk Party, in the hope that their nominee for the Presidency of the United States would not talk "bunk," as other politicians did. Will's no-nonsense spin on the political "show" made him the obvious candidate for the spoof campaign. Will promised that he would resign if he won. He wrote his observations on the election in Life and became one of the country's foremost opinion leaders. As a result of his status as a nationally beloved figure and powerful political pundit, Will also had the good fortune to meet many world leaders. He was a guest at the White House and a friend of Presidents Calvin Coolidge and Franklin Roosevelt

“Too many people spend money they haven't earned to buy things they don't want to impress people they don't like.” W.R.

Will's life was cut short at the age of 55 in 1935. He planned a vacation with aviator Wiley Post, flying to Alaska with some stops along the way. Will had already flown all over the world as a reporter, visiting London, Manchuria, Java, Egypt, South America, Japan, Moscow and destinations all over America. The ill-fated flight to Alaska, however, took the life of America's most beloved celebrity. Tragically, on August 15, 1935, Will and Wiley's flight crashed near Point Barrow, Alaska, taking both of their lives. Will's untimely death shocked and saddened the nation. Initially, Will was buried in Los Angeles. However, his wife Betty built the Will Rogers Memorial in Claremore, Oklahoma, which was dedicated in 1938 by President Franklin Roosevelt. In 1944, Will's body and the body of his son Fred, who died at the age of two, were moved to rest there. Betty died that same year, and rests beside her husband and son.

Will Rogers and Wiley Post

Will Rogers' political writings and sayings continue to remain relevant to politics today, and his wit and humor continue to endear him to audiences everywhere. Let me close with a word of advice from Will Rogers: “Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip.”

The Prodigal's Shotgun Wedding

A prodigal’s hope for a happy homecoming is derailed.

Clay left home after his brother’s death—a death for which he was responsible. After years away he’s finally returning, hoping for reconciliation with his father. But when the stagecoach he’s riding in wrecks and he is injured, he finds himself in a fight for survival.

Jolie is fleeing a nightmare situation. She desperately hopes becoming a mail-order bride doesn’t land her in a worse place. When the stage crashes and she spends the night alone with a wounded man, she wonders if her intended will still want her. If he doesn’t, what will she do? She has no money and nowhere to go.

On sale for 99 cents. Free Kindle Unlimited.

Vickie McDonough is the CBA, EPCA & Amazon best-selling author of 50 books and novellas. Vickie grew up wanting to marry a rancher, but instead, she married a computer geek who is scared of horses. She now lives out her dreams penning romance stories about ranchers, cowboys, lawmen, and others living in the Old West. Vickie’s books have won numerous awards including the Booksellers Best and the Inspirational Readers’ Choice awards. When she’s not writing, Vickie enjoys reading, doing stained-glass projects, gardening, watching movies, and traveling. To learn more about Vickie’s books or to sign up for her newsletter, visit her website: www.vickiemcdonough.com

Book Day

The Prodigal's Shotgun Wedding

Vickie McDonough

A prodigal’s hope for a happy homecoming is derailed.

Clay left home after his brother’s death—a death for which he was responsible. After years away he’s finally returning, hoping for reconciliation with his father. But when the stagecoach he’s riding in wrecks, and he is injured, he finds himself in a fight for survival. Jolie is fleeing a nightmare situation. She desperately hopes becoming a mail-order bride doesn’t land her in a worse place. When the stage crashes and she spends the night alone with a wounded man, she wonders if her intended will still want her. If he doesn’t, what will she do? She has no money and nowhere to go. On sale for 99 cents / Free on KU.

Land of Promise Series

Nancy J. Farrier

1860’s California Three women—kidnapped, considered worthless, sold. Will they trust God? Will they find the man of their dreams? First time in a box set.

The Damsel's Intent

Mary Davis

The Quilting Circle book 3

Can Nicole learn to be enough of a lady to snag the handsome rancher?

Nicole Waterby heads down the mountain to fetch herself a husband, not realizing women don’t wear trousers or carry a gun. She has a lot to learn. Rancher Shane Keegan has drifted from one location to another to find a place to belong. When Nicole crosses his path, he wonders if he can have love, but he soon realizes she’s destined for someone better than a saddle tramp. Will love stand a chance while both Nicole and Shane try to be people they’re not?

Sautee Shadows

Denise Weimer

Book One of the Georgia Gold Series 

Mahala Franklin, a half Cherokee orphaned girl, grows up in the shadow of a mystery. Who killed her father, and what happened to the gold he mined from the Sautee Valley? Forced from the only life she's ever known and molded into her grandmother's idea of a proper young lady, Mahala finds life in Clarkesville lonely and full of challenges. But there are at least pieces of the puzzle of her past to be fit together, and relationships that will shape her future ... with Clay Fraser, her Cherokee friend who wants to be so much more, and with wealthy entrepreneur and competitor Jack Randall, with whom Mahala doesn't dare to dream of, and with Carolyn Calhoun, unwilling socialite caught between her feelings for two very different brothers. As the lives of the coastal "summer people" mingle with those of Habersham's natives, a tapestry of love, friendship and intrigue unfold, a tapestry laced with a brilliant thread that will lure you through all four books of The Georgia Gold Series. *This month, all four Eugenia Price-style novels are .99 each e-book!*

Hannah's Courage

Molly Jebber

Hannah Lapp’s life, like a long-cherished recipe, is satisfying just the way it is. She enjoys whipping up desserts at the bakery, tutoring local children, and socializing with dear friends. One of those friends, Timothy Barkman, has made his interest in Hannah clear, but she’s been in no hurry to change her circumstances. No sooner does she feel ready to grow closer to hard-working, handsome Timothy than Hannah finds she may have waited too long. Charlene Shetler intends to become Timothy’s friend. It’s little wonder he’s attracted to such a pretty, forthright young woman, but is the newcomer all that she seems? Only when Hannah is willing to confront some difficult truths can she move bravely toward a life of abiding faith and love . . .

Under the Tulip Tree
Michelle Shocklee

Sixteen-year-old Lorena Leland’s dreams of a rich and fulfilling life as a writer are dashed when the stock market crashes in 1929. Seven years into the Great Depression, Rena’s banker father has retreated into the bottle, her sister is married to a lazy charlatan and gambler, and Rena is an unemployed newspaper reporter. Eager for any writing job, Rena accepts a position interviewing former slaves for the Federal Writers’ Project. There, she meets Frankie Washington, a 101-year-old woman whose honest yet tragic past captivates Rena. As Frankie recounts her life as a slave, Rena is horrified to learn of all the older woman has endured—especially because Rena’s ancestors owned slaves. While Frankie’s story challenges Rena’s preconceptions about slavery, it also connects the two women whose lives are otherwise separated by age, race, and circumstances. But will this bond of respect, admiration, and friendship be broken by a revelation neither woman sees?

The Soldier's Lady

Susanne Dietze, et al

Join four adventurous women making their homes at Old West forts. Ally at Fort Snelling in 1828. Emily at Fort Humboldt in 1854. Adelina at Fort Riley in 1864. Annie at Fort Garland in 1879. Faced with daily challenges—and stubborn men—they bring civility to the frontier.

Wilted Dandelions

Catherine Urich Brakefield

The Second Great Awakening has stirred her soul…

Rachael Rothburn is eager to leave her life of luxury in Boston to share the gospel with Native Americans in the west. The only problem is the missionary alliance won’t let her go unless she’s married. When Dr. Jonathan Wheaton, another missionary hopeful learns about the restrictions, he is desperate to find a wife. He offers Rachael a marriage of convenience and she agrees. The pair sets off for Oregon to share Jesus with the natives, but in the process, they discover God doesn’t create coincidences—He designs possibilities.

The Bell of Liberty

Elaine Marie Cooper

This photo of the child touching the Liberty Bell brings back happy memories for me.

Many years ago, I was a child with my small hand touching this same bell that both fascinated me and stirred a desire to know more about our American history. That craving still exists in my heart, as my adult years have brought me to research and write about the years of the American Revolution.

Because of its name, many often think the Liberty Bell was cast during the Revolution. It, in fact, was commissioned by the Quakers in Philadelphia in 1751 to commemorate the 50^thanniversary of William Penn founding the colony of Pennsylvania. 

Since Quakers were the strongest voice against slavery that was rampant in all the colonies, the Pennsylvania Assembly declared a “Year of Jubilee” and ordered the creation of the bell to be placed in the Philadelphia State House. 

According to author William Federer, the Speaker of the House, Isaac Norris, quoted from Leviticus 25: “And ye shall make hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof; it shall be a jubilee.” 

In accordance with the Israelite calendar, the year of Jubilee was to free slaves, forgive debts, and return lands to the original families who owned them. 

As proponents of freedom, the Pennsylvania legislature requested these words to be inscribed on the bell: “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.” 

Monument to Col. John Nixon who read the Declaration in 1776

Since the Liberty Bell became a symbol of freedom during the American Revolution, it seems ironic that it was cast in England. The irony lies in the fact that the bell was rung during the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 8, 1776 when the writers of the document vilified their Mother Country. Some historians say it was after this event that it became known as the Liberty Bell. Others claim it was not referred to as the Liberty Bell until the 1830’s when an abolitionist group adopted it as their symbol. Regardless of the origin of the name, we all today refer to it as such. 

After the British invaded Philadelphia in 1777, local Patriots feared the British would steal the bell and melt it down to be used for armaments. The Americans snuck it out of the city, transported the 2,000-pound bell into a wagon, then covered it with hay and manure to hide it. The bell was taken to Zion Reformed Church in Allentown, PA where it was hidden in the church’s basement. When the British left Philadelphia in 1778, it was returned.

The famous crack in the bell is a subject of speculation. The original bell, commissioned in 1751, cracked when it underwent a test strike. The metal was too brittle, causing it to be recast twice. The final version was comprised of 2,080 pounds total of copper, tin, and small amounts of lead, zinc, arsenic, gold and silver. 

Despite numerous speculations about the crack’s origin—during the visit of Marquis de Lafayette in 1824 or while tolling to signal a fire or during the ringing for the funeral of Chief Justice John Marshall in 1835—historical accounts verify it was damaged by 1846. Although attempts were made to repair the crack, it did fracture beyond repair and was retired from “ringing duty.” 

It was placed in a pavilion near Independence Hall in 1776, then moved to Liberty Bell Center in Independence National Historic Park. Now millions come to view the famous bell each year.

Just like a young girl did many years ago in Philadelphia. As the curious child carefully fingered the crack, a writer of historical fiction was born. 

Elaine Marie Cooper has two historical fiction books that released in 2019: War’s Respite(Prequel novella) and Love’s Kindling. They are the first two books in the Dawn of AmericaSeries set in Revolutionary War Connecticut. This series will re-release with a new publisher beginning in 2021. 

Cooper is the award-winning author of Fields of the Fatherless and Bethany’s Calendar. Her 2016 release (Saratoga Letters) was finalist in Historical Romance in both the Selah Awards and Next Generation Indie Book Awards. She has been published in Chicken Soup for the Soul and HomeLife magazine. She also penned the three-book historical series, Deer Run Saga. 

Her upcoming release, Scarred Vessels, is about the black soldiers in the American Revolution. Look for it in October 2020. You can visit her website/ blog at www.elainemariecooper.com

Amana Village Life – with giveaway -- by Donna Schlachter

The General Store from Wikipedia

Amana Colonies from Wikipedia

The Amana Colonies in Iowa were founded in 1854 by a closed sect of Christians who originally came from Germany. However, after many years of persecution in Europe, they emigrated first to New York, just outside Buffalo. They enjoyed a communal lifestyle, maintaining their commercial and provisional independence as much as possible. The tract of land they purchased in New York was owned by the Colony, and was originally called Ebenezer.

However, the city of Buffalo grew rapidly, and by the early 1850’s, the community was almost surrounded completely. They sent an advisory team west to find new land on which to settle. The decision was made to purchase land near Homestead, Iowa, and six communities were plotted out. A few years later, when the railroad came to Homestead, they purchased the entire town so they could have access to the rail for shipping goods in and out.

Each colony operated under similar rules, and each colony had its own board of elders called the Bruderrath. The Amanites kept themselves to themselves, but occasionally hired an outsider to live and work in their community as need arose. Sometimes this included a blacksmith, laborers, or folks with special skills. Housing was provided to these outsiders, who also ate in the communal kitchens in each colony.

Life was simple in the colonies. Each person had their job to do, and was expected to do it as the entire community relied on them. Laundry was dropped off at each colony’s wash room, where it was cleaned, ironed if need be, then picked up later. The kitchens were ruled by a Kȕchebaas and several helpers, and provided three meals and two snacks per day. There were no cooking facilities in the houses.

Under their original structure, marriage was frowned upon as a weakness of the flesh, but in time they came to understand the need to continue the community, and so permitted marriage. Families lived together until they, too, left home to wed.

They lived a true communal existence, in that nobody owned anything in their own name, including homes or equipment. Any monies earned by sales of products or labor to the outside world were pooled within the community. Each person was given an annual allotment of money, and was expected to spend it within the community store.

Church services were held Sunday morning and every evening, and men sat on one side, women and children on the other. Weddings were held as part of a regular service, and the couple didn’t send invitations. Instead, they traveled from colony to colony to invite folks to the wedding.

When a baby was born, the mother could stay home for two years, at which time the child was enrolled in a care program half days, and the mother returned to work half days. At the age of five, the child began attending school, at which time, the mother returned to work full time. The work and school weeks ran six days a week, with the Sabbath, or day of rest, being the only free day.

Marriage to an outsider was not permitted, and divorce was never an option. If one spouse had a problem with the other, they went to the Bruderrath for advice and counsel.

In 1932, The Great Change, as it is referred to, relaxed many of the rules regarding the way of life, and the communal life was ended. Colonists purchased houses, ran their own businesses, and kept their own profits or salaries. However, the Amana Colonies still exist with many of the original buildings now re-purposed for commercial use. The Great Change also ended the religious aspect of the colonies, propelling them into a secular form of government.

The current colonies enjoy a great tourist trade, and the museum is a treasure-trove of history. If you’re in the area, be sure to stop by! It’s in the neighborhood of Highway 6 and 151, just north of Highway 80 near Iowa City.

Leave a comment and be entered into a drawing for an ebook version of A Nurse for Caleb, as a special pre-release gift.

Welcome sign from Amana Colony website

Resources:

https://amanacolonies.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amana_Colonies



About A Nurse for Caleb (releases September 3, 2020):

In 1868, Tessa, a Mennonite nurse graduates from nursing school and is assigned to the Amana Colonies in Iowa because of her expertise in treating asthma and other breathing problems. As a former student at a women's medical school, she knows more than most about respiratory diseases. She's also had her fair share of heartbreak when, upon her mentor's death, she was forced to abandon her dream of becoming a doctor. Will she be able to use her skills? Or will her gender keep her from helping those who truly need her?

Seth, a widower in Amana, is still nursing a broken heart from his sweetheart's passing two years before. Now raising their invalid son Seth on his own, he wonders why God didn't listen to his prayers for healing for his family. Caleb has been afflicted with the same form of asthma that killed Anna, and Seth stands by helplessly as his son fades away. Can he trust God and trust medicine, or is faith in one mutually exclusive of faith in the other?


About Donna:

Donna writes historical suspense under her own name, and contemporary suspense under her alter ego of Leeann Betts, and has been published more than 30 times in novellas, full-length novels, and non-fiction books. She is a member of ACFW, Writers on the Rock, SinC, Pikes Peak Writers, and CAN; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; ghostwrites; edits; and judges in writing contests. www.HiStoryThruTheAges.com

Historic Saint Augustine

Saint Augustine, Florida is a modern-day mixture of historical buildings and tourist focused attractions for which Florida is so well known. The city is located on the east coast or the north-central area of the peninsula and is approximately nine-and-a-half square miles.

Christmas in St. Augustine.

Boasting a Christmas illumination display that would make Clark Griswold proud, Saint Augustine’s Night of Light’s is one of the nation’s brightest with almost two-million lights. 

The restaurants styles range from exclusive gastronome to old fashioned empanada meat pies. Spooky nighttime tours of the haunted downtown and the striped, Saint Augustine Lighthouse are but a few fun things to fill your evenings.

The area is steeped in history from the early sixteenth-century, to the civil war, to WWII, and into the twenty-first century.

Here’s a bit of early history about Saint Augustine and the surrounding area.

In 1513, Spanish explorer, Juan Ponce de Leon lived in Puerto

Explorer, Juan Ponce de Leon

Rico. He left the islands to explore the northern continent on March 4 and arrived on the Florida coast on April 2. Along with three commissioned ships, the Santiago, the San Cristobal, and the Santa Maria de la Consolacion, the adventurer traveled the coastline of Florida from Mosquito Inlet to Charlotte Harbor. De Leon named his discovery, La Florida, in honor of the Easter Season and Pascua Florida, the Spanish festival of flowers. Legend says de Leon was in search of—not gold—but a fountain of youth the native population said existed in the area. Today, you can visit the mythological fountain in the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park near Saint Augustine.

1565, King Phillip II of Spain sent Pedro Menendez de Aviles to Florida after he learned the French had established a settlement near Jacksonville, Florida—an intrusion onto Spanish lands in the New World.

Pedro Menendez de Aviles arrived on the Florida coast with 10 ships and 1500 men around September 1565. His orders were to establish an outpost for Spain along the coast and eliminate the French settlements on Spanish land.

Coffin of Pedro Menendez de Aviles

He settled St. Augustine then immediately attacked Fort Caroline, a French settlement near Jacksonville, Florida. During the conquest, Menendez ordered some of the Frenchmen to be hung from trees. He carved a message into a tree trunk that read "Hanged Not as Frenchmen but as Lutherans."
Menendez continued his quest until he fulfilled his promise to the king to eliminate the French and establish St. Augustine for Spain.

Sir Francis Drake, English sea captain, privateer, naval officer, slave trader and explorer, attacked St. Augustine in 1586. His forces destroyed the wooden fort, San Juan de Pinillo.

An Italian artist who traveled with Drake, Boazio, rendered a map of the city during the siege. Boazio’s drawing is the earliest portrayal of the city of Saint Augustine and provides historians with important landmarks and information about the design of the city.

Carolina Charter of 1665 enlarged the original grant for the Carolina Colony. The new boundary extended into Spanish territory and was defined as 29° north latitude. The extension of the Charter encompassed Saint Augustine. The city had been controlled by the Spanish for over 100 years. A border dispute between the English and Spanish erupted in the Americas. The dispute wasn’t fully settled until the Georgia colony was formed.

The history of Saint Augustine is sometimes overlooked in the modern teaching of American history. We tend to focus on the Plymouth Colony and the Virginia Colony, forgetting the Spanish imprint on the New World. Though sometimes violent, the contribution of men like King Phillip II, Juan Ponce de Leon and Pedro Menendez de Aviles are huge and worthy of a place in America’s textbooks. Have you visited Florida or the Saint Augustine area? What did you think? Please, leave a comment below and let us know about your experiences in the historic city.



 

Multi award-winning author, Michele K. Morris’s love for historical fiction began when she first read Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House book series. She grew up riding horses and her free time in the woods of mid-Michigan.

Michele is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

Those Round White Lacy Things...

by Cindy Regnier

Did your grandma crochet doilies and have one on end tables or displayed across a dresser top? Mine did and it’s a great memory. Many of them are still treasured keepsakes in my family. Today, the word doily might make you think of dark wood furniture in old homes with doilies scattered about. It might surprise you to learn that doilies are still popular today, whether Grandma crocheted them or you bought them at the local department store.

The word ‘doily’ originated from the surname Doiley, a London firm that made fringed napkins in the 1700s according to “Homes and Antiques”. Those napkins were not crocheted. Actually, crochet as we know it today hasn’t been around that long. Opinions differ on its origin but the earliest mention of crocheting was in a Swedish magazine in 1819. By 1844 cotton was being mercerized to make the thread stronger so it would hold its shape better. During the Irish Famine of 1846 nuns taught it to students who sold their doilies as a means of helping to support the convent. This is where the technique of Irish Crochet developed.

In the Victorian era. Well-born young ladies were taught to make doilies as they were expected to have a supply in their hope chests. As well as being decorative, they were used in serving food and protecting delicate furniture.

According to Good Housekeeping, 1905, doilies were placed beneath toast, rolls or muffins. It should fit inside the rim of the plate without hanging over the sides. In a New York times article published in 1909, doilies were placed beneath the finger bowl. According to the article, “For less formal use the finger bowl is set upon a doily on the dessert plate and is removed with its doily and set at one side of the plate until needed. It is bad form to pass a finger bowl without a plate and doily under it. The latter should never be omitted, though it is sometimes done ignorantly.”

In The Etiquette and Service of the Table, written by the Department of Domestic Science, Kansas State Agricultural College, dated 1916, it states that “At breakfast and at luncheon the table-cloth is sometimes discarded, and a center piece, with an individual doily for each article to be set upon the table, is used.” It also states that the water pitcher is placed upon a small plate or tray, on which there may be a doily. The assumption is for the doily to soak up any condensation. (Hey, it’s a thing. I actually went to college at this place now known as Kansas State University. I don’t think I ever saw a doily there, however.)

In 1920, Everyman’s Encyclopedia of Etiquette by Emily Holt discusses the use of doilies at the luncheon table. “…the service plate must be laid upon a doily of suitable size which in its turn rests upon an asbestos pad. The water glass also stands on a small doily toward the centre and at the right of the service plate, and on a slightly larger doily at the left stands the bread-and-butter plate with a small silver knife lying flat across it.”

I’ve seen old pictures from inside my great-grandmother’s home of very intricately crocheted doilies draped over the top of a piano and over the backs and arms of chairs. I sure wish I knew what happened to them.

 

Though now yellowed, they still show her lovely craftsmanship
I still have the doilies my great-grandmother crocheted to fit the shelves of her rounded front china cabinet.

Since the 1970s craft publications have offered patterns for all kinds of doilies. You can make them colored, in shapes such as angels or owls, even incorporate them into your wardrobe by applying one to the front of a t-shirt. They are also popular in the wedding world where miniature doily dresses make shower invitations.

Brides use them in their hair, as a hanky, even an entire wedding gown may be made from doilies. Oriental Trading states on its website, “Decorate in lovely vintage style when you add these handmade doilies to your wedding decorations! Place them under centerpieces, votive candle holders or under jars of sweets on your candy buffet. They add a timeless elegance to your event.” I have some patterns that show how to make a quilt from doilies. Wouldn’t that be fun?

Doilies are usually made from cotton thread. In one of my books, an editor advised me to change the term “ball of crochet thread” to “yarn.” I refused. I think we settled on something like “string” since it was being described by a man. Take my word for it. Crochet thread is very different from yarn and requires a whole different kind of equipment as well as technique.

Today doilies are mass-produced, you don’t have to crochet them.

Bargain bin doilies

But if you’re like me, the old-fashioned hand-crocheted doilies are treasured heirlooms. So how do you know the difference? Perfection. If it’s perfect, it’s likely mass-produced. Look for tension differences, missed stitches, or a bit of thread beginning to come unraveled. Grandma was pretty much perfect, but even her crochet had the little differences that make it even more valuable to her granddaughters.

A few of Grandma's doilies. Aren't they beautiful?

Rand Stafford isn't looking for true love. He'd ridden that trail until his fiancée left him with a shattered heart. What he needs now is a wife to help him care for his orphan nieces. Fleeing her former employer who would use her to further his unlawful acts, a newspaper advertisement reads like the perfect refuge to Carly Blair. Hiding on a cattle ranch in Kansas is her best shot for freedom.