Saturday, November 9, 2024

American Royal Family Dynasties

    __By Tiffany Amber Stockton__



In October, I had fun sharing about the oldest outdoor theatre that exists in Kentucky—the Pioneer Playhouse. This month, I'm introducing two old-school families that have established positions in American history.

I also apologize for the lack of the post photos. Google is giving me a fit about my account and despite logging in, it's telling me I need to sign in. (sigh) If I figure it out, I'll come back and add photos. Nevertheless, you can still enjoy the story. 😊

Two Dynasties—Two Different Directions

The United States may lack a royal family, but we do have our own dynasties. Take the Vanderbilts and the Rockefellers — two iconic families whose names alone bring to mind immense wealth, power, and ambition. Cornelius Vanderbilt, with his sprawling railroad empire, built a fortune that helped define the extravagance of the Gilded Age. Then there’s John D. Rockefeller, who dominated the oil industry and became known just as much for his incredible philanthropy and commitment to conservation.

While both families rose to prominence through self-made success, their legacies veered in different directions. The Vanderbilts became symbols of lavish living and architectural wonders like the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC, while the Rockefellers left an enduring mark on charity and the preservation of natural spaces. Their stories, though linked by influence, reveal two distinct paths to lasting impact.

The stories of these dynasties took very different turns. Cornelius Vanderbilt’s empire, valued at over $100 million when he passed, dwindled over the generations. By 1973, when 120 of his descendants gathered at Vanderbilt University for their first reunion, not one was a millionaire. Arthur T. Vanderbilt captured this dramatic decline in Fortune’s Children: The Fall of the House of Vanderbilt, while Anderson Cooper, a Vanderbilt descendant himself, also explored how lavish spending and poor planning led to their downfall.

In contrast, the Rockefellers have held onto their wealth for generations. Through strategic investments, philanthropy, and smart financial planning, the family has kept their fortune growing, with nearly 100 descendants still enjoying billions today. Alongside the financial savvy, the Rockefellers credit their enduring legacy to a commitment to family values, with large gatherings — sometimes over 100 people — held at least twice a year to keep those bonds strong.

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN:

* If you had inherited a large fortune, would you focus on preserving it for future generations, or would you prioritize living lavishly?

* Which family legacy resonates more with you: the Vanderbilts' love of art and opulence that is shared with the American people, or the Rockefellers' focus on philanthropy and financial stewardship? Why?

* Does your family has any traditions or values that will be passed down for generations? If so, what are they?

** This note is for our email readers. Please do not reply via email with any comments. View the blog online and scroll down to the comments section.

Come back on the 9th of each month for my next foray into historical tidbits to share.

For those interested in my life as an author and everyday gal, what I'm currently reading, historical tidbits, recommended reads, and industry news about other authors, subscribe to my monthly newsletter. The latest edition was just sent out last week. Receive a FREE e-book of Magic of the Swan just for subscribing.

BIO

Tiffany Amber Stockton has embellished stories since childhood, thanks to a very active imagination and notations of talking entirely too much. Honing those skills led her to careers as an award-winning, best-selling author and speaker, while also working as a professional copywriter/copyeditor. She loves to share life-changing products and ideas with others to help improve their lives in a variety of ways, but especially from the inside out.

Currently, she lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, along with their two children, one dog, and three cats in southeastern Kentucky. In her 20+ years as a professional writer, she has sold twenty-six (26) books so far and has agent representation with Tamela Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. You can find her on Facebook and GoodReads.

Friday, November 8, 2024

Mail-Order Brides: Bethenia Owens-Adair and Legrand Hill

by Martha Hutchens

image by KathySG, deposit photos
Bethenia and her family moved to Oregon when she was three years old. She was the second of nine children.

In 1854, her parents arranged her marriage to Legrand Hill, who had advertised for a bride. He purchased 320 acres nearby on credit. Bethenia was only fifteen, but as an older child in a large family she knew a lot about caring for a house, a farm, and a family.

image by thephotoguy, deposit photos
Unfortunately, Legrand did not know as much about farming, or perhaps he simply preferred hunting. He left on frequent hunting trips, and failed to weather-proof their small log cabin. Eventually, Bethenia’s father got the house ready for the winter.

Legrand was unable to pay the mortgage on the land--$150. When he lost the land, he and Bethenia moved in with Legrand’s Aunt Kelly.

Within a year, Bethenia gave birth to their son, George. Bethenia’s parents visited her and were appalled with the conditions she faced. They agreed to give Legrand an acre of land and the material to build a house if he would move back to Clatsop County, where Bethenia’s parents lived. 

image by xload, deposit photos
Legrand cleared $100 on the sale of their house, which he invested in a brick-making company. He used all the money he had on this venture, moving his family into a tent instead of building them a house. The company went bankrupt.

Then Bethenia contracted typhoid. Her parents moved her and her child into their house so that she could recover. Legrand refused to begin building a house until Bethenia’s parents signed over the land they had promised him. By this point, her parents had little faith in him and refused. Legrand chose to build a house in town.

Things deteriorated even farther, with Legrand becoming violent toward both his wife and his son. Finally, Bethenia left Legrand. After four years, she filed for divorce. This was a huge scandal at the time, but Bethenia remained resolved. Her parents stood by her, and she lived with them. She found several jobs to support both herself and her son, eventually earning enough for a house in Astoria, Oregon.

image by marslino, deposit photos

She established a business as a milliner and a dressmaker, earning enough money to send her son to study medicine. Not satisfied with that, she studied medicine herself, becoming the first female doctor in the state of Oregon.

Legrand frequently pleaded with her to come back to him, but she was unable to look at him with anything other than pity.

At a time when divorce was an enormous scandal for a woman, Bethenia Owens-Adair faced down her critics and charted her own course. Her parents also refused to bow to social norms, and supported their child.

I must admit I found it hard to read this story. I love mail-order bride books and will be publishing one next June. I want them all to have a happy ending. But history isn’t clean and pretty. And Bethenia certainly showed that scandal and heartbreak can be overcome.


If you would like to learn more about real-life mail-order brides, Hearts West by Chris Enss is a wonderful reference.


Martha Hutchens is a history nerd who loves nothing more than finding a new place and time to explore. She won the 2019 Golden Heart for Romance with Religious and Spiritual Elements. A former analytical chemist and retired homeschool mom, Martha occasionally finds time for knitting when writing projects allow.


Martha can frequently be found at the Sunrise Historical Hearts Facebook page, along with other Sunrise authors. If you would like to find out about new Sunrise releases (including a mail-order bride series), and meet other historical authors, click here to join the fun.

Thursday, November 7, 2024

Enemy Aliens in America During WWII ~ By Michelle Shocklee

 

Enemy aliens.

Those two words represent thousands upon thousands of people throughout history. Dating back to the War of 1812 when British subjects were considered enemy aliens in America, the term has been used to describe foreign-born people of various nationalities who found themselves in the United States at a time of war. During World War I, Germans, Austrians, Hungarians, Bulgarians, and Turkish citizens were considered enemy aliens. Some naturalized citizens and American-born individuals were also labeled enemy aliens based on family ties. Even American-born women who married men from enemy nations were viewed as enemy aliens during World War I.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt
In my new novel, All We Thought We Knew, I tell the story of Gunther, a German enemy alien caught up in the turbulent days of World War II. To understand everything he and others like him went through, a little history is necessary.

Immediately after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued three Presidential Proclamations that authorized the United States to detain allegedly and potentially dangerous enemy aliens. In the days following the attack, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies arrested thousands of suspected enemy aliens, mostly individuals of German, Italian, or Japanese ancestry, living throughout the United States. 

One of several guard houses at Camp Forrest
How did the FBI and law enforcement know about these people?

Through the Alien Registration Program, a World War II-era national security measure that directed the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to fingerprint and register every alien age 14 and older living or arriving in the United States. Between August 1, 1940 and March 31, 1944, the Alien Registration Program registered over 5.6 million noncitizens.

The Department of Justice oversaw the processing of the cases and the internment program. Although some detainees were released or paroled after hearings before a local hearing board, for many the adversarial hearings resulted in internment that lasted the duration of World War II and beyond. Of those interned, there was evidence that some had pro-Axis sympathies, but others were interned based on weak evidence or unsubstantiated accusations of which they were never told or had little power to refute. Often families, including naturalized or American-born spouses and children, of those interned voluntarily joined them in internment.

Japanese enemy aliens arriving at Fort Missoula internment
camp in Montana, where Italians and Germans were also imprisoned,
ca. 1941; photo:Lawrence DiStasi.
By the end of the war, over 31,000 suspected enemy aliens and their families, including a few Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany, had been interned at INS internment camps and military facilities throughout the United States, including Camp Forrest in Tullahoma, Tennessee, the setting for my novel.

Gunther Schneider, the German character in my book, is a medical student in New York City when Pearl Harbor is bombed. His arrest, hearing, and detainment is based on actual stories I read, told by men and women who experienced those terrifying days. 

Many terrible things happen during wartime that would not be tolerated under normal circumstances. The detainment of thousands of people considered enemy aliens, whether they were a danger to our society or not, is a situation I pray our country never has to repeat. 




Michelle Shocklee 
is the author of several historical novels, including   Appalachian Song, a 2024 Christy Award Finalist; Count the Nights by Stars, winner of the Christianity Today Book Award; and Under the Tulip Tree, a Christy Award and Selah Award finalist. Her work has been included in numerous Chicken Soup for the Soul books, magazines, and blogs. Married to her college sweetheart and the mother of two sons and mother-in-law to two beautiful daughters, she makes her home in Tennessee, not far from the historical sites she writes about. Visit her online  at www.MichelleShocklee.com




ALL WE THOUGHT WE KNEW

1942
Ava must put her life back together after her husband is killed at Pearl Harbor. A job at Camp Forrest provides income, but it also puts her in contact with Enemy Aliens interned on the military installation. Can she trust the German medical student whose friendship means more to her than it should?

1969
Mattie ran away from the pain when her brother was killed in Vietnam. Now she’s back in Tullahoma facing another devastating loss. Yet it is the bundle of WWII letters Mama insists she reads that makes her question everything she thought she knew about herself.



Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Any Bonds Today?



Author Photo
Wars cost money. World wars cost lots of money. Having seen Germany overrun Poland, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and Luxembourg in a matter of months, President Franklin Roosevelt knew the United States would eventually be drawn into the conflict. As a result, he and other government officials began preparations for financing. Many sources indicate that Roosevelt’s advisors favored British economist John Maynard Keynes’s philosophy of tax increases and enforced savings programs which theoretically allows increased spending while lowering the risk of inflation.

US Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau, Jr. disagreed, preferring a voluntary loan system which he began planning a national defense bond program in the fall of 1940. The concept was to combine the attractiveness of baby bonds that had been implemented after the Great War with the patriotic element of WWI’s Liberty Bonds.

On the advice of political scientist Peter Odegard, the Treasury promoted the baby bonds as “defense
Author Photo
bonds.” Three new series of notes: Series E, F, and G with Series E targeted at individuals. Like the baby bones, they were sold for as little as $18.75 for a $25 bond that matured in ten years. Large denominations between $50 and $1000 were also available. For those who couldn’t afford to buy an entire bond at once, savings stamps could be purchased, then collected in a Treasury-approved stamp album until the individual had accumulated enough for a bond purchase.

Even wonder why Series E? They followed the long-forgotten Series A, B, C, and D during the Great Depression and marketed as a safe investment to encourage saving.

Unsurprisingly, there were committees to handle the savings bonds. The War Finance Committee was responsible for supervising sales, and the War Advertising Council handled promotion through a variety of means. Partially replacing the “drive” technique of WWI, a continual campaign was implemented that utilized a payroll deduction plan.

Hollywood got onboard and supported the bond program in many ways. Film stars and musicians attended bond rallies that were held across the nation. Celebrities conducted auctions such as Jack Benny’s violin and a kiss from Hedy Lamarr. The music industry also did its part. Sheet music often included patriotic messages on the front such as “Buy US Bonds and Stamps.” Kate Smith raised $39 million through a radio broadcast (similar to Jerry Lewis’s Muscular Dystrophy telethons from the 1950s through the 2010s). Irving Berlin wrote “Any Bonds Today” and contributed all his royalties to the program.Norman Rockwell’s painting series, Four Freedoms, toured the country and raised $132 million. Movie theaters and stadiums sometimes offered free admission with the purchase of a war bond that were sold in the lobby.

The government seems to have thought of everything. In addition to their defense bonds, they sold “civilian bonds,” mostly to member of historic peace churches such as Mennonites, Amish, Church of the Brethren, and Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). In total, 33,006 were sold totaling $6.74 million.

Over the course of the war, eight drives would be held raising approximately $185 billion toward the war effort.

________________

War’s Unexpected Gift


Love and war don’t mix. Or do they?


Eager to do even more for the war effort, nurse Gwen Milford puts in for a transfer from a convalescent hospital outside of London to an evac hospital headed across Europe. Leap-frogging from one location to the next, nothing goes as expected from stolen supplies to overwhelming numbers of casualties. Then, there’s the handsome doctor who seems to be assigned to her every shift. As another Christmas approaches without the war’s end, can she find room in her heart for love?

Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/u/4jG2wl


Linda Shenton Matchett writes happily-ever-after historical Christian fiction about second chances and women who overcome life’s challenges to be better versions of themselves.

Whether you choose her books set in the Old West or across the globe during WWII, you will be immersed in the past through rich detail. Follow the journeys of relatable characters whose faith is sorely tested, yet in the end, emerge triumphant. Be encouraged in your own faith-walk through stories of history and hope. Visit her at http://www.LindaShentonMatchett.com

Tuesday, November 5, 2024

A WWII Pilot's Incredible Survival Story in Alaska's Frozen Wilderness

By Mary Dodge Allen

On December 21, 1943, Lt. Leon Crane, a pilot with the U.S. Army Air Corps, became the sole survivor of a fiery plane crash on a mountain in Alaska’s remote wilderness. He had no food or supplies, no map, and the temperature was 40 below zero. But he was determined to make it back home.

Leon Crane as a young airman, 1941 (Public Domain)

Lt. Crane was the co-pilot of a B-24 Liberator Bomber on a high-altitude training flight out of the U.S. Army’s Ladd Air Base in Fairbanks. They were flying at 25,000 ft., approximately 130 miles east of the air base, when an engine malfunction sent the bomber spiraling out of control. 

Lt. Crane struggled to regain control of the plane, along with the pilot, Lt. Harold Hoskins. But the powerful centrifugal force of the spiral dive made it impossible. They had enough time to radio a distress call, but not their location. After sounding the alarm to abandon ship, then they both donned parachutes. 

The B-24 Liberator that crashed in Alaska, 1943 (Public Domain)


When Lt. Crane leaped out the open bomb bay doors, he felt the shock of icy air slapping the exposed skin on his face and hands. He saw only one other crewman bail out - Sgt. Richard Pompeo. He watched Pompeo’s parachute as it drifted over a mountain ridge. Then the B-24 Liberator slammed against the frozen ground below him and burst into a ball of red flames. 

Photo of the B-24 crash site in Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve (Public Domain)

Alone in the Wilderness:

Lt. Crane landed in waist-high snow. He repeatedly shouted “Ho!” as loud as he could, but his shouts were met with silence. He was alone, and the temperature was nearly 40 below zero. He knew it would get colder as night fell. 

He looked toward the smoking crash site and realized the fiery explosion had probably destroyed all supplies, so he trudged down the mountain through the deep snow toward the river below. (The Charley River, a tributary of the Yukon River, in an area now known as the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve.)

Lt. Crane was wearing a new down parka the Army had been experimenting with, and he knew this would help him stay warm. He also had his parachute, two matchbooks and a small knife. When he reached the river, he started a fire using a letter from his father that he had kept in his shirt pocket. He fed the fire with pine boughs, wrapped himself in the parachute, and sat through his first long night. In December, the night darkness lasts nearly 20 hours.

No Sign of Rescue:

After nine days of waiting for rescue, with no food or shelter, he decided he had to leave the area of the crash site. He began walking downstream, hoping the river might lead him to a town or encampment. The lack of food had weakened his body. He made slow progress as he trudged through the deep snow. 

Just before nightfall, he was overjoyed to find a small cabin! It was unlocked and unoccupied, but it held supplies of canned food, sugar, powdered milk, a fry pan and a cooking stove. He soon had a fire going and was drinking a cup of hot cocoa. The cabin also had a rifle, a tent, and a pair of moose-hide mittens.

(A backwoods miner and trapper named Phil Berail had built the cabin. The Charley River was a popular trapping area and locals often built rustic cabins along the traplines, which they stocked with supplies.)

A Brief Respite:

Lt. Crane had found shelter and food, but his ordeal was far from over. It was early January, freezing cold, and he was alone in a rugged, remote wilderness. He knew he needed to regain his strength and take care of his frostbitten hands and feet before he resumed his journey. 

During the next six weeks, he stayed in the cabin and rested, hoping to hear the sound of rescue aircraft or a dog team. He thought the cabin’s owner might return, but nobody did. By mid-February, his supplies were getting low. He decided to pack what he could, and he set out to find a town. 

Lt. Crane's Wilderness Journey (Public Domain)
The Last Miles:

For several days, he walked on the frozen Charley River dragging his supplies on a crude sled he made from a wooden washbasin. He fell through the ice twice and nearly drowned the second time. His supplies were almost gone when he came upon another rustic cabin. He rested a few days, gathered fresh supplies and moved on. Days later, he reached the Yukon River and found a sled trail that led to another cabin. He was relieved to see smoke rising from the chimney. It was March 9, 1944. His ordeal was over.

Rescue:

Albert Ames, the owner of the cabin, came out to meet this strange man in a tattered puffy jacket, with a black beard and wild hair. He was amazed to hear his story. Lt. Crane had survived nearly 80 days in the Alaskan wilderness, and he had walked over 120 miles downriver, alone, in frigid winter temperatures. 

Lt. Leon Crane was shocked when he saw himself in a mirror:

"I had a two-inch beard, black as coal; my hair was long and matted, covering my ears and coming down over my forehead. I looked like some strange species of prehistoric man. I was dirty, sunburned and wind-burned, and my eyes stared back at me from the centers of two deep black circles." 

Lt. Crane got cleaned up and spent the next two days regaining his strength. Then Albert Ames hitched up his sled team and mushed Lt. Crane to the Woodchopper mining camp along the Yukon River, 33 miles away. While there, Lt. Crane met trapper Phil Berail and thanked him for the use of his cabin. Berail said he was glad his cabin and supplies had helped him to survive. 

The mining camp had a small airstrip. Days later, a light aircraft flew Lt. Crane back to Ladd Air Field in Fairbanks to report to his commanding officer. 

Lt. Leon Crane during the October 1944 Recovery Mission (Public Domain)

Recovery Missions:

In October 1944, Lt. Crane led a recovery team to the crash site, and the remains of two of his crewmen were found. They searched the area near the last sighting of Richard Pompeo’s parachute, but his remains were never found. 

One of the B-24 Liberator's four propellors (C. Houlette, NPS)


In 2006, a team from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command returned to the site and found metal buckles from a parachute and bone fragments of the pilot, Lt. Harold Hoskins. His remains were interred with military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.

Later Life:

Lt. Leon Crane returned home to Philadelphia, married and had six children. He became an aeronautical engineer and helped design the first helicopters. He passed away in 2002.

_______________



Mary Dodge Allen is currently finishing her sequel to Hunt for a Hometown Killer. She's won a Christian Indie Award, an Angel Book Award, and two Royal Palm Literary Awards (Florida Writer's Association). She and her husband live in Central Florida, where she has served as a volunteer with the local police department. Her childhood in Minnesota, land of 10,000 lakes, sparked her lifelong love of the outdoors. She has worked as a Teacher, Counselor and Social Worker. Her quirky sense of humor is energized by a passion for coffee and chocolate. She is a member of the Florida Writer's Association, American Christian Fiction Writers and Faith Hope and Love Christian Writers. 


Mary's novel: Hunt for a Hometown Killer won the 2022 Christian Indie Award, First Place - Mystery/Suspense; and the 2022 Angel Book Award - Mystery/Suspense.

Click the link below to buy Hunt for a Hometown Killer at Amazon.com:


Link to Mary's Spotlight Interview:   Mary Dodge Allen Author Spotlight EA Books



















Monday, November 4, 2024

When A Summer Vacation on a Steam Engine Turns Into a Historical Romance Series

By Donna Wichelman

Long before my Singing Silver Mine historical romance series came to pass, our family became fans of the Georgetown Loop Railroad living museum attraction in Georgetown, Colorado. The three-foot, narrow-gauge railroad through the Rocky Mountains provided a delightful summer excursion with our then four-year-old daughter only forty-five minutes west from Denver. Little did I know its importance in the history of Colorado would take a prominent place in a series I would write many years later.


Georgetown Loop Railroad Summer 1995: Donna's Gallery
Summer Fun on the Georgetown Railroad
Summer 1995: Donna's Gallery

The find of gold by Lewis Ralston at the confluence of the Clear Creek and South Platte River in Arvada and his return to the same site in present-day Arvada eight years later touched off the gold rush to the Rockies in 1858. The discovery set off a chain of events that eventually sent Kentuckians George F. Griffith and his brother David T. Griffith up the Clear Creek Canyon to the South Fork of the Clear Creek in June 1859.

The Griffith Brothers set up a camp on June 15th and found gold two days later. Not long afterward, they built a cabin at what is now Seventeenth and Main Streets in today’s Georgetown. By June 1860, they’d created their own mining district called the Griffith Mining District, and in the spring of 1861, David Griffith surveyed and platted the town of Georgetown with approximately forty residents and two mills.

Talk of a railroad in the Territory of Colorado was already underway by the mid-1860s with the influx of immigrants and a new ore on the scene—silver! The Colorado and Clear Creek RR incorporated in 1865 and reorganized as the Colorado Central and Pacific RR in 1866.

In 1867, John Evans and David Moffat incorporate Denver Pacific Railroad to build a railroad between Denver and Cheyenne to connect with the Transcontinental between New York and San Francisco. The railroad was completed in June 1869 and more people descended on the territory.

As the mining districts of Central City-Black Hawk and Griffith Mining continued to grow, so did the desire to establish railroads to transport ore down the mountain. The Colorado Central and Pacific became the Colorado Central RR and laid 11 miles up the Clear Creek from Golden. By 1870, the Colorado Central had connected with the Denver Pacific and Kansas Pacific at Jersey Junction two miles north of Denver.

However, with the dawn of a new decade came Eastern interests and political wrangling among corporate entities, and the Union Pacific, Colorado Central, and Denver Pacific/Kansas Pacific jockeyed for control. Still, miles of track continued to be laid along the Clear Creek and into Central City and Black Hawk, and locomotives were delivered to Golden until the end of 1872.

Then the financial crisis of 1873 struck. The nation had already been hard hit, but now Colorado and the railroads were feeling the crunch. Though grading continued and routes were still laid, the Colorado Central found itself unable to pay its bills. Between financial woes, weather-related blockages, and corporate squabbling, the people of Georgetown had to wait another four years for the Colorado Central Railroad to reach them.

Despite the delay of a railroad, Georgetown continued to prosper and burst at the seams with people from all parts of the globe who’d made their fortunes in silver. There was every reason for the town to be optimistic as the train finally rode into town in August 1877. Georgetown had become the Silver Queen of Colorado.
Georgetown Narrow Gauge Railroad
iStock-471011565
As it turned out, the title was short-lived when Leadville overtook Georgetown with its rich silver veins and people began to migrate once again at the end of the decade. But the Georgetown Loop was an engineering marvel for its day, having devised “a system of curves and bridges reducing the average grade to three percent … including three hairpin turns, four bridges, and a thirty-degree horseshoe curve from Georgetown to Silver Plume,” says the Georgetown Loop RR website. The $3 train ride became one of Colorado’s “must see” attractions.

Today, the Georgetown Loop RR still amazes and attracts people from all over the world who want an “old time” experience on a narrow-gauge train through the astounding terrain of the Colorado Rockies. Along the route, the visitor can also disembark for a tour of the Lebanon Silver Mine—a once prolific source of silver in the district. They also offer a gold-panning experience. An Autumn Fest runs through the month of October when actors make the experience fun and engaging by dressing up as characters from the 1870s.  Then, beginning in November/December, they run a Santa North Pole adventure and Santa’s Lighted Forest trains.

Actors Portraying 1870s Characters, Georgetown Loop Railroad
October 2018: Donna's Gallery

Lebanon Silver Mine Tunnel, Georgetown Loop Railway
October 2018: Donna's Gallery

For more information about the Georgetown Loop Railroad and its holiday events visit https://www.georgetownlooprr.com/

And if you are a train aficionado and interested in a historically immersive experience about train travel in Colorado, visit the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden, Colorado https://coloradorailroadmuseum.org/


Weaving history and faith into stories of intrigue and redemption grew out of Donna's love of travel, history, and literature as a young adult while attending the United World College of the Atlantic--an international college in Wales, U.K. She enjoys developing plots that show how God's love abounds even in the profoundly difficult circumstances of our lives. Her stories reflect the hunger in all of us for love, belonging, and forgiveness.

Donna was a communications professional before writing full-time. Her short stories and articles have appeared in inspirational publications. She has two indie-published romantic suspense novels, Light Out of Darkness and Undaunted Valor, in her Waldensian Series. Her Gilded Age historical romance, A Song of Deliverance, will be released by Scrivenings Press in December 2024.

Donna and her husband of forty years participate in ministry at their local church in Colorado. They love spending time with their grandchildren and bike, kayak, and travel whenever possible.

Sunday, November 3, 2024

Still Rockin' at Castle Farms


At the end of the last post, Rockin’ at Castle Farms, we left off with John VanHaver. He was the second owner of Castle Farms and an artisan in the 1960s. VanHaver worked with what remained of the dilapidated buildings on the farm. He converted the horse barn to use for metal working. To give a measure of protection from fire, he removed the beams from the hay loft. Notice the vertical rectangular slots in the stonework at the top of the stone walls in the photo at left (with the later restored roof). This is where the beams rested to support the structure and the original loft. Without the loft in place, he was able to use this building with a forge to create his works of art. On other sites he hosted art shows and workshops.

The property changed hands again to an individual that used the location to host rock concerts from the 1970s through the early 1990s. At this time, little remained of the original buildings. What did exist was in poor shape. The concerts were held in the open area that now leads to the formal garden, portrayed in the header photo at the top of this post. There were exterior walls left on the horse and cow barns (at sides in the same photo above) that served as barriers. From the Beach Boys to John Denver, Alabama to Amy Grant, crowds of up to 20,000 rocked the grounds to listen to musicians among the ruins.

                
The owner built apartment on site so that he could remain on the weekend. He did not live there. He only stayed for concert nights so he did not have to drive. Why? US 31, the road at the entrance to the property, featured parked cars where people partied on the highway. Circulation was impassable. As you can imagine, the towns people were not fond of this proprietor. In the end, he did not pay his taxes. His estate lost the property.

During much of the time when the third owner held the farm, the current owner Linda Mueller and her family visited often. At one time, they hoped to purchase the property. Alas, the price was too steep. Later, it went up for auction. Richard Mueller, Linda's husband, owned forty-five Dominos franchises at the time. Richard sold enough Dominos franchises to buy the property for around $300,000 in 2001. Then the long road of renovations commenced. While the major retrofits and building ended in 2005, they do add and improve on the regular. Richard, along with his investors, one being his friend Tom Monaghan, the founder of Dominos, poured at least nineteen million into the property to date. You read that correctly, nineteen million dollars. While the current site hosts around 200 weddings a year, this revenue helps but does not cover that cost.

       .

There are seven locations for weddings on the grounds. Multiple ceremonies can be held in one day. The highest number of weddings in one weekend was thirteen!


Historic guided tours, entrance tickets, school and local group events also provide income. If you notice the capital letters on plaques in the photo at left below, these are part of the scavenger hunt for children’s programs. Another attraction for the young and old is the train exhibit. These tracks remain during the winter. Everything else is removed and brought into storage. In the spring, train engines with brushes run to clean and clear the track. How neat is that?


It is evident in every direction that Linda does not maintain this property with the sole hope of profit. Her love for the history, buildings, and property flow into every aspect. She is known to tend the gardens herself. Unafraid of hard work, she can often be seen digging in the soil or designing a new facet to the parcel. 


Built in 1918, this treasure thrives 106 years later. A part is owed to the visions of Albert Loeb who first acquired the land and foremost to Linda and her family whose dream long ago became the happily ever after visitors enjoy today.






A sincere thank you to our tour guide, Betsy. She holds a wealth of
knowledge that she shared in stories and personal experience. Betsy made our adventure at Castle Farms much richer than if we would have strolled the grounds alone. We recommend the tour for sure. Would you like to see Castle Farms




As a child, Rebecca loved to write. She nurtured this skill as an educator and later as an editor for an online magazine. Rebecca then joined the Cru Ministry - NBS2GO/Neighbor Bible Studies 2GO, at its inception. She serves as the YouVersion Content Creator, with over 125 Plans, in 44 languages on the Bible.com app.

Rebecca lives near the mountains with her husband and a rescued dog named Ranger. She is a proud mom of a soldier. If it were up to Rebecca, she would be traveling - right now. First up, trips to see their two grown sons. As a member of ACFW and FHLCW, she tackles the craft of fiction while learning from a host of generous writers. Connect with Rebecca: Facebook Goodreads Instagram Pinterest X/Twitter