She Died of a Broken Heart

by Sherry Shindelar

The story of Cynthia Anne Parker captured my heart a couple decades ago, and she still haunts my imagination.

Reconstructed Fort Parker

Cynthia was taken captive by Comanches at age nine during an attack on her family’s fort in the Texas frontier in 1836. Her father and several other extended family members were killed, and her brother John, her cousin Rachel, and a couple other family members were captured along with her.

Her Aunt Elizabeth was rescued a couple months after the attack. Her cousin Rachel, who had been badly abused by the tribe, was returned a couple of years later and died within a year of her return. John adopted the Comanche lifestyle and lived with the tribe for years before eventually leaving the tribe to farm in Mexico. But Cynthia became Comanche and became an integral part of the tribe for over twenty-four years.

She married an influential war chief, Peta Nocona, and had three children with him, including Quanah Parker, a powerful Comanche chief. Several times over the years, Indian agents and traders attempted to ransom her, but she refused to go, and the tribe refused to trade her.

Cynthia Ann Parker and Prairie Flower after they were captured by U.S. Cavalry and Texas Rangers

In December 1860, Texas Rangers attacked her village and captured her and her baby girl, Prairie Flower (Topsanah), killing everyone else in the village. Eventually, one of Cynthia’s relatives claimed her and took her to live with his family, but she refused to accept this new life that was being forced upon her. Several times, she tried to run away to the open plains, desperate to find her husband and her sons. Her uncle eventually agreed to help her look for her people, but they’d have to wait until the Civil War ended.

Prairie Flower died, word came that Cynthia’s son Pecos had passed away, as well, and the Civil War dragged on. Cynthia lost hope of ever being reunited with two remaining members of her beloved family, Nocona and Quanah. Overcome by sadness and longing, she sank into a deep depression and died of a broken heart.

Quannah Parker, Cynthia Ann's son who became one of the most famous Comanche chiefs

Cynthia Ann’s story, the story of a woman torn between cultures, has perplexed, intrigued, and haunted me since I read it. My heart aches for her loss, and questions flood my mind. Some stories are like that. They stay with you, and this one was all the more indelible because it was true and filled with unknowns.

In Texas Forsaken, Book One of my Lone Star Redemption series, I developed a character inspired by Cynthia Ann, started at the moment of crisis, and wrote a different trajectory. I couldn’t give Cynthia Ann a happy resolution, but I could give my character Eyes-Like-Sky a muted happy-ever-after. Eyes-Like-Sky has a second chance at life and love.

Wichita Path Sacrifice, my novella, which is included in Freed by the Frontier, is the prequel and is inspired by the captive stories of Cynthia Ann Parker and her cousin, Rachel Plummer.

Originally from Tennessee, Sherry loves to take her readers into the past. A romantic at heart, she is an avid student of the Civil War and the Old West. Sherry is a multi-award-winning writer. She currently resides in Minnesota with her husband of forty-one years.

Connect with Sherry: website, newsletter, Amazon, FB, Goodreads

Three remarkable women find themselves caught between two worlds on the American frontier. A captive of the Comanche must choose between escaping to white society or her growing feelings for a rising war chief in 1850s Texas. A Georgia judge's daughter flees an unwanted betrothal, only to be captured by Creek warriors but protected by a mysterious brave. And in 1754, an English lady traveling the Great Wagon Road discovers her carefully planned future may not survive her attraction to a protective frontiersman.

Three unforgettable romances prove that God's greatest blessings often come disguised as our greatest challenges, and that true love can bridge any divide.

Cincinnati, Ohio in 1870 - Part 2 by Denise M. Colby

This is the PART TWO of my two-part post about Cincinnati, Ohio in 1870. I had gathered so much research for my recent book, A Whole New Plan, that I divided it into two parts. If you are interested in reading PART ONE, click on this link.

 

The Red Stockings

 

Image downloaded from of Detroit Public Library website

I love baseball and was excited to learn that Cincinnati had the very first fully paid baseball team in 1869. The name was the Red Stockings. They traveled all over the country and played over 60 games that season, winning the 57 that were part of the league (the only perfect season for a team, ever). All other teams would mostly have volunteers and a few paid players, so this team was also a rarity and had a huge following because of it.

Nine of the original players stayed and played in 1870. They won many in the first half of the season, but had a losing streak later, which caused the team to disband. Some of the business men involved were hired by a man in Boston to form a team. A few of the Cincinnati players went to play for this newly formed team named the Boston Red Stockings in 1871 (that became the Boston Braves, which then moved to Atlanta in 1966). At first I thought it would be tied to the Boston Red Sox, but that team wasn’t formed until 1901.

The new Cincinnati Reds formed a few years later. As associations came and went, so did teams. The current Cincinnati Reds do consider the Cincinnati Red Stockings as part of their history, even though there was a few years gap in between organizations.

To continue on with the theme of baseball, the first baseball league, called The National Association of Base Ball Players, was formed in 1857. It changed after the 1870 season to the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players. This organization lasted until 1876 with the formation of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs, which was the foundation of the baseball leagues we have today.

Since my characters are in Cincinnati, I added a bit about the Cincinnati Red Stockings. Will, the hero in A Whole New Plan, is from California in a small ranching community that plays baseball in a field during the fall harvest celebration each year (I have a baseball game scene in my first book, When Plans Go Awry) but he’s never seen a professional team before, so when he comes across a promotion for the team, he makes note of it.

Crime and Crime Bosses

First let’s talk about Crime Bosses. Since I have one in A Whole New Plan, I needed to know what they could be focused on, where in the city they were located, and how they operated. In my research, I didn’t find any specific crime boss’s in 1870, but I did find some from the 1880’s, so I incorporated things I learned about “Boss Cox”.

George “Boss” Cox was a political boss who ruled in the 1880’s. He went from a barkeep to a city councilman. Then found his way onto the property tax board where he began cutting deals with business owners and pocketing the funds. He ruled the city for 25 years. And it was because of him that reforms were created about how much power one role could wield. In his eyes everything ran smooth, organized, and clean, even though he most likely traded favors for votes, and influenced candidates and policy. I read different reports, but I did find multiple sources calling his reign corrupt.

George "Boss" Cox (Photo from Wikipedia)

I sort of went with someone similar in A Whole New Plan. The bad guy (named Boss Man) owns a lot of establishments in town that could pay and influence city officials, including the police.

Besides Cox, there was a street gang called the Nuttle Gang and they supposedly terrorized the Dublin Street area. They would swarm victims (there were so many of them) so no one could really identify them. They claimed the abandoned railroad tunnels as their own, and when delivery wagons had to pass the area, a “tax” had to be paid. Since many of these were breweries, an extra keg was put in the delivery wagon’s to give to the gang.

Other Crimes

There was one other type of crime I learned about that was a little creepy, but part of Cincinnati history that I want to share. Body snatching was a popular type of felony committed in Cincinnati through 1871 (before a crackdown on the practice happened). Providing cadavers to medical schools was a lucrative trade. So grave robbers would dig them out of the ground and get paid for each body retrieved. I can only imagine how many families would not be happy to find the grave of a loved one dug apart and the body missing.

Eateries

In my story, my “Boss Man” owned eateries. So in my research I found that many were built in key areas.

Riverfront: with the Ohio river being a vital transportation route, the docks and surrounding areas would have had many establishments in 1870 to serve travelers, workers, and sailors.

Downtown: because this was close to the river, there was a lot of commercial activity downtown and there would be taverns, inns, and restaurants serving business travelers as well as residents.

High-traffic areas: areas with high foot traffic would have been prime locations for food vendors, simple eateries, and restaurants.

Neighborhood hubs: many neighborhoods featured a mix of businesses such as local taverns and food shops to serve the growing communities formed. These residential areas sometimes were grouped based on immigrant culture. They all had names including “Over-The-Rhine (OTR)” and “Columbia-Tusculum”.

 

Photo from the Cincinnati Library Collection 

In my book, I decided to have a restaurant called “The Fish Grotto” on the riverfront that served a well-known fish patty sandwich. I had found references to several different types of fish sandwiches that were served by restaurants including a Victorian era fish cake that combined flaked poached codfish with mashed potatoes, eggs, and seasonings. They would be formed into cakes and then sauteed in butter until crispy.

A fun-fact (not set in 1871) was that the owner of the Cincinnati McDonalds created the first filet-o-fish in 1962 that then became a menu staple in all McDonalds across the country.

 

Old Photos of Cincinnatti

I found a Facebook page specifically for old photos of Cincinnati. 

 

Cincinnati Overall

After the civil war, Cincinnati was by far Ohio’s largest city. The sheer number of people who lived in the city (one report says 200,000 and one said 300,000) made it the country’s most densest population. In comparison, Sacramento, California was the 10th largest city in the nation but only had 16,283 (in the city only). I tried to capture this through Will’s eyes. What would it be like to come from a city the size of Sacramento to the size of Cincinnati?

 

Photo from the Cincinnati Library Collection 

 

 Book 4 in the Best-laid Plans Series releases May 26, 2026

 

 
California, 1870. Pastor William Baker built his life on steady faith and safe choices, but the arrival of Lydia Spencer upends everything. Independent and outspoken Lydia is unlike any woman he’s ever known. Lydia is a Pinkerton detective, undercover as a schoolteacher while tracking a dangerous crime boss. She’s determined to protect her friends in Washton even if it means keeping her distance from the kind, steadfast pastor who sees too much. But when Will and Lydia are thrown together in a search for truth they find themselves fighting not only for justice, but for a future neither had planned.

Denise M. Colby writes historical romance sweetened with faith, hope, and love. She finds history fascinating and contemplates often how it was to live in the 1800's. Her debut novel, When Plans Go Awry, is a 2025 Carol Award finalist. Sign up for her newsletter at www.denisemcolby.com or follow Denise on Facebook, Instagram, Bookbub, Pinterest, or GoodReads.

 

Two Kentucky Towns That Moved: How Eddyville and Kuttawa Survived Lake Barkley

Imagine seventy years ago, walking a street in Eddyville, Kentucky, a small town on the banks of the Cumberland River.

You’d hear the whistle of the Illinois Central train as it passes through town. On the river, steamboats and barges travel upstream and down. The street is lined with frame houses and small businesses. Since the town is the county seat of Lyon County, much activity centers around government offices. The waterfront is only a few blocks away.

The "Castle on the Cumberland" sat on a bluff above the
Cumberland River until the creation of Lake Barkley.

On a bluff south of town, a huge ornate structure overshadows the town. Nicknamed the “Castle on the Cumberland,” this is the Kentucky State Penitentiary, opened in 1889 and the state’s only maximum security facility.

Aerial view of the Kentucky State Penitentiary at Eddyville
before much of the surrounding area
was inundated by Lake Barkley

Today, the prison and a few houses built on that bluff are all that remain. The rest of the original town lies under Lake Barkley, created when the U.S. Corps of Engineers built Barkley Dam starting in 1959.

Unlike some towns lost to Kentucky Lake, as I described in my last post, Eddyville survived—but in a new location.

Eddyville and neighboring Kuttawa were the primary towns affected by the creation of Lake Barkley. Residents of both, built on low-lying areas adjacent to the river, had endured frequent floods. But following the massive January 1937 flood devastated western Kentucky communities on the Tennessee, Cumberland and Ohio Rivers, the U.S. government began to build dams for flood control.

After Kentucky Dam was completed on the Tennessee River in 1944, local residents heard rumors of another dam on the parallel Cumberland River. By the mid-1950s, the rumors were confirmed, and residents whose land would be inundated wondered where they would go.

A Lyon County native, Lee S. Jones, had become a wealthy tax lawyer in Louisville and had begun buying farmland in the Fairview community about three miles north of Eddyville. He approached the Eddyville City Council with a plan to move the town. Each person or business owning land in either Eddyville or Kuttawa that would be inundated by the new lake would be given a free parcel in the relocated town on the land he provided.

Map showing the locations of Old and New Eddyville and Kuttawa after Lake Barkley was formed.
The Kentucky State Penitentiary, which did not move, is near the site of the original town of Eddyville, now underwater.

On August 28, 1959, a ceremony was held for “Dedication and Free Deed Day” at the new site. A large group of people assembled in a field, and Mr. Jones presented deeds for about 60 residential lots. The town grew from there, and in 2020, the population was 2,246.

Creation of the lake forced relocation of the Illinois Central Railroad and many county roads, as well as U.S. 62 and U.S. 68. Many of those abandoned roads now lie beneath the water, although when the lake is at its lowest during winter pool, old roadbeds and abandoned bridge approaches can sometimes be seen.

One surviving residence, nestled in the shadow of the penitentiary, now houses the Rose Hill Museum, which depicts the history of Lyon County and the Between the Rivers region through its collections.

Nearby Kuttawa was built on terraces overlooking the river, and many of its original residences on higher ground survived. However, much of the business district, built on low-lying ground, was covered by the lake.

Main street of Kuttawa, Ky, in 1939 (National Archives photo)

At its peak as a bustling rivertown in the early 20th century, the population of Kuttawa reached 1,100; in the 2020 census, it numbered 637.

The route of the Illinois Central Railroad passed through Kuttawa, and portions of the old rail alignment can still be traced beneath the lake and are sometimes visible in aerial imagery or during low water. Building foundations and pavement occasionally emerge during winter drawdown, too.

Kuttawa is the subject of Drowned Town, a novel by Jane Moore Waldrop. Using interconnected stories, the book explores the emotional reality of displacement—the feeling of losing not just property, but identity, memory, and community.

In many ways, Eddyville and Kuttawa represent many communities that have been relocated in the name of progress. On the shores of Lake Barkley, the past can seem surprisingly close.

SOURCES:

Eddyville, Kentucky

Kuttawa, Kentucky

Welcome to Lake Barkley!

Learn About Lake Barkley | KentuckyLake.com

Eddyville, Kentucky - Four Rivers Explorer

Exploring The Ruins Of Old Kuttawa - Four Rivers Explorer

The History of Land Between the Lakes: From Settlements to Recreation – Kentucky Historic Travels

A Day at Rose Hill: Uncovering Lyon County’s Hidden Gems – Kentucky Historic Travels

Multi-award-winning author Marie Wells Coutu finds beauty in surprising places, like undiscovered treasures, old houses, and gnarly trees. All three books in her Mended Vessels series, contemporary stories based on the lives of biblical women, have won awards in multiple contests. She is currently working on historical romances set in her native western Kentucky in the 1930s and ‘40s. An unpublished novel, Shifting Currents, placed second in the inspirational category of the nationally recognized Maggie Awards. Learn more at www.MarieWellsCoutu.com.

When the lights of Broadway dim, Delia leaves the city behind. But will her family welcome her home again?

The historical short story, “All That Glistens,” was inspired by an old photo of a woman from the Between the Rivers area of western Kentucky. The story was included in the 2023 Saturday Evening Post Great American Fiction collection and is now available free when you sign up for Marie's newsletter here. In her newsletter, she shares about her writing, historical tidbits, recommended books, and sometimes recipes.

 

Coming to America - Live Theater

By Kathy Kovach

Storytelling is as old as time. It’s how God wired us. I’m sure Moses sat near the fire, regaling the Israelites with stories about his ancestors. “I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old,” (Psalms 78:2, ASV.)

Centuries later, Jesus took principles and made them into relatable stories that he orally taught to those gathered. “Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the multitudes; and without a parable, he didn’t speak to them,” (Matthew 13:35, WEB.)

The ancient Greeks and Egyptians honed storytelling to an art. They were so successful that their blueprint stood the test of time. Entire nations were influenced, none more so than Great Britain.

From there, it was only a matter of time before it would hop the pond.

In 1510, European theater made it to Puerto Rico, giving the island the honor of becoming the first to hold refined performances in the Americas.

In the 16th century, theater moved north, and plays were performed in the Spanish-held territories that eventually became the United States. In what is now known as Louisiana, several performances took place on October 12, 1721. The town of Los Adaes celebrated the arrival of the Spanish governor, the Marquis de San Miguel de Aguayo. This cultural event brought the people together to solidify Spanish control after a time of uncertainty.

Hamlet and his mother

By the early 18th century, two theaters had been built in Williamsburg, Virginia and Charleston, South Carolina. However, it wasn’t until the British actor and theater manager Lewis Hallam brought his theatrical company to Williamsburg in 1752 that the first complete company of actors was organized. The Hallam Company performed the top European plays at the time—Hamlet, Othello, and Richard III  to name a few. Their first, Merchant of Venice, was performed on September 15, 1752. Unfortunately, they encountered opposition from religious organizations and moved the operation to Jamaica around 1755.

English actor David Douglass met Hallam in Jamaica. After Hallam’s death, Douglass married his widow, actress and theater director Sarah Hallam. The two traveled with the company, now known as the American Company, to Philadelphia where they opened the Southwark Theatre in 1766. This was considered the first permanent theater in America. On a roll, they also built the John Street Theater in 1767, modeling it after Southwark. There, the first American-written play, The Prince of Parthia by poet Thomas Godfrey, was performed in that same year.

Quakers

American Colonial era theater suffered the same opposition as England had during its turbulent times. Those in Puritan and Quaker regions felt it was frivolous and often sacrilegious. Others opposed any British influence, as most of the plays had come from there. Massachusetts in 1750, Pennsylvania in 1759, and Rhode Island in 1761 all banned theater performances. Most of the states followed during the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) thanks to the Continental Congress.

It was difficult to come back from such prejudices. In 1794, Yale College president, Timothy Dwight IV, wrote the following in Essay on Theatre:

". . . to indulge a taste for playgoing means nothing more or less than the loss of that most valuable treasure: the immortal soul."

Yikes!

Encampment at Valley Forge

Despite the congressional ban, George Washington himself recognized the importance of entertainment as a distraction. He asked for his favorite play, Cato, set during the Roman Civil War, to be performed for the troops after the harsh winter at Valley Forge.

The storytelling seed has been planted deep within all of us. Its branches weave through time, barrel over social status, and travel across continents.

Welcome to America, Live Theater!

 

Titanic: Legacy of Betrayal

A TIME-SLIP NOVEL

A secret. A key. Much was buried on the Titanic, but now it's time for resurrection.

Follow two intertwining stories a century apart. 1912 - Matriarch Olive Stanford protects a secret after boarding the Titanic that must go to her grave. 2012 - Portland real estate agent Ember Keaton-Jones receives the key that will unlock the mystery of her past... and her distrusting heart.

To buy: Amazon

Kathleen E. Kovach is a Christian romance author published traditionally through Barbour Publishing, Inc. as well as indie. Kathleen and her husband, Jim, raised two sons while living the nomadic lifestyle for over twenty years in the Air Force. Now planted in northeast Colorado, she's a grandmother and a great-grandmother—though much too young for either. Kathleen has been a longstanding member of American Christian Fiction Writers. An award-winning author, she presents spiritual truths with a giggle, proving herself as one of God's peculiar people.

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The Dahlonega Mint

by Denise Farnsworth

By the middle of the 1830s, the Georgia Gold Rush was in full swing. Miners who had first filled their pockets (or goose quills, the early method of storage and measurement for payment) with gold dust panned directly from the streams had moved on to tunneling into the hills with vein mining. Boom towns sprang up where gold dust and nuggets could be traded directly for provisions and services. Larger mining operations offered script called "miner's money" that could be redeemed at company stores. But for those who wanted to secure their gold, a problem arose.

Miners could send their earnings to the Philadelphia mint or deposit it at the branch bank in Savannah. But they would receive only two-thirds of the gold’s estimated value at the time of deposit, with the balance paid when the mint fixed the bullion’s value. Or they could use a private minter like Templeton Reid in Gainesville. But a letter to the editor of the Georgia Courier revealed that Reid’s coins held less than face value…which was true because he’d failed to account for silver and tin alloy.

In 1834, a bill introduced in the U.S. Senate allowed for the establishment of branch mints in the South. By the next year, the locations for these mints had been fixed—New Orleans, Louisiana; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Dahlonega, Georgia. Dahlonega’s mint was to be constructed using the same plans as the Charlotte Mint. Architect William Strickland, well known for his Greek Revival style, designed a structure of two stories composed of brick, covered with stucco, and containing twenty-seven rooms.

Lawyer and Methodist minister Ignatius Few was appointed commissioner in charge of the new mint. He purchased ten acres just south of town from William Worley for $1050. Few quickly encountered multiple challenges inherent to the mint’s remote mountain location, such as securing bricks, stone, lumber, and good labor. Benjamin Towns of Athens won the construction bid and agreed to finish the mint within eighteen months.

By early 1837, Few allowed the delivery of machinery although construction was not quite complete. Fifteen large crates containing over $15,000 of equipment including two state-of-the-art steam presses, shipped from Philadelphia to Savannah, then upriver to Augusta. There they began a two-week trip on ten wagons to Dahlonega.

Dr. Joseph Singleton

Receiving wind of the construction delays, the Philadelphia mint dispatched inspector Franklin Peale, who arrived in Dahlonega in November 1837. His report: “The workmanship of the Mint edifice is abominable.” And it went on from there to describe inadequate bricks, a leaky roof, and defective first-floor arches. By the time the mint opened in February 1838 under Superintendent Dr. Joseph Singleton, the contractor was still at work, the water pump to supply the steam engine did not work, and copper and silver necessary to the coining process had not arrived. 

Despite these technical problems and a host of staffing issues and in-fighting that followed, almost a thousand ounces of gold were deposited during the first two weeks the mint was open for business. The first coins, eighty half eagles, were struck on April 21, 1838. The first quarter eagle was minted almost a year later. In 1849, gold dollars were produced. The mint operated until the Civil War began in 1861.

Dahlonega quarter eagles

For a deep dive into the staffing and operations of the Dahlonega Mint, you can consult The Neighborhood Mint by Sylvia Gailey Head and Elizabeth W. Etheridge. For a fictional romance about the town of Dahlonega during the opening days of the mint, try my latest release, The Schoolmarm and the Miner. A teacher seeking independence. A widower guarding his heart. In Georgia's gold country, the richest prize may be the love they’re afraid to claim. https://www.amazon.com/Schoolmarm-Miner-Twenty-Niners-Georgia-Gold-ebook/dp/B0GMRS3Q88/

Denise Farnsworth, formerly Denise Weimer, writes historical and contemporary romance mostly set in Georgia and also serves as a freelance editor and the Acquisitions & Editorial Liaison for Wild Heart Books. A wife and mother, she always pauses for coffee, chocolate, and old houses.

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Rolling Out Toilet Paper

 By Suzanne Norquist

Before toilet paper was a commodity on store shelves, someone invented it. Patents were issued, marketers developed strategies, and legal battles were fought. However, because bathroom time is private, no one celebrated the inventors. Little is known about most of them. The timeline for toilet paper’s major milestones is ambiguous and contains conflicting information.

To begin, I’ll offer a nod to the ancient Chinese people, who invented the first version of just about everything. In the fourteenth century, they manufactured millions of packages of perfumed toilet paper sheets for wealthy families, including the Hongwu Emperor’s imperial family.

Even so, most of the world didn’t use specialized paper for this purpose until the late 1800s and early 1900s, when the Industrial Revolution and indoor plumbing created new products and needs.

In the 1800s, steam-driven paper-making machines lowered the cost of paper and increased its supply. As a result, manufacturers and salesmen found new uses for it.

In 1857, Joseph Gayetty marketed “Medicated Paper for the Water Closet”. He infused sheets with aloe and other remedies, creating a premium product. He touted it as healthier because it wasn’t covered in ink like old newspapers or catalogs.

Not much is known about Mr. Gayetty. Census records indicate he may have been born in 1817 or 1827 in Massachusetts or Pennsylvania. By the time he started selling medicated paper, he had a wife and five children (one who later took over the business).

Some in the medical community called him a quack, but that didn’t seem to affect sales.

At one point, B.T. Hoogland's Sons filed a lawsuit against the company for trademark infringement related to an unpaid debt. Gayetty’s company won. A couple of other similar lawsuits followed. However, the medicated toilet paper continued to be distributed for several decades.

Timelines overlap around the 1880s, with three prominent paper companies and inventors selling similar products. This is about the time flush toilets came on the scene, requiring paper that wouldn’t clog the pipes. Before this, the masses didn’t see a need to purchase a specialty item when they already had a free supply of old newspapers, catalogs, and Farmer’s Almanacs. 

Around 1880, the British Perforated Paper Company marketed boxes of toilet paper in individual squares. However, their biggest market was to barbers for wiping shaving cream off of razors. Walter Alcock purchased the company and added perforated toilet paper rolls to the line-up. Some sources credit him as being their inventor.

Around that same time, the Scott brothers founded the Scott Paper Company, which sold squares and rolls. Edward Irvin Scott, who had been a school teacher, joined one of his brothers in a paper business. In 1867, they sold butcher paper from pushcarts. When that venture failed, he and his other brother opened a new company that sold paper bags, wrapping paper, and such (including toilet paper). They built a manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania.

This 1885 advertisement from the Rocky Mountain News shows toilet paper for sale as tissue, in plain rolls, or in perforated rolls. It also offers fixtures for rolled toilet paper with or without a cutter.

In the beginning, the Scott brothers marketed the paper to other businesses to sell under their own brand, avoiding the delicate subject of bathroom habits. They customized rolls by varying things like the size and weight of the paper and adding private labels.

In 1896, Irvin Scott’s son, Arthur, changed the marketing to build a national brand, known for consistent quality.

Meanwhile, in New York, Seth Wheeler, the son of an agricultural equipment manufacturer, dabbled in paper manufacturing. In 1871, he patented a machine to make perforated, rolled wrapping paper, then organized a company to produce it.

He later received several patents for perforated, rolled toilet paper, the holders, and the machinery to produce it.

He even created a tiny pocket- or purse-sized roll of toilet paper known as the “Wheeler Pocket Companion.”

He filed a lawsuit when the Morgan Envelope Company tried to patent a similar roll that was oval instead of round. Wheeler won that suit. The courts said the shape wasn’t sufficiently different to justify a separate patent.

Although the paper didn’t change much over the years, advertising did. In 1928, Charmin added a feminine logo and touted its product as being soft.

In the 1930s, Northern Bathroom tissue advertised its product as “splinter-free.” Yikes. Does that imply that previous products contained splinters? The answer isn’t clear.

Double-layered rolls were introduced in 1942.

Not much has changed since then. Cost has come down, and every modern building keeps a supply, but no one mentions the men who brought it to us.

So, the next time you decide to drape it over someone’s house on Halloween, remember the unsung heroes of toilet paper’s history.

 ***

 

Love In Bloom 4-in-one collection

“A Song for Rose” by Suzanne Norquist

Can a disillusioned tenor convince an aspiring soprano that there is more to music than fame?

“Holly & Ivy” by Mary Davis

At Christmastime, a young woman accompanies her impetuous younger sister on her trip across the country to be a mail-order bride and loses her heart to a gallant stranger.

“Periwinkle in the Park” by Kathleen E. Kovach

A female hiking guide, who is helping to commission a national park, runs into conflict with a mountain man determined to keep the government off his land.

“A Beauty in a Tansy”

Two adjacent store owners are drawn to each other, but their older relatives provide obstacles to their ever becoming close.

Republished from Bouquet of Brides

Buy links: https://books2read.com/u/bOOx8K

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Bloom-Mary-Davis/dp/B0FPLFYCXR/

  

Suzanne Norquist is the author of two novellas. Everything fascinates her. She has worked as a chemist, professor, financial analyst, and even earned a doctorate in economics. Research feeds her curiosity, and she shares the adventure with her readers. She lives in New Mexico with her mining engineer husband and has two grown children. When not writing, she explores the mountains, hikes, and attends kickboxing class.