The Holliday Tour ~ Cyrus K. Holliday

December brings fond memories of holidays past. Today, I want to share with a different Holliday. ;)  I hope you enjoy.

A few years ago, back in 2009, the girls wanted to go to the museum. I love the museum but after you’ve seen it many, many time, the thrill kind of wears off. I couldn’t resist the pouty faces and the bouncing begs? I mean this was history after all, right?

Besides, they were advertising the Cyrus K. Holliday!

Now, I knew the museum had a train, I just hadn't realized it was my train. All right, so it wasn't my train since the two I use in one of my manuscripts are Locomotive No. 1 and Locomotive No. 2. The one at the museum is Locomotive No. 132, but since I haven't been able to find pictures of No. 1, No. 132 will have to do.

I believe the red photo below is No. 1, the trains look exactly alike, except for the No. (Just look at that lock ;)

The bright 132 was painted around the dome. I'm not positive what this was used for, but it seems to be where the whistle is located.

No. 1 didn't consist of private cars, but this one had one.

It's a bit dark, but this is a picture of the smokestack.

The lantern. Not only was the lantern used for the conductor to see further down the track, but also to warn people of a coming train.

Interesting, do you know what this is called? A cowcatcher.

Coal. ;)

A look at the passenger car. When No. 1 first began to roll toward Wakarusa and Carbondale, Kansas, it carried one passenger car. The afternoon excursions were so popular they added a second. Stories tell folks exited the train, had themselves a picnic while the rail workers turned the train around, and then got back on for the return trip.

As you can see there are four seats. I can't imagine putting any more than sixteen passengers in this car.

Not sure I'd enjoy sitting in the first row. The heat radiating off the stove would have been intense.

I'm taking a wild guess, water?

These are compartments above the seats. They weren't very big, my laptop would fit in there but not much else.

I loved these baskets. And do you see the etching on the glass? I didn't notice it until I was going through the pictures.

They thought of everything. I wonder if a train caught on fire and that is why they have the vent holes above the lamps.

Does she look sinister, or what?

She's been daydreaming about robbing a train in the old west ever since. ;) Five years later and her favorite show is still Gunsmoke and Rifle Man.


Did you know that the smaller wheels in front of the driving wheels were called bogie wheels? They were invented by U.S. engineers so the trains could maneuver the sharp curves on the rugged terrain.

Christina writes historical romance set in ancient Judah and Kansas. She's published with Love Inspired Historicals. You can find more about her at threefoldstrand.com

Jesse Chisholm

Since we've been without cable we've had the neat experience of being able to watch Gunsmoke, Bonanza, and The Rifleman. Watching these shows has really renewed my love for all things Old West, and it brought to remembrance a research trip to Abilene, KS and my discovery of a man who was a pioneer as well as a true hero.

One look at Jesse Chisholm and you can see he's not your ordinary white man. Born around 1805 in Tennessee to a Scottish father and a Cherokee mother, it's no surprise Jesse was a good business man. When the Cherokees began moving themselves to Arkansas, Jesse and his mother went. Later, and I can only imagine the circumstances, they moved into what is now known as Oklahoma.

Jesse set up a trading post in Council Grove, OK (near Oklahoma City). From all accounts, Jesse was a friendly man, and very diplomatic. One of the things I found very interesting about Jesse is that he spoke many languages. Somewhere there is an account that he spoke over fourteen of the tribal languages, making him an ideal man, not only for trading, but for diplomacy when it came to negotiations among the various tribes.

One thing of note here, when we think of Indian tribes and treaties we tend to think of those treaties in terms of the white man. But sometimes issues arose between the tribes. Jesse was known for listening to both sides, really listening, before seeking out a solution.

Although Jesse had left TN well before the Trail of Tears began, you should understand that it still could not have been easy for him. There was a distrust of the white man, as well there should have been, and there was a lot of prejudice against mixed breeds (sounds harsh, but it was the reality). I'm pretty sure Jesse's friendliness and willingness to listen gained him a lot of trust with those he encountered.

Jesse wasn't only a trader and a negotiator, he was also a trail guide. It was during one of his trail guiding trips in 1836 that led him to Wichita, KS where he set up another trading post. It is this trail he used between Council Grove and Wichita that would become known as the Chisholm Trail.

Some believe the Chisholm Trail had begun and ended as a cattle drive to Abilene, but that isn't the case. When the Civil War threatened to tear apart the United States, it also divided many of the Indian tribes. The greatest division seemed to be amongst the Cherokees themselves (this topic deserves a blog of its own). The result of the division was a mass exodus of Indians to the north, settling into Kansas. Jesse used his trail to Wichita to bring those who wished to flee the south.

I hadn't a second thought about the Chisholm Trail, until the conductor of our train ride mentioned Jesse. My attention grew as the conductor spoke about Jess and his death. It was during my research of his death that I discovered what a wonderful man Jesse Chisholm was. During a time when kidnappings and ransoms were common place amongst the tribal nations, Jesse often ransomed hostages himself, especially when children were involved. His actions spoke his heart. He cared for people, no matter who they were.

Jesse died in 1868, only a year after the Chisholm Trail was used to drive cattle all the way to Abilene, KS, the first real 'cow town'.

As for Jesse's death, he died of accidental food poisoning. Supposedly, Jesse's favorite meal was bear grease and honey. I've searched around to find exactly what this was, but no luck. From what I gather it was bear meat, honey, and possibly nuts. Jesse's wife, of Cherokee blood, often made this for him in a brass pot. It was after one of their travels where she had bought a copper pot that she made Jesse's favorite meal. Something in the food had a chemical reaction with the copper pot and poisoned him.

Jesse Chisholm was one of a kind. 

And very hero worthy.

Masada ~ A Tragic Mystery

I've dreamed of visiting Israel for a long time. If I could get beyond my fear of flying commercial and had the extra finances I'd pack my bags and zoom over there this very moment. My mom has voiced her thoughts about my sanity or lack there of for wanting to visit a country known for terrorist attacks. Okay, to give my mom credit, I want to move there.

Yeah, so I should probably visit first. You know, just in case the place scares me. There are many places on my list of must sees, most of them in the area around the Dead Sea, especially Masada.

The ancient fortress, supposedly fortified by Alexander Jannaeus during the 1st century AD and later taken over by King Herod around 31 AD where a palace was built, sits overlooking the Dead Sea. Now, I say supposedly because I can't imagine this naturally fortified mesa sitting nearly 1300 feet high on its east side and 300 feet on the west would go unused by any military man with any kind of smarts. As it turns out I'm not the only one who thinks this.

Although Masada is never mentioned in the Bible, scripture just may back up this theory.

2 Samuel 23:14 And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.

If you look at the original Hebrew word for hold you'll find matsud or matsuda. Masada, matsuda. They sound pretty close to me. Of course, Masada could have been named exactly that because matsuda means stronghold. Either way, as intelligent as David was, I'm sure he could see the wisdom of hiding at Masada. I anxiously wait for the day when archaeological evidence is found to support this theory.

Masada by Ppja GNU Free Documentation License

Anyway, back to what historians do know. Herod built a fortress on top of Masada. It was contained a synagogue and thermal bath chambers.

Having never been there, I can only imagine the enormity of the fortress. I'm in awe at the architecture, especially given the era it was built in. Not only was structurally sound having lasted all these years but just imagine the intricate details and the beauty of the stone work. Absolutely amazing!

Okay, back to the story. Sometime in 66 AD a group of Jewish rebels called the Sicarii (dagger-men) ***I'm getting excited about all the stories that could be told*** took over the fortress. After the siege of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD by Titus many more Jews joined the rebels at Masada.

The fortress had been well supplied with food, oil, wine, and weapons. Weapons enough for thousands of men. Man-made channels drew water from the valley below, filling cisterns. If there was any place in the known world to successfully stand against the Romans, this was it.

Masada Roman Ramp by David Shankbone

It wasn't until three years later in 73 AD that Lucius Flavius Silva  decided to siege to the fortress. He had his men build a ramp, which still stands to this day. When I say a ramp, I don't mean a wooden ramp like what we think of in today's terms, but a ramp made of earth.

The picture to your left is looking down from Masada. The massive ramp just shows the intense determination of Silva to capture the last of the Jewish rebels.

I wonder how the people inside Masada felt when they saw the Roman troops marching toward their fortress. I wonder what they thought when the realized the Romans were raising the ground to them. Were they confident the Romans would be stopped by the sheer mountain protecting them, or were they scared?

It seems the Sicarii fought against the Romans for a time. They threw stones at the workers building the ramp, at least until the Romans started using Jewish prisoners. What a dilemma; protect themselves by killing their fellow Jews or allow their fortress to be taken knowing the punishment they'd receive for rebelling against the Romans would not be anything good. Imagine the hearts of the Jewish captives who were forced to help against their own people.

What happened inside the walls of Masada is anyone's guess, but according to Josephus the Jewish historian who lived during this era, a man by the name of Eleazar led the Sicarii and when he saw that they were soon to be taken captive he rallied some of his strongest men and gave a speech.

  Since we, long ago, my generous friends, resolved never to be servants to the Romans, nor to any other than to God himself, who alone is the true and just Lord of mankind, the time is now come that obliges us to make that resolution true in practice. And let us not at this time bring a reproach upon ourselves for self-contradiction, while we formerly would not undergo slavery, though it were then without danger, but must now, together with slavery, choose such punishments also as are intolerable; I mean this, upon the supposition that the Romans once reduce us under their power while we are alive. We were the very first that revolted from them, and we are the last that fight against them; and I cannot but esteem it as a favor that God hath granted us, that it is still in our power to die bravely, and in a state of freedom, which hath not been the case of others, who were conquered unexpectedly.

He goes on to say,

Let our wives die before they are abused, and our children before they have tasted of slavery; and after we have slain them, let us bestow that glorious benefit upon one another mutually, and preserve ourselves in freedom, as an excellent funeral monument for us. But first let us destroy our money and the fortress by fire; for I am well assured that this will be a great grief to the Romans, that they shall not be able to seize upon our bodies, and shall fall of our wealth also; and let us spare nothing but our provisions; for they will be a testimonial when we are dead that we were not subdued for want of necessaries, but that, according to our original resolution, we have preferred death before slavery.

After these men killed their children and wives they cast lots among them. Ten men were chosen to kill the rest as they laid down beside their families. Among those ten, lots were cast again leaving one man to complete the task before killing himself. According to Josephus, a woman, long in age, along with five children, hid deep in the caverns, keeping them safe from the slaughter.

Some say it was a mass suicide, others say it was mass murder carried out by one man; Eleazar . Now matter the case it was a horrible tragedy, the motivation understandable given the circumstances.

So why, you might ask, would I want to visit this place? Why is it near the top of my must see list? I honestly don't know. Perhaps it's because I want to see with my own eyes how magnificent this place is that God created. Perhaps it's because, even though the end was tragic for the Sicarri, the beginning was courageous. These people wanted to serve God and Rome sought to demolish every bit of God from them. I pray I will always have the freedom to worship God without consequence. I pray I never have to make tough choices as these people had to make. In fact, I've been thanking God for the freedom to worship Him. Many of our fellow Christians throughout the world do not have that ability without dire consequences.

If you are interested here is Josephus' entire story on Masada.  Starting with Chapter Eight.

I leave you with this short video of Masada. I hope you can see the beauty in the ruggedness.

Pysanky Eggs

Have you ever heard of Ukrainian Pysanky Eggs? I'm sure you've seen them, but may not know them by that name. Even though I had been fascinated with the artistic eggs, I hadn't realized they had a specific name until a few years ago when the kids and I were invited to participate in a yearly tradition with another homeschool family. It was messy but a lot of fun, and I'm considering making them again this year.

Archaeological evidence doesn't exist due to the fragility of the egg shells, but it is believed that the decoration of eggs is a tradition going back to ancient times. And you thought the Easter Bunny brought them, huh? Yeah, not so much. Decorated pieces of clay and bone in the shape of eggs have been found from 3-5 BC, which gives credence to this belief. And from all I've read, this artistic practice was done all over the Eastern Mediterranean area. One thing to make note of is that each village had their own way of making the eggs. Often, the process was kept secret and only passed down from mother to daughter.

Pysanka comes from the Ukrainian word pysaty, which means to write. You might be thinking that there aren't any words on these eggs, and you're right, there aren't. If you think about it, most people, up until a few hundred years ago couldn't read, so symbols and colors were used to depict a message.

According to Graphic Originals by Barbara Novak, the star shape on the above egg can mean purity, life, center of knowledge, the divine will of God. The yellow color of the star means purity, harvest, light, warmth or wisdom. The orange means endurance, strength, ambition, the everlasting sun, and my favorite description, the red of passion tempered by the yellow of wisdom.

The basket shape on the egg next to the star shape can mean knowledge or motherhood.

The deer design means leadership.

The eggs were and still are made for neighbors and friends. The making of each egg takes time and consideration.

Imagine walking into Wal-Mart in order to find a card for your friend.  Yes, sometimes we're in a rush and just grab the first appropriate one, but other times we spend long minutes pondering the perfect one. As the egg is being created, the artist has an individual in mind. The artist creates the design based on the message she wishes to convey. Her thoughts are focused on her friend.

For more information on what the designs and colors mean, please visit Graphic Originals by Barbara Novak.

Now, I'm going to be honest with you, the eggs we made looked nothing like those above, and how they are made in the video I'm about to share is not how we made them either. We used candle wax instead of beeswax. The woman in the video explains how they use a special tool to remove the yolk from the inside; we had no special tool. Instead we poked holes in both ends of the egg and blew the yoke out. It wasn't easy, but we accomplished the deed, much like I'm certain the ancient people of the Eastern Mediterranean did.



Soooo, here is my question for you; if you were  going to make an egg for someone, what designs and colors would you use?

Born and raised in Kansas, where she currently lives with her husband and children, Christina loves to read stories with happily ever afters, research,  take photos, knit scarves, dig into her ancestry, fish, visit the ocean, write stories with happily ever afters and talk about her family and Jesus. 

Her debut novel, The Guardian’s Promise, released from Love Inspired March 2014.

Music of the Bible

 And David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals. 

Samuel 6:5

Whether it is a soft breeze, the gentle lap of water against the shore or the rhythmic tap of fingers on a table top, music seems to be an integral part of our human nature, and I believe it's been with us since before the beginning of time. Why, just listen to the Hebrew language and you'll hear a beautiful lyrical tone that resonates deep within the soul. All right, so maybe it doesn't resonate with everyone. Perhaps the genre that speaks to you is Bluegrass or Big Swing, maybe it's Opera or Rock n' Roll.

Public Domain

Whatever the case, the origins of music go back thousands of years. From the Bible, we have Deborah's song, Miriam's song, Hannah's song. Let's not forget all the psalms written by David, a shepherd after God's own heart (Jer 3:15). The word psalm, mizmowr in the Hebrew, literally means melody.

Perhaps, David was a man after God's own heart because he knew how to praise God with song. After all, King Saul demanded his officials find a man who played well and they brought him David (1 Samuel 16).  We're told that while David played his lyre Saul's mind was eased and the evil spirit consuming him left.

As you can see from the opening scripture, the lyre isn't the only instrument found in the Bible. The timbrel, although often depicted as what we know as a tambourine, was most likely nothing more than wood hoop with a animal skin stretched over the top, kind of like what we consider a drum head, and then you have cymbals and psalters, which I've seen look like a boxed harp.

Out of all the instruments found in the Bible, I think my favorite is the shofar.



Here is a neat link to various instruments listed in the Bible. The link includes the Hebrew, pictures, descriptions and scripture references, just click on the individual pictures.

Which instrument is your favorite?

 Born and raised in Kansas, where she currently lives with her husband and children, Christina loves to read stories with happily ever afters, research,  take photos, knit scarves, dig into her ancestry, fish, visit the ocean, write stories with happily ever afters and talk about her family and Jesus. 

Her debut novel, The Guardian’s Promise, releases from Love Inspired March 2014.

Tekhelet

I get really excited when I read about rare archeological finds. In late December, my mother shared an article with me from Haaretz. Although it is no longer available in its entirety, you can find the link here, you can also read another article about it here.

Basically, scientists confirmed that a piece of fabric, nearly 2,000 years old, found near the Dead Sea contains tekhelet.

What is tekhelet?

Well, it's a blue dye worn by the high priests. It was also used in fabrics adorning the Tabernacle and the tzitzit, the tassels attached to the four corners of the tallit, the Hebrew prayer shawl.

Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,  “Speak to the children of Israel: Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners. And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined,  and that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy for your God. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord your God.”

The Talmud gives specifics about where this blue dye might be found and that it cannot come from imposters, such as other snails, plants and chemicals. I'm not a huge wikipedia fan but I'm going to share what it says from the Talmud as it is broken down and easier to understand than directly from the Talmud.

In the Talmud, Tractate Menachot 44a, the ḥillazon is described as follows:^[12]

1. Its body is similar to the sea.
2. Its form is like a fish.
3. It comes up once in 70 years,
4. With its "blood" one dyes tekhelet,
5. Therefore: It is expensive.

Other criteria (with Talmudic references):

• The fishers of the ḥillazon are from Haifa to the ladder of Tyre (Shabbat 26a)
• The color of the ḥillazon dye is identical to that produced from the dye of the kela ilan plant (Indigofera tinctoria, a source of the indigo dye), which served as a counterfeit source of the dye (Baba Metzia 61b)
• Cracking open the shell of the ḥillazon on Shabbat violates the laws of Shabbat (Shabbat 75a)
• The shell of the ḥillazon grows together with it (Midrash, Song of Songs Rabbah 4:11)
• It is an invertebrate (Jerusalem Talmud, Shabbat 1:38a)

Tekhelet- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tekhelet

For over 1300 years the mystery has been lost, but the latest discovery depicted in the articles above solidifies what many thought; that this rare blue dye comes from the murex snail. It also seems the murex is the only living creature this dye can come from.

Banded Dye-Murex, Hexaplex (Trunculariopsis) trunculus (Linnaeus, 1758), Family: Muricidae, Location: Croatia, Istria, Porec, Lanterna Photo Credit: H. Krisp

This is exciting for many reasons. One, from a Jewish standpoint, of which I am not, it helps signify the return of a part of their culture thought lost. Many believe their Messiah will not come for them until certain things are in place, this holy blue dye is one of them.

For me, an archaeological wanna-be-geek, this is exciting because it helps shed some light on ancient dying processes for tzitzit and for the high priest clothing. What is really cool is that the murex's dye is actually purple, but through trial and error it was discovered how to change it into the beautiful blue of the tassels; sunlight!

If you have time, and you're interested, the following three videos shed some light on tekhelet. If you don't have time to watch all the videos, part II is particularly interesting as it covers extraction, color changes, carding, and the beginning stages of spinning and weaving.




 I hope you enjoyed this post and the videos.

Names of God by Christina Rich

There is something special and unique about knowing the specific names of God. For my first Biblical romance I did a lot of research on the names of God only to discover that I really couldn't use them since the reader may not know or understand their meaning. Even after all the reading I've done I still can't remember the few I've tried to memorize.

Fortunately, I have this beautiful banner that I received from a Christian television network. It hangs on my wall next to my bed. I love it, not just because of the beautiful royal colors of purple and gold but because the Names of God are written in Hebrew, English, and then in the Hebrew Script. Ms. Linda Harris also shared with me a wonderful link http://www.rose-publishing.com/ that has some beautiful PDFs, including a Names of God chart that I printed off on photo paper and have hanging in my room.

Adonai ~ Total authority

Elohim ~ Creator, all knowing God

Immanuel ~ God with us!

Jehovah or YHWH ~ This is the I AM spoken of to Moses in Exodus 3:14-15 God said to Moses:

I am the eternal God. So tell them that the Lord, whose name is “I Am,” has sent you. This is my name forever, and it is the name that people must use from now on. (CEV)

From there we have many Jehovah variations. 

Jehovah-Rophi ~ I AM Healer

Jehovah - Tsidkeini ~ I AM Righteousness

Jehovah - Rohi ~ I AM Shepherd 

Jehovah - Yirei ~ I AM Provider

Jehovah - Shlomi ~ I AM Peace

Jehovah - Nissi ~ I AM Banner

I've use most of these during my time of prayer, especially Jehovah-Rophi when calling out for healing from my husband as well as others, but my most favorite one is Jehovah Nissi. I've used it often in prayer because it seems to cover any and all situations. 

By the way, I was able to use YHWH a few times in my manuscript, which made this author very happy. 

Which of these names really sets home with you?

When she was younger, Christina tried to dig herself to China, loved Three Billy Goats Gruff, and had an obsession with maps. She gave up her dig to China but still jumps at the chance to travel even if it’s just down the road. She loves watching modern takes of fairytales and mythologies on the big screen and still has a huge obsession with maps. The older the better.
 
Born and raised in Kansas, where she currently lives with her husband and children, Christina loves to read stories with happily ever afters, research,  take photos, knit scarves, dig into her ancestry, fish, visit the ocean, write stories with happily ever afters and talk about her family and Jesus. 

Her debut novel, The Guardian’s Promise, releases from Love Inspired March 2014.

A Kansas Christmas Past

I love Christmas! Everything about Christmas, except maybe the shopping. I especially love the get togethers, the warmth of family and friends as laughter bounces off the walls. The remembrance of what the day is truly about. I wanted to know how people celebrated Christmas back in the day and what better way to get a taste of a Kansas pioneer Christmas than to pull excerpts from diaries, letters and stories written by folks living in Kansas. I love the little details that we don't always hear about, like the songs, the dinner, the warming stones, the dances, the mischief, the drawers made out of blankets. 

I hope you enjoy these excerpts from Christmas past as much as I do.

This excerpt comes from a letter written by Kate Bowen to The Republican in 1925 about a Christmas in 1886. You can find the rest of the letter here.

 When Will returned to Kansas - what should he do but see that a copy of the Republican be sent to me every week and a notice I read in it put me in the notion of writing this letter. It stated that an entertainment was to be held at the Kidderville school house to raise funds for the Christmas tree. That sent me to thinking of a Christmas tree and entertainment I participated in in 1886. When the settlers were all new in that locality and most of them were poor. There was not an evergreen tree within a hundred miles that I knew of!
     We had moved from Richardson Co Neb. to Hodgeman Co Ks in the early spring of 1885 and brought a family of five little girls and as Christmas drew near we realized we had brought them away from many things they had always enjoyed at that season of the year. We realized it was up to us to find the best substitute we could. That fall the first district school had began in the little school house!---which was of sod --- and we had a good little Sunday School every Sunday afternoon and preaching every two weeks. Mr. Reed was our Superintendant and it was a union school. We met there to take steps to have a Christmas tree and entertainment We counted our pennies and made our plans, sent Mr. Will Burns to

Dodge City with our money and a list of oranges, candy, green tissue paper (as near the shade of evergreen as he could find). We got a good sized hack berry tree- its top reached the ceiling- and cut the paper in long strips half a finger length and fringed each strip as deep as possible, leaving only a plain margin to wrap around the bare limbs of the tree. We wrapped the whole tree and you who did not see it have no idea how pretty it looked. After the popcorn was strung and festooned around it and oranges fastened on and dozens of little pink mosquitoe netting bags filled with candy and hazel nuts and a pretty red apple for each pupil (the later Were contributed by families who had had them sent from Richardson Co) with an occasional tin horn, picture book and the little school house lighted by the biggest and best lamps the country side afforded. I want to tell you it was a pretty sight. We had a really fine program.
     Some had taken part in programs not so long before in good big Sunday School entertainments and they taught the exercises to our little S.S. One especially comes to my mind, which some of you will remember called "Little Grandpa and Grandma Blackeyes". Little Jimmie Henderson and Little Effie Meyers took the parts and I can see them yet. Each with their sparkling black eyes and dressed for the part, and a little pupil stood between them to recite the piece.*
     There were two cottage organs in that part of the country our own and the Leepers. We put ours in the wagon three times a week and took it to the school house where we met for practice. Ella Leeper played nicely and she was our organist and the songs were the fine old Christmas hymns "Joy to the World" "Low in a Manger", and "Merry, Merry Chiming Bells", and many others that for generations have rung out in the Christmas air and cheered the hearts of God'd people.
     The school house was crowded and not even standing room. Many were there that had never seen a Christmas tree and many were carried back to their childhood and younger days in their old homes back East. Many tender memories were awakened that had long been dormant and as we seperated that night and rode to our homes under the lovely Christmas stars that seemed to me to always shine brighter in the clear Kansas atomsphere we all felt the solemn influence of our Christmas entertainment.

This next excerpt was written by a Marie A. Olsen in 1935. In it she discusses Swedish traditions carried on by Swedish settlers in Stotler, Ks who arrived in 1870-1880.

Old Swedish customs are still deeply cherished by both the old and young inhabitants. When a neighbor woman pays a friendly visit to a Swedish friend, the hostess serves the customary Swedish coffee. The hostess would consider it a breach of etiquette not. to adhere to this practice. At no time are Swedish customs better brought into play than at the Christmas season. Christmas Eve is the beginning of festivities. The celebration on this evening is entirely a family affair. Each family gathers at home for Christmas supper after which presents are exchanged around the Christmas tree. At 5:30 on Christmas morning the people, both old and young, gather at church for Christmas services. The old Swedish hymn "Var Halsad Skona Morgonstund" peals forth from the churches, which are lighted by Christmas candles. The old Christmas story is the text of the morning. These services are the height of the Swedish Christmas festivities. As the crimson rays break forth in the east, the worshippers turn their footsteps homeward. The remainder of Christmas Day is customarily spent in family groups. In the evening the children of the Lutheran Church give a program consisting of recitations and songs. A few evenings later a similar program is given by the Sunday School children of the Mission Church. These programs are the children's affairs and are events to which they eagerly look forward. Christmas festivities continue for about a week, during which time the various families invite relatives and friends to their homes. These much-loved Swedish customs will likely continue to be observed for years to come.

This next one comes from an account written by Adolph Roenigk.

 Christmas at Fossil Creek in 1868 was spent in jollification. A month prior, and from that time on, to the approaching holiday the making of eggnog, Tom and Jerry and other drinks was the main topic of conversation among the boys at the station. I was the youngest of the force, always obliging and accommodating, and was sent to Hays City for the necessary wherewith, a three-gallon jug of whisky.

Christmas morning the making of eggnog commenced. Some was taken straight, and it was not long until John Cook and I were the only sober men on the place. The different qualities of the men’s makeup showed themselves; some began quarreling and I was compelled to act as peacemaker. Not that I cared for any fistic encounters, but in the evening while three of us were sitting on a bench the quarreling was renewed, when a fellow named James Clark pulled out a revolver and leveled it at the other fellow’ head, asking him to repeat what he had said. I was not within reach to grab the gun, sitting at the farther end of the same bench with the other men and right in range of the weapon. I could do nothing better than to keep quiet. I was angry and struck with remorse, as in getting the whisky I felt guilty of being the cause of that man’s death if that fellow had pulled the trigger. But the language was not repeated and the gun was put away. Watching my opportunity, I slipped it away from him, and then gathered up all the guns in the dugout and took them over to Cook’s, telling him of the occurrence.
     I stopped with Cook that night but little sleep did we get, as the boys made the night hideous with their noise until near morning. That was the last time for me to lend helping hand in such a jollification.

From the diary of Luna E. Warner, A Kansas Teenager, 1871

December 22-Louie and I skated up to the cabin.  It snowed before we got back.  Snowed all day. Uncle Howard drew us a load of wood  Alf came from Cawker, brought Ma a letter from Genelia.  She and Mr. Curtiss are going to be married Christmas at Uncle Eli's.  Uncle Howard came over as usual to stay all night.

December 23-Very cold.  The wind blew in the night and drifted the snow very badly.  Uncle Howard started for Cawker afoot at eleven.  Louie and I shoveled snow.

December 25-Very cold.  The coldest still morning there has been.  Uncle Howard got ready to go to Cawker.  We all went with him-Mr. Morse, Gena, Henry, Alf, Arabella, Mr. Wilder, Nellie Ray, Ma, Louie, and I.  We sat in the bottom of the wagon with the hot stones.  Had turkey supper, then the wedding came off and Genelia was married to Mr. Curtiss for life.   Then we all went to the dancing hall.   The hall was crowded.   I went to supper with Mr. Hoffman and danced schottish like everything with Mr. Phillips.  We started for home after five.

From the Diary of Abbie Bright 1870-1871, a school teacher.

Dec. 28--Christmas is past. I spent it at my brothers, with the children--and a plenty of apples, nuts, pop corn, homemade candy and cider. I had a pleasant time.
It was so cold Mrs. Bee [Butler] did not want me to come up Fri., but I was determined to go.
She gave me a pair of drawers to wear, that were made out of a blanket, and they kept me warm, except my feet, which were frost bitten a little. If women rode crosswise like men, how much warmer and better it would be.
Kit seemed to like the outing, and travelled well.
There was no school Monday. I came down by way of Fees Hall in the p.m. When I turned the corner there, a team came up behind me to pass, but Kit would not let them. She started to run, and run she did for three miles, with the team close behind us. A little way from Mrs. Bees [Butler's] they turned off, and Kit slacked up.
That was the fasted riding I ever did.
They say Kit never lets a team pass her.

Except for not going anywhere on Christmas, which stems from my father never being home on the holiday when he was a child, I can't think of a specific Christmas tradition. We used to go to my in-laws on Christmas morning for breakfast consisting of all the fixings including chocolate gravy and biscuits.

What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions that have been passed down through generations?If you'd like, in the name of fun, write your own diary entry of what your Christmas would be like. One commenter will, using Random.org, receive a surprise gift.

When she was younger, Christina tried to dig herself to China, loved Three Billy Goats Gruff, and had an obsession with maps. She gave up her dig to China but still jumps at the chance to travel even if it’s just down the road. She loves watching modern takes of fairytales and mythologies on the big screen and still has a huge obsession with maps. The older the better.
 
Born and raised in Kansas, where she currently lives with her husband and children, Christina loves to read stories with happily ever afters, research,  take photos, knit scarves, dig into her ancestry, fish, visit the ocean, write stories with happily ever afters and talk about her family and Jesus.

Her debut, The Guardian's Promise, releases from Love Inspired Historical March 2014

Kansas Territory ~ Sack of Lawrence

Public domain in U.S. publish prior to 1923

I sure do hope y'all aren't getting tired of my Kansas posts. I know they seem to be going on forever and ever, but there was a lot going on in this territory in 1856, which eventually led up to the War between the States.

If you remember from my last post, Thomas Barber, an abolitionist, was killed on December 5, 1855. Three short days later winter hit this part of Kansas, and hit it hard. Many of the residents hadn't quite finished building more permanent lodgings. Many were still living in what was known as hay tents, shanties and poorly built log cabins.

 A letter written by Captain Sam Walker during this winter may be taken as illustrating the common condition:
     "I failed to complete my log house before the winter of 1855-56 set in. The sides were up, roofed, and partly plastered when the Wakarusa war interrupted work. On my return home, on the conclusion of peace, the cold was so severe that nothing more could be done, and we had to shift the best we could till warmer weather. Our cabin had no floor, but we were as well off in this particular as most of our neighbors. Chinks and fissures abounded in roof and gable, as the green slabs with which they were covered warped badly. Seven of us made up the family, five children mostly small. At times when the winds were bleakest we actually went to bed as the only escape from freezing. More than once we woke in the morning to find six inches of snow in the cabin. To get up and make one’s toilet under such circumstances was not a very comfortable performance. The wolf was never very far from our door during that hard winter of 1855-56."

History of Lawrence by Rev. Richard Cordley

Although the winter was harsh, and one of the most difficult in Kansas history as of the year 1895, the free-staters were able to live in peace for a short time. However, it was to be short lived. While many settlers shivered in their beds, Missourians and the Southerners were making their plan of attack.

 All over Missouri and the south preparations were going on to push the controversy to a successful issue for slavery. The shrewdest men in the land were planning together for the summer campaign. The general idea was to make it so uncomfortable for the free-state men that they would flee the country, and so that others would not come.

History of Lawrence by Rev. Richard Cordley

Before we go onto the sacking of Lawrence, I guess I should tell you that in the fall of 1855 the free-staters held a constitutional convention and adopted the Topeka constitution. It was sent to Congress with the request of being admitted into the union. The House of Representatives passed the bill, the Senate rejected it. Now, there is a bunch of stuff that I don't quite understand that went on during all this time, but from the sound of it the pro-slavery people had a judiciary ally. The Douglas County grand jury met in Lecompton, Kansas where Judge Samuel Lecompte (guess he was pretty powerful had a town named after him) set the line for treason, which specifically pointed fingers at free-staters.

  "This territory was organized by an act of congress, and so far its authority is from the United States. It has a legislature elected in pursuance of that organic act. This legislature being an instrument of congress by which it governs the territory, has passed laws. Those laws, therefore, are of. United States authority and making, and all who resist those laws resist the power and authority of the United States, and are therefore guilty of high treason. Now, gentlemen, if you find that any persons have resisted these laws, then you must under your oath, find bills against them for high treason. If you find that no such resistance has been made, but that combinations have been formed for the purpose of resisting them, and individuals of notoriety have been aiding and abetting in such combinations, then must you find bills for constructive treason."

History of Lawrence by Rev. Richard Cordley

 After a few incidences, all of which seemed to be provoked by 'Bogus' Sheriff Jones, 800 men, led by Jones himself, rode into Lawrence, Ks, all bearing arms and cannons. Most of these men were Southerners and very few, if any, intended on staying in Kansas. They were there for one reason only, to strong arm Kansas into the Union as a slave state.

It's said once they 'sacked' Lawrence, which included destroying two abolitionist newspapers and the Free State Hotel (which by the way took over fifty cannon shots and several kegs of powder with little damage) the Southerners hoisted a 'blood red' flag with the words 'Southern Rights' on it. It flew right beside the 'stars and stripes' flag. Homes, churches and schools were taken over. Many free-staters were taken prisoner and charged with high treason.

It wasn't looking good for the free-staters.

Prize day! One commenter will receive a $10 GC to Amazon.

 Born and raised in Kansas, where she currently lives with her husband and children,

Christina loves to read stories with happily ever afters, research,  take photos, knit scarves, dig into her ancestry, fish, visit the ocean, write stories with happily ever afters and talk about her family and Jesus.
 

A semi-finalist in the Genesis, she just recently signed two contracts with Love Inspired Historical for a Biblical romance. You can find her at http://christinarich.wordpress.com/

Kansas Territory-Bleeding Kansas

by Christina Rich

This whole Bleeding Kansas topic is a hard one to follow. One minute Kansas was a free-state territory, the next pro-slavery, only to find themselves free-staters again. Problem was most of the pro-slavery population weren't even Kansans, they were Missourians and South Carolinians and whateverians. They weren't there for the long haul, they were there to see Kansas admitted into the union as a pro-slavery state and then leave. Now, granted, when Kansas opened up for settlement emigrant aid societies formed in the East helping free-staters to settle. Settle, as in stay, live, work the land.

One such group settled in Lawrence, KS August 1, 1854, only fifteen short days after leaving Massachusetts. Lawrence was named for Amos Lawrence a major financial supporter to the New England Emigrant Aid Company. Other settlements were popping up all over, most were free-staters, some weren't.

On November 21, 1855 Charles Dow, a free-stater was killed over a land dispute with Franklin Coleman, a pro-slavery man. He's the first reported death during the Bleeding Kansas conflict. Thomas Barber, a manufacturer of woolen cloth, was killed on December 5, 1855 by George W. Clark, an Indian agent and a member of the pro-slavery party. Barber was on his way to help fight in the Wakarusa War. His death caused an uproar and he became a martyr for the free-staters in Lawrence. A poem was even written by John Greenleaf Whittier in his honor in which became a call to arms. Here is a small portion. To read the poem in it's entirety go here.

 Frozen earth to frozen breast,
Lay our slain one down to rest;
Lay him down in hope and faith,
And above the broken sod,
Once again, to Freedom's God,
Pledge ourselves for life or death,

That the State whose walls we lay,
In our blood and tears, to-day,
Shall be free from bonds of shame,
And our goodly land untrod
By the feet of Slavery, shod
With cursing as with flame!

Plant the Buckeye on his grave,
For the hunter of the slave
In its shadow cannot rest;
And let martyr mound and tree
Be our pledge and guaranty
Of the freedom of the West!

I'd love to tell you that these two deaths were the only ones, but unfortunately they were the first of many more to come. After Dow's death Jacob Branson, a friend, became outraged over the lack of justice and threatened to kill Franklin Coleman himself. Branson was arrested by Sheriff Samuel Jones. Remember the 'bogus sheriff' from my previous post? Yep, that's him. Anyway, Jones had hoped Branson's friends would try to rescue him near Lawrence, giving Jones and his buddies prime opportunity to sack the free-state settlement. Branson's friends were onto Jones and rescued him outside of Lawrence. Stories told say Jones had fifteen men and the free-staters had about the same. Not wanting bloodshed, Jones let them go but as we'll see next month, he wasn't happy about it. His actions led to a battle that some call the real start of the Civil War.

 Born and raised in Kansas, where she currently lives with her husband and children,

Christina loves to read stories with happily ever afters, research,  take photos, knit scarves, dig into her ancestry, fish, visit the ocean, write stories with happily ever afters and talk about her family and Jesus.
 

A semi-finalist in the Genesis, she just recently signed two contracts with Love Inspired Historical for a Biblical romance. You can find her at http://christinarich.wordpress.com/

Kansas Territory-The Beginning

by Christina Rich

Kansas.

What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word? Wizard of Oz, Dorothy, Toto? The band who sings Dust in the Wind? Flat, treeless, sunflowers, tornadoes?

Well, I can tell you that Eastern Kansas is far from flat and treeless. As for the rest, yes, we can make claims to all the above.

I had intended on writing a blog on Fort Scott, Ks only, but as I started writing I realized that there is too much back story to cover, which tells me I need to start where the story starts, at the beginning. So, here we go: Kansas-the beginning of her settlement.

At one time, Kansas was part of the land promised by the American government to Native Americans. In fact, Fort Scott, built in the south eastern corner of Kansas, was established in 1842 to help enforce the permanent frontier. It was one of several forts built along a line from Minnesota to Louisiana to help keep white settlers from settling west of the frontier line and to keep the peace between settlers and the Indians.

This permanent frontier obviously didn't last very long,  because in 1853, just nine short years later, soldiers abandoned the fort, and the government sold the buildings to private citizens. As you can imagine, this presented a problem for the tribes living in the area, and you might be thinking that all was right as rain for the whites settling in the area, but not so much.

In 1854, the Kansas-Nebraska Act created the Kansas and Nebraska territories, which forced a repeal of an earlier act called the Missouri Compromise, an act that prohibited slavery in the Louisiana Territory north of the parallel 36*33' north, except Missouri.

The Missouri Compromise allowed Maine to become a free state and gave the U.S. Senate equality between the free states and the slave states.

Since the Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed the settlers in Kansas and Nebraska to decided through 'Popular Sovereignty' whether they would be free or slave states, the balance in the U.S. Senate threatened to tip. And that was a bad thing for either side, especially if the opposite faction gained more power.

Reynold's Political Map of the United States 1856

You're probably wondering why they didn't just make Kansas a slave state and Nebraska a free state. Well, Kansas was north of that parallel line stated in the Missouri Compromise and the representatives amongst the free states weren't willing to open the northern territories to slavery. And as you can imagine, representatives of the slave states could see that by keeping to the Missouri Compromise would eventually cause them to lose their equality. I can see a rosy-cheeked, white-haired law maker tossing his hands in the air and shouting, "let the settlers decide."

Oh boy! Little did they know the mess Popular Sovereignty would make.

Join me next month as I continue this drama. You won't want to miss Bleeding Kansas.

*Reynold's Political Map of the United States image is in public domain because the copyright has expired.
*Missouri Compromise Line This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Missouri_Compromise_Line.svg

Today, straight from the Sunflower State, I'll be giving away.....another scarf. You can see a few of them here.

Born and raised in Kansas, where she currently lives with her husband and children,

Christina loves to read stories with happily ever afters, research,  take photos, knit scarves, dig into her ancestry, fish, visit the ocean, write stories with happily ever afters and talk about her family and Jesus.

A semi-finalist in the Genesis, she just recently signed two contracts with Love Inspired Historical for a Biblical romance. You can find her at http://christinarich.wordpress.com/

What Am I Doing HERE?

You know, when Debbie Lynne mentioned the idea about a blog for historical writers, I totally raised my hand. And then I began looking around and noticed so did a lot of others. Like, *gulp* the popular girls.

Don't worry, I left high school behind a long, long time ago, but being the shy introverted type that I am (like most writers) it's hard not to compare. Just look at the names on the side bar. SERIOUSLY, I am a blog contributor with Vickie McDonough and Laurie Kingery!!!  YES, little 'ol me. I have their books on my keeper shelves. They are auto buys.

And then there are, like twenty-seven other accomplished authors right along with them. Can you tell I'm a little star struck? So, what am I doing here? Well, I love history. I'm one of those people who doesn't know a lot about one thing, but knows a little about a lot of things. I'm also one who thoroughly enjoys research. It's one of my favorite things about writing. I know, hubs thinks I'm weird too, especially when I get all googly-eyed over antique furniture that comes through our upholstery shop.

Cody's Upholstery

This is just one of the many fabulous pieces that has come through our shop. Once, when hubs worked for another upholsterer, I got to touch really old high back chairs that were brought over from England. I can't remember but I think they were from the 16th century. *swoon*

We've seen a lot of unique pieces come through. One had a falcon's head and lion's feet. We've seen pieces that were made by professionals, and pieces that were obviously handmade by a novice.

Linda's

We even bid on one of the most unique pieces I've ever seen. It had partially naked ladies for the legs. I keep hoping this one will eventually come through. I just want to touch it and inspect the lines the carver chipped out of the wood.

Anyway, told you I was weird. And as you have probably guessed by now, I'm a tad ADD. I got so caught up in talking furniture that I forgot what I was doing here?

Oh, yeah, I love history. And I love to write. When you combine those two things together you an historical writer. Of course, I'm an historical romance writer. One who recently signed a contract with Love Inspired Historical for a Biblical romance. I'm super excited, as you can imagine. And as you can imagine, especially with the added excitement o being part of this blog, I'm kind of in la-la land.

I can't wait to share with you little tidbits I've discovered during my research for my Biblical, or tidbits on Kansas history, my other great historical love.

In March, we'll each be giving away prizes every day, as well as a Kindle, so come back and comment often. Since my book won't be out for a long while. I'll be giving away a wooden cross pendant made in Israel.

Christian was born and raised in Kansas, where she currently lives with her husband and four children. She loves to read, research,travel, take pictures, fish, visit the ocean and writing happily ever afters.

Christina dreams of visiting the Holy Land as well as walk the beaches of Donegal and many other areas of Ireland and Scotland.