In Memory of Golden Keyes Parsons

July 19,1941 - February 16,2017

It's with great sadness that we say good-bye to our friend, fellow writer, and fellow blogger, Golden Keyes Parsons. Golden has been a part of Heroes, Heroines, and History since its debut in 2013. She wrote her last post for the blog in December of 2016. Through the years she has entertained and enlightened us with a variety of posts from the Civil War, to holiday's meals, to Texas history. For so many Golden has been an inspiration as well as an encourager with her words and her writing. Her kindness has reached across states to touch so many lives. HHH bloggers and readers will miss Golden and her contributions.

In memory of Golden Keyes Parsons we are reposting one of her first blog contributions with our group.


                                        The Moravian Church and Moravian Sugar Cake

By Golden Keyes Parsons


When my French Huguenot ancestors came to this country in 1737 after fleeing religious persecution in France, the freedom to practice their religion was of the highest priority. Louisa Clavell landed in

Philadelphia, a widow with two sons, after her husband was washed overboard on the ocean voyage from Amsterdam, Holland. He had all of their money in his possession when he was lost at sea. 

After acquiring a planter and a button maker to take her sons as apprentices, Madame Clavell followed her fellow passengers into the Schuylkill Valley of Pennsylvania and eventually remarried. Her sons joined her after serving their appointed times and acquired land in that beautiful valley.

First Church Building in 1762

Some 17 years later, in 1754, after initially coming to this country, a number of settlers in the area where they settled, Bushkill County, sent a petition to Synod of the Brethren, or Moravians, asking that organization to send a minister to them who could preach the "Gospel of Jesus Christ to them pure and unadulterated like the Apostles of old." Several men, including my direct ancestors, Franz Clewell and George Clewell signed the petition. The Moravians did so, and the gospel was well received in the area, culminating in the building of a church building in 1762.

Moravian Church today in Scheoneck

It is not surprising that the Clavells were attracted to the Moravian Church as their basic tenets were similar to the French Huguenot beliefs for which their fellow believers had lost their lives in France - justification by grace alone through faith.

On a research trip to Pennsylvania for the last book in my series about my ancestors, we were able to go to a reunion of the Clavell family, The traditions of the family are cherished and carefully preserved. That I have a copy of the genealogy of the family is a miracle in itself as I was not even aware of this rich heritage until I started researching for the series. 

I could go on and on about the history of the Clavells and the Moravian Church in this area of Pennsylvania. Our trip was absolutely glorious and I read every tidbit I could find and took hundreds of pictures. My husband was very patient! But one thing I brought back and have enjoyed so much was a recipe for Moravian Sugar Cake. At the reunion the buffet was full of several different varieties of the signature dish. I could have eaten my weight in it. It is a cross between yeast bread and cake. Here is the recipe I've enjoyed. And I hope you will too. 

MORAVIAN SUGAR CAKE

1 large or 2 small potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed. Or you can use instant potatoes or leftover mashed potatoes.

1/2 cup solid shortening

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs, beaten

2 packages dry yeast

3/4 cup warm water, reserved from cooking potatoes (or just warm water if using instant potatoes)

4 scant cups sifted all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 stick melted REAL butter

About 1/2 cup light brown sugar (I usually end up using much more.)

Ground cinnamon - to taste

1. Grease one 11x7x2 pan, plus one 8" square pan, or three 8" square pans

2. Place 1/2 cup hot mashed potatoes in a large bowl. Add shortening and sugar and combine. Add beaten eggs and combine. Set aside.

3. In a separate medium bowl. dissolve yeast in lukewarm potato water. Add sifted flour and salt and combine. Mix yeast mixture into potato mixture. It will resemble bread dough. Place batter in large bowl, cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 20-30 minutes.

4. Pat dough out in prepared pans to 1/2" thick. Cover with damp cloth and let rise again in a warm place for one hour.

5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

6. Make indentations in dough with a wooden spoon handle or your finger about every inch and a half or so. (I use my fingers :) and fill the holes with the melted butter. Crumble a generous amount of brown sugar over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Great as a dessert or with coffee in the morning. Enjoy!

Stuffing vs Dressing

By Golden Keyes Parsons

A couple of Sundays ago in church during the welcome time--you know, the typical turn around and meet your neighbor time--we were to ask our new acquaintance what their favorite side dish was during the holiday meals. We live in a large university town, so our congregation is peppered with students from all over the country. The young man I visited with was from New England, and his reply to the question was "stuffing."

I said, "Mine, too." In my mind I was envisioning the steaming cornbread mixture with the crispy edges which accompanies the turkey on our holiday tables. Then I realized we were not talking about the same dish. "Oh!" I said. "You're talking about actual stuffing inside the turkey with oysters and bread and ... ?"

He nodded and laughed along with me. I said, "Well, we're not talking about the same dish, are we?"

The idea of stuffing or dressing goes all the way back to the Roman era. Some concoction of starches

and vegetables stuffing in the carcass of an animal were part of the diet all over ancient Italy. However France was probably the most prolific user of stuffing, but the dish is used globally. There are so many recipes and variations of the dish it would be impossible to list them all.

Prior to the 16th century in England the dish was called farce, from the French, but in Victorian England it became "dressing" and that is the name that the English brought with them to America. Today the terms "stuffing" and "dressing" are used interchangeably, and rarely sometimes called "forcemeat," a reference to both the forcing of the dish into the cavity of the animal and the French derivative. There is no historical evidence that dressing or stuffing was served at the first Thanksgiving, but it was definitely a dish that was used widely from the beginning of our country.

There are dozens of ways that one can prepare the stuffing or the dressing for the holiday table. Up until the time I was nine years old we lived in Indiana, and the dressing my grandmother and family made was this gray, gummy dish made with bread, and I don't know what else. I didn't care for it. But when we moved to Texas, and we were served dressing in the school cafeteria I discovered I did like this dressing made with cornbread and served at holiday meals. So when I married I set out to make dressing. I had no idea where to start, but I started by softening onions and celery in butter and just kind of stumbled my way through it. I think I ate most of it before I achieved the taste I wanted.

I rather believe that's the way most of the recipes floating around today came to be. The pioneers and

forefathers used what they had on hand, whether it was dried biscuits or cornbread or pecans or oysters and chestnuts. Today many people use a commercial starter base of prepared stuffing and then add their own favorite ingredients to complete the dish. As for our household, I start with a base, then add my own cornbread, onions, celery, butter, chicken broth ... an egg to lighten the mixture and bake it. Lately I've used the slow cooker to make the dressing, and it's moist, crisp around the edges and wonderful.

So, what is your preference? Do you stuff as our ancestors did? Or do you bake as a side dish? Either way, the holiday meals would not be the same without dressing -- or stuffing.

Golden Keyes Parsons is a multi-published historical fiction author. Her next novel, Gift of the Inn (WhiteFire Publishing) will be released Oct 2017.
She lives in Waco, Texas, with her husband. They have eight grandchildren and five great grandchildren who keep them busier than they thought they would be in retirement.

THE OLDEST PROFESSION IN WACO, TX

By Golden Keyes Parsons

 www.waymarking.com

As unlikely as it would have seemed even ten years ago, tourists are pouring into Waco, Tx, these days, due largely to the Fixer Upper phenomenon. As one drives by the convention center and the memorial to Vietnam veterans along the Brazos River and the historic suspension bridge, most visitors would not dream they are driving through  a former red light district. 

In the late 1800s to the 1920s prostitution flourished in this area, known as Two Street or the Reservation, as the cotton and cattle trade converged in Waco. The city was a significant stop on the famous Chisholm Trail where the Old South and the Old West met. Depots sprang up along the Brazos River for both cotton merchants and cattle drives after the Civil War. Soon the small town of Waco became an epicenter for the two key Texas economies. 

As the legitimate businesses took root and grew, so did the illegitimate business

WacoHistoryProject.org

of prostitution. The prostitutes simply flocked to where the money was, and the money was in Waco in those days. By the 1890s, Waco's red-light district housed more than 200 prostitutes and several brothels and madams, the most famous being Mollie Adams.

Although most Waco residents today are totally unaware of the reputation of the Two Street district and the name Mollie Adams, in the early 1900s Mollie was an infamous character in Waco. She was beautiful. She was a financial success. And she was a woman of many connections in Waco, although she was shunned by proper society. Because of these connections, it was rumored that the city officials overlooked many of her indiscretions and allowed her more liberties than were given to the other madams on the Reservation.

About this time, reformers across the country were calling for improvements in workers' conditions. They wanted to clean up American cities, curb disease, and ensure that white Protestant citizens remained pure and untainted by immigrant blood. One of their biggest targets was the abolition of prostitution. In Waco this took on a couple of aspects: city officials attempted to contain the bawdy business of prostitution in a restricted zone. They also required any woman operating as a prostitute to register with the city. In 

Tompsfiddle.blogspot.com

addition, prostitutes had to pay a fee for brothel house licenses every three months. The women also had to undergo monthly medical examinations. Similar regulations were enacted in other Texas cities, but for some reason Waco experienced the greatest longevity in both its official and unofficial policies toward prostitution, resulting in the fact that bawdy register still survives.

Ms Adams' astute business skills can be traced in Waco's bawdy register. She first appeared in the mid-1880s as merely a prostitute, but then she acquired a brothel in 1891 consisting of three rooms. She slowly expanded to seven rooms, then she moved and was evidently financially successful enough to add indoor plumbing and electricity to her establishment. The house also had two parlors, a dance hall, a bar, several bedrooms and a bell system that could summon a particular woman for a certain customer with discretion. Interestingly, the architect for Ms Adams' brothel was also the architect for First Baptist Church Waco.

I found lots more interesting facts about the oldest profession in our fair city ... far too many to include in this blog. But every time I go to that part of Waco, I think about the women who walked those streets in the early days of Waco's history. I wonder if anyone reached out to them to rescue them from this life style of devastation. 

A multi-published fiction author, Golden Keyes Parsons and her husband, Blaine, live in Waco, TX. Her series, Darkness to Light, (Thomas Nelson) chronicled the journey of her ancestors in 17^th century France and was a finalist for ACFW’s Debut Author of the Year in 2008. Her fourth novel, His Steadfast Love, a Civil War novel, was a National Readers Choice finalist. Parsons has also written a biblical fiction series entitled Hidden Faces, Portraits of Nameless Women in the Gospels (WhiteFire Publishing). You can contact her at www.goldenkeyesparsons.com.

SECESSION - TEXAS DIVIDED and GIVEAWAY!

By Golden Keyes Parsons

In doing research for my Civil War novel set in Texas, I was reminded that Texas was a state divided as far as the issue of secession was concerned. But a large part of Texas was a cotton-growing and slavery state, so like her sister states of the same ilk, Texas seceded. However, because of divided opinions on the subject, Texas didn't make the move until early 1861. She was the last state to secede before the firing upon Fort Sumter. The election of Abraham Lincoln and the fear that his Republican party would abolish slavery, thus threatening traditional rights and the economy of Texas ran through the whole secession issue.

ThestoryofTexas.com

Many Texans in the 1850s believed that slavery was essential to the Texas economy and its future growth. Slavery had expanded rapidly since the annexation of Texas to the United States in 1845, especially in East Texas and along the Gulf Coast, where cotton plantations had sprung up. That was due largely to the fact that many plantation owners from the deep South had moved to Texas and settled in those areas. Cotton grown could easily reach market along the rivers and waterways pouring into the Gulf of Mexico. Slaves constituted approximately 30 per cent of the population of Texas by 1860.

TshaOnline.org

However in other settled regions of Texas, the economy did not depend upon cotton and slavery, therefore, slavery was virtually absent. The economy in these regions depended on livestock, corn, and/or wheat. Thus Texas became divided on secession between those regions whose economy depended on cotton and slavery and those whose economy did not. (See map.) Historians today still debate the secession issue in Texas looking at the timing, the population, the local needs, political parties, Unionists such as Sam Houston, and running through entire debate was the slavery issue. Sam Houston was adamantly opposed to Texas seceding and aligning with the Confederate

States. In fact, he was run out of town, here in Waco, after making a speech on the courthouse steps to that effect. It eventually cost him his governorship. Secession could not be stopped, however, no matter how hard Sam Houston tried. The public pressure simply became too great to halt the secessionist movement in Texas and became an exceptionally volatile issue. Pressure to call a convention to vote to secede began in October of 1960 when it appeared Lincoln was going to be elected President. But Governor Houston refused to convene hoping the highly charged emotions would cool down with time. But the flames simply grew, and in December of 1860 the chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court took the law in his own hands and called for a convention in January to vote to secede.

With a touch of irony, the state voted to secede on March 2, Texas Independence Day. All state officials were required to take an oath of loyalty to the Confederacy, which Sam Houston refused to do. Thus ended the long and illustrious political career of Sam Houston. And Texas entered into a losing bloody conflict which would devastate the country.

Texas was "fortunate" in that very little actual fighting took place on Texas soil. Although Texas soldiers gained a reputation for their fierce fighting abilities, particularly a group which became known as Terry's Texas Rangers (not affiliated with the law enforcement group). And one of the only towns occupied by Union troops was a small town on the Gulf Coast, Indianola, which was destroyed in a hurricane in the 1880s. It is the setting for my Civil War book, His Steadfast Love.

 Thomas Nast wood carving of Union troops occupying
Indianola. Calhoun County Museum

Have you ever visited any of the Civil War sites in Texas--Camp Ford in Tyler, Palmito Ranch, where the last battle of the war was fought, or perhaps Jefferson, Texas? Tell us about them or a visit to any Civil War site, for a chance to win a copy of my Civil War novel set in Texas, His Steadfast Love.

A multi-published fiction author, Golden Keyes Parsons and her husband, Blaine, live in Waco, TX. Her series, Darkness to Light, (Thomas Nelson) was a finalist for ACFW’s Debut Author of the Year in 2008. Her fourth novel, His Steadfast Love, a Civil War novel, was a National Readers Choice finalist. Parsons has also written a biblical fiction series entitled Hidden Faces, Portraits of Nameless Women in the Gospels (WhiteFire Publishing). www.goldenkeyesparsons.com.

The "Fixer Uppers" in Waco, Texas

By Golden Keyes Parsons

With the increased popularity of the hit television show, "Fixer Upper," Waco, 

Waco Trib Staff Photo

Texas, has become the top real estate hot spot in the state, and even a top tourist attraction. People are actually moving to Waco from California and New York, drawn by the show.

One of the latest ventures for Chip and Joanna Gaines was the renovation of a property in downtown Waco for their primary business location which has housed the "Silos." The silos are a defining feature of the property and the entire downtown area. When the Gaines bought the property the city council asked them to paint the structure, but Chip Gaines asked that they be able to retain the original look, which fits in with their "shabby chic" look. The town leaders agreed and the silos remain with their original look.

Much of Waco's early history took place in this very location as the railroad ran

Texas Collection, Baylor University

by the large buildings housing the cotton bales the slaves and land owners brought in for sale.

By the late nineteenth century Waco had established itself as one of the most significant urban centers of the South. The town held the title of being the King of Cotton until the onset of the Great Depression. By 1900, cottonseed was second only to lumber as the most important cash crop in Texas. The state established itself as the leading processor of cottonseed in the nation and one of the largest suppliers of cooking oil, vegetable shortening, margarine and salad oil--by products of cottonseed oil.

Texas Collection, Baylor University

This locale was home to the Brazos Valley Cotton Oil Company beginning in about 1910. The company took truckloads of cottonseed from local gins and extracted the oil for industrial use, then sold the meal for cattle feed. Ask any Baylor student who attended the University until the 1960s, and they can quickly recall distinctive odor of the cottonseed oil being produced. The photo to the left is of the property before the erection of the silos.

Because Waco was recognized as one of the nation's major inland markets of cotton after the Civil War, an exposition and fair was planned to be named the Texas Cotton Palace. A huge building was erected and the event was a success, but in 1895 the building burned. The event was not reactivated until 1910, and with great success. It was known as one of the biggest most elaborate expositions in the nation. Horse racing, concerts, art shows, livestock exhibitions and a variety of activities surrounded the event, crowned by the Queen's Ball, the social event of the year. It became a casualty of the Depression, but the event continues in the form of a pageant-type event every year in the spring on the Baylor University campus. That affair was just held a couple of weeks ago.

Texas Collection, Baylor University

So the next time I decide to go shopping down at Magnolia, or you see Fixer Upper on television, remember the rich history of cotton in our town. We love Waco, and we love Fixer Upper. Come see us in Waco!

AUTHOR BIO

Although a multi-published fiction author, Golden Keyes Parsons’ first published non-fiction work, Spiritual Spring Cleaning, (BoldVision Books) just released last spring. Her series, Darkness to Light, (Thomas Nelson) chronicled the journey of her ancestors in 17^th century France and was a finalist for ACFW’s Debut Author of the Year in 2008. Her fourth novel, His Steadfast Love, a Civil War novel, was a National Readers Choice finalist. Parsons has also written a biblical fiction series entitled Hidden Faces, Portraits of Nameless Women in the Gospels (WhiteFire Publishing). Golden lives in Waco, TX, with her husband, Blaine. www.goldenkeyesparsons.com

HISTORIC JEFFERSON, TEXAS

By Golden Keyes Parsons

Jefferson, Texas, is located in far East Texas close to the Louisiana border and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the area. Nearly every building in the main section of town sports an historic marker. In fact, Jefferson boasts of the most registered historic homes in the state. The Caddo Indians originally owned the land. A natural dam

Chamber of Commerce
Jefferson, TX

more than 100 miles long had formed north of Natchitoches, Louisiana, in the Red River causing the Caddo Lake to rise, enough so that major commercial river boats from as far away as St Louis and New Orleans were able to travel inland to Jefferson.

By 1845, steamboats were regularly reaching Jefferson, some with as many as 130 passengers or more aboard. At its high point, it was not unusual for Jefferson to receive upwards of 250 paddle boats per year. By the late 1840s Jefferson had emerged as the leading commercial and distribution in Northeast Texas and the state's chief inland port, second only to Galveston. For more than 30 years, the port of Jefferson served as the primary entry point for settlers, immigrants, and supplies from the east.

House of the Seasons
Jefferson, TX

The historic homes alone in Jefferson are worth the visit--carefully restored and graciously hosted by knowledgeable docents. And the town supports two, yes, to allegedly haunted hotels ... the Jefferson and the longest continuously operating hotel in Texas, the Excelsior House Hotel. We have stayed numerous times in the Excelsior House and enjoyed the sumptuous Southern breakfast the next morning with their signature orange blossom muffins, but the claim that the hotel is haunted is a bit unnerving. I must admit.

Donna Wilson
fineartamerica.com

After Texas voted to secede from the Union, men from Jefferson volunteered for military service in great numbers, pledging their allegiance to the

Confederacy. During the Civil War, Jefferson served as a vital supply point for the South until the Port of New Orleans fell under blockade by Northern naval forces. Jefferson now holds an annual Civil War enactment where the town is resplendent with men in Confederate uniforms with a southern belle on their arms on every street corner. And battle scenes are re-enacted outside of town for interested tourists.

The town had been scheduled for destruction and to be set ablaze by the advancing Northern troops, as had been the eventual fate of many of her sister cities during the last days of the War. Thankfully, Jefferson was spared, aiding its early return to prosperity, even in the wake of Reconstruction. By 1870, it was recorded that over 200 new buildings were in the works. The town reached its peak population just a few years after the Civil War and is reported to have exceeded 30,000. During this time, Jefferson was the sixth largest town in Texas.

However, two events changed the course of Jefferson's future. The railroad which ran from Marshall to Texarkana bypassed Jefferson, and the natural dam was broken up by the US Corps of Engineers deeming it a navigational hazard. Both of those actions changed the commercial face of Jefferson and the population and trade dwindled drastically. Today it is basically a tourist attraction.

Have you ever visited Jefferson, TX? Leave a comment, and I'll send you the recipe for the yummy orange blossom muffins!

Golden Keyes Parsons is a multi-published historical fiction author. Her series, Darkness to Light, (Thomas Nelson) chronicled the journey of her ancestors in 17^th century France and was a finalist for ACFW’s Debut Author of the Year in 2008. Her fourth novel, His Steadfast Love, a Civil War novel, was a National Readers Choice finalist. Parsons has also written a biblical fiction series entitled Hidden Faces, Portraits of Nameless Women in the Gospels (WhiteFire Publishing). Golden lives in Waco, TX, with her husband, Blaine. www.goldenkeyesparsons.com