Hello there. My name is Cara Grandle. I'm honored to be included here on HHH. I'm looking forward to getting to know you extra-cool, history-lovin’, fiction-reading folks.
But even more I'm looking forward to having a place to share all the random historical facts that are so intriguing, enlightening, and entertaining. My children will thank you for sparing them.
And when I say random, I mean random.
So, let's start with manure. Picture me laughing. Why on earth would my first post be about this?
Did you know that in 1894 The Times predicted, "In fifty years London will be buried under nine feet of manure"? The same was said to be true of New York City.
All those horse-drawn carts, buggies, busses, hansom cabs that we like to write about in our books produced a staggering amount of waste.
It is estimated that in the late 19th century horses transported 120,000 passengers each day, utilizing New York's horse population of 100,000.
There were empty lots of land used to put all the muck piled forty feet high. Head shaking.
Add to that the working drays pulling delivery trucks and other work related horse-powered operation and you have a huge stinking problem.
Yes, I said stinking.
Can you imagine? Each horse produces between fifteen and thirty-five pounds of manure EACH day.
That's a pile heavier than most one-year-olds. For each horse. Every. Single. Day.
This historical tidbit makes me think differently about all our beautifully clad heroines holding their skirts out of the dirt to keep from soiling the hems of their dresses or being careful to not ruin their slippers.
It wasn't mud folks.
The manure problem lead to the first international urban planning conference in New York in 1898. The conference was supposed to last a week but it was cancelled after three days when no solution could be found.
How was the problem solved? It wasn't really. A man named Henry Ford came along with a form of motorized transport sold at an affordable price.
The first car was marketed as being a solution to the manure pollution problem. Ironic, eh?
In fourteen years’ time, horses were replaced and motorized vehicles were the main source of transportation and carriage, effectively ending The Great Manure Crisis.
For some time after, people were known to quote 'The Great Horse Manure Crisis of 1894', to inspire hope in urging people not to despair when facing insurmountable problems, because something will inevitably turn up.
But can you imagine? A city buried under nine feet of manure? Another reason to be glad we live in this day and age. Is there anything you are grateful for about living in 2017 versus another time?
I can’t wait to hear your answers.
CaraGrandle is a Historical Romance Novelist who prefers to write about the early
settlers of the Pacific Northwest. She is represented by the Steve Laube
Agency. Cara leads the author4TheAuthor writers group on Facebook, home to 185
writers. Together they're pressing back on busy and making a space for their
dreams. Cara hosts a Writers Encouragement show weekly on Periscope. The show
is on Tuesday mornings at 9:00am PST. Cara's Periscope show includes live,
interactive author-interviews with leading Christian fiction novelists,
editors, publicist and agents under the handle @CaraGrandle.
Cara is currently out on submission. Follower her journey on her Facebook author page.
