The Mountain Meadows Massacre by Nancy J. Farrier

Mountain Meadows Panorama, by Philkon Konstantin, Public Domain

 

The beautiful mountains of Utah high country was the setting for one of the largest massacres to ever occur in United States history. Over 120 people died in this brutal event. This is the story of what led to their murders.

 

It was August 10^th, 1857 when the Fancher wagon train arrived in Salt Lake City. They had traveled from Arkansas, changing names a couple of times, but were about 150 strong, with about 900 head of cattle. On their way to California, the Fancher train was in dire need of rest and replenishment of their supplies.

 

Brigham Young
Wikimedia Commons
Public Domain

For several years, there had been dissension between the Mormons and the U.S. government. The Mormons came to Utah territory in 1847 to escape persecution and had tried to declare Utah the State of Deseret but were rejected by the federal government. 

 

In 1857, James Buchanan, newly elected President, was against Brigham Young’s beliefs and his attempts to control the government in Utah. Declaring Young and Utah territory were “in rebellion,” Buchanan and his cabinet planned to send a large Army expedition to remove Young.

 

Because of the declaration by the President, Young declared Utah to be in a state of war and wanted his men to be ready. They set up a militia that included all the men who were able fighters. He also imposed a ruling that anyone crossing Utah territory needed a permit. Without that permit, they were to be eliminated.

 

The Fancher wagon train had trouble getting the supplies they needed. They discussed which route they would take leaving Salt Lake City and decided on the one that went through Mountain Meadows. 

 

They left Salt Lake City, not knowing they needed a permit to continue. When they arrived in Mountain Meadow, a large diamond shaped valley full of lush grass and many streams, they camped to rest up and allow their cattle to replenish.

 

Isaac Haight, Public Domain 
Wikimedia Commons

Fancher had already run afoul of some of the local militia leaders, John D. Lee and Isaac Haight. Tensions were high. Lee and Haight decided to show the emigrants their place. They asked for help from a Paiute tribe and all the militia dressed like the Paiutes to blame them on the attack.

 

On September 7^th, the raid  began. Fancher, thinking this was a Paiute attack, circled the wagons and dug pits to protect his men as they returned fire. They held out for four days of assaults, losing several people, and going without food and water. 

 

John D. Lee
Public Domain

Fancher finally waved the white flag. Some of the militia came forward not dressed as Paiutes and as if they had just arrived and were there to save the wagon train. They promised to escort the emigrants back to Cedar City. They put seventeen children, too young to walk, in a wagon, along with some of the mothers and wounded. The rest of the people had to walk behind the wagon.

 

Survivor Christopher 
"Kit" Fancher as adult 
Public Domain

After they’d gone about a mile and a half, they were strung out and each bunch of emigrants was cut off from the other. Then the militia and Paiutes attacked, killing off all but the seventeen children in the lead wagon. Those children were taken into Mormon homes, while the bodies of their parents and others were thrown in shallow graves.

 

A year and half later, Arkansas relatives of the group, demanded an investigation. The Mormons began by blaming the Paiutes, but the truth came out. All 17 children were eventually found and reunited with family members. They arrived in Arkansas two years after the massacre.

 

1877 Article on Lee's Execution
Public Domain

The government eventually accused some of the militia men, but only put John D. Lee on trial for the massacre. He was found guilty in 1877 and executed by firing squad at the site of the massacre.

 

1999 Monument/Cairn, Photo by Mangoman88
Wikimedia Commons

There were many more factors that led to this tragedy. The attack was brutal. A witness recalled the women begging for their lives and being clubbed to death anyway. What excuses this type of brutality? A threat to your way of life?  It’s a sad time in our history.

 

Have you ever heard of the Mountain Meadows Massacre? I’ve driven by the site but never stopped to view the marker that was erected. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Memorial at site, Photo by Lankyrider
Wikimedia Commons

Nancy J Farrier is an award-winning, best-selling author who lives in Southern Arizona in the Sonoran Desert. She loves the Southwest with its interesting historical past. When Nancy isn’t writing, she loves to read, do needlecraft, play with her cats and dog, and spend time with her family. You can read more about Nancy and her books on her website: nancyjfarrier.com.

Angela Ruiz Robles, Inventor - By Nancy J. Farrier

 

Angela Drawing by Eulogia Merle
Wikimedian Commons

Some say the birth of the ebook came in 1971 when Michael Hart created an electronic document of the Declaration of Independence. But, was this the beginning of the ebook? Some say yes. Others believe Angela Ruiz Robles invention was the beginning of this monumental breakthrough—bringing multiple books into one small package.

 

Angela Was born in Villamanin, Spain in 1895. Her father was a pharmacist, her mother a housewife. Angela began her career as a teacher, graduating from a teacher training college in León. From there she went on to teach several subjects including shorthand, typing, and business. 

 

She accepted a teaching position in 1918 in Santa Eugenia de Mandía and stayed there for the next ten years. It was there she discovered the true heart of her calling. She saw the students as individuals, each unique in their own right, and met each students needs. Her students loved her and said, “Doña Angelita...never treated any student differently and always honoured each individual learner’s needs.”

 

Angela surrounded by her students.

At the age of 40, after the death of her husband, Angela founded the Elmaca Academy, named after her three daughters, Elena, Maria Elvira, and Carmen. Elmaca Academy provided specific classes for students training in fields such as telegraph operators or business management studies. The academy had the highest passing rate in the country.

 

During her career, Angela raised her three daughters, taught students, ran the academy, and still had time for writing and inventing. From 1938 to 1946, she wrote and edited some 16 books. Three of them were published, Compendium of Castilian Orthography, Castilian Orthography (abbreviated), and Modern Abbreviated Martinian Shorthand. 

 

She was always thinking of ways to improve her students learning capacity and make learning easier and more appealing. One of the things Angela noticed was the books her students had to carry from class to class. She experimented with ideas, wanting to make, “...teaching easier, to get maximum knowledge with minimum effort.”

 

Mechanical Encyclopedia       

Her dream, what she called the “Mechanical Encyclopaedia” addressed the needs of her students. Her idea was a device that would store vast amounts of information, available at the fingertips. The information would include graphics, sound, and textual forms. She planned to add lighting and magnification to the device.

 

Angela traveled to Madrid certain she would be able to find promoters who would help bring her dream to fruition. Instead, she received pats on the back, but no serious takers. Many believe this is due to her being a woman and not taken seriously. Despite this, in 1962 she was able to scrape the funds together to have a prototype made. 

 

Mechanical Encyclopedia inside

After retiring from teaching, Angela spent all her time promoting her Mechanical Encyclopedia. She traveled to exhibitions where she was often the only woman inventor. She gave interviews and talked to potential investors. In 1970, she rejected a proposal to license her invention in the US. She wanted her invention to be developed in Spain and to benefit her people.

 

Angela’s invention was ahead of her time. She didn’t have access to computers or other media. Instead, she used audio and image reels along with electrical circuits when user’s accessed hypertext links. If her invention had been funded would it have become the first ebook? I don’t know. But, I do know she had an amazing invention that should have been produced.

 

I found Angela’s story so heart-warming. She loved her students and spent her life trying to make learning easier for them. Have you ever heard of Angela’s Mechanical Encyclopedia? It is on display in the National Museum of Science and Technology in A Coruna, Spain. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Nancy J Farrier is an award-winning, best-selling author who lives in Southern Arizona in the Sonoran Desert. She loves the Southwest with its interesting historical past. When Nancy isn’t writing, she loves to read, do needlecraft, play with her cats and dog, and spend time with her family. You can read more about Nancy and her books on her website: nancyjfarrier.com.

Camp Grant Massacre by Nancy J. Farrier

 

Camp Grant, Photo by John Karl Hillers
United States Army, Public Domain

In the Southwest, particularly in Arizona, in the 1860’s and early 1870’s, there were two types of Apaches. The Chiricahua Apaches chose to fight to try to regain their lands and their freedom, while the Aravaipa and Pinal Apaches chose to seek peace, settling down to farm. This disparity led to what happened on an April morning in 1871.

 

In February of 1871, six Apache women approached Camp Grant, Arizona, located where the San Pedro River and Aravaipa Creek meet. These women spoke with Lt. Royal Whitman about  a son who had been captured and taken prisoner. Lt. Whitman was kind to the women, giving them food and listening to them. Within a short time a camp was set up for the Aravaipa and Pinal Apaches a few miles upstream from Camp Grant. The Apaches settled there, planting food and hunting for game.

 

Meanwhile, the Chiricahua Apaches continued their raids, often killing settlers in their quest to win back their hunting grounds. In March of 1871, A baggage train was attacked and two men killed, a rancher was killed, and a woman kidnapped. Citizens in Tucson were appalled and sent a request for help to General George Stoneman who was in charge of Indian affairs in Arizona territory. Stoneman didn’t take them seriously, brushing off their concerns. (This later cost him his post and position as General.)

 

Tucson in the 1880's

After more attacks in April, some of the citizens of Tucson banded together to settle
the score. The vigilantes included William S. Oury, the mayor of Tucson. They snuck out at night and rode for two days to reach the Camp Grant area. There were 6 Americans, 48 Mexicans, and over 90 Tohono O’odham Indians in the group. When they reached the area, they set a watch at Camp Grant and took a hidden trail to the Apache camp.

 

Before dawn on the morning of April 18^th, 1871, the men entered the camp. They slaughtered 8 men and over 100 women who were all sleeping when attacked. Some of the women were raped. They took captive 30 children, taking them to Tucson and Mexico to be slaves.

 

Eskimizin - Chief of the Apaches
near Camp Grant. Public Domain

Most of the men of the Apache camp were out on a hunting expedition, which is why there were so few men in the camp. By the time the soldiers at Camp Grant were aware of the attack, it was over. They arrived to find the people murdered and mutilated. Lt. Whitman searched for survivors but only found one woman. He and his men buried the bodies.

 

An outcry was made when word got out about what had happened. The Apaches were under the protection of the soldiers at Camp Grant, and thinking themselves safe, were attacked and slaughtered while they slept. The Eastern press called it a massacre. President Grant informed the governor that if the perpetrators weren’t brought to justice, he would declare martial law for Arizona.

 

In October 1871, a Tucson grand jury indicted 100 of the vigilantes on 108 counts of murder. The following trial was a farce and it took the jury nineteen minutes to declare the defendants not guilty. The children who had been sold as slaves were never recovered.

This tragedy took place a few miles from where I live in Arizona. The thought of all those innocents being slaughtered breaks my heart as does the slavery of the children. I still can't understand the murderous intent that would have so many riding such a distance to commit this crime.

 

Have you ever heard of the Camp Grant Massacre? What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear.

Nancy J Farrier is an award-winning, best-selling author who lives in Southern Arizona in the Sonoran Desert. She loves the Southwest with its interesting historical past. When Nancy isn’t writing, she loves to read, do needlecraft, play with her cats and dog, and spend time with her family. You can read more about Nancy and her books on her website: nancyjfarrier.com.

Picketpos Mountain, Apache Leap, and George Stoneman by Nancy J. Farrier

 

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I went with our church hiking group to climb Picketpost Mountain outside of Superior, Arizona. Only four of us made the trek since it was a more strenuous hike/climb. It was hard, but so worth the effort. The views were gorgeous and the history of the area is something I’ve wanted to look into for a long time. Above is a view of Picketpost Mountain from the parking area with access to the trail. 

 

 

View of Superior from atop Picketpost.

Picketpost stands alone outside the town of Superior, majestic in its height, and with a 360° view of the surrounding countryside. In 1870, when Lt. Col. George Stoneman came to Arizona, he established a base camp where the current town of Superior stands, but he also assigned troops to climb the mountain and be lookouts. They were scouting for Apache activity.

 

Eastern view from atop Picketpost.

At this time, the telegraph was available in Tucson and Phoenix but not in the outlying areas. Stoneman was one of the cavalry wanting to set up a system for spotting Indian activity using a heliograph. The heliograph was a system of mirrors used to convey messages. There were more than 25 of these stations on mountain tops in Arizona. Picketpost was one of those.

 

A view of Apache Leap, the bluff
overlooking Superior

Across the valley that houses Superior is a bluff that overlooks the town in the Pinal Mountains. In the summer of 1870, Stoneman led a company of troops into the Pinal mountains in search of a party of Apaches. It is not recorded what prompted this mission, but may have been a sighting from the lookouts on Picketpost.

 

Postcard with Apache Warriors
Arizona, public domain

The cavalrymen engaged with a large group of Apaches and many of the Indians
died. From here, there are two different stories I’ve read. One claim is the Apaches who were left became disheartened or didn’t want to surrender so they chose to run off the bluff, committing suicide. Another account I read suggested there was thick fog and the Apaches were disoriented and ran off the bluff to their death. Either way, many of them died in that horrific attack. Thus the name of the bluff to this day is Apache Leap.

 

General George Stoneman
Public Domain

George Stoneman was in charge of the cavalry in Arizona for only a short time. He began his career before the Civil War, attending school with other famous General, such as Andrew “Stonewall” Jackson. He rose to the rank of General and was captured during the Civil War. He was exchanged for a Confederate Brigidier General and Stoneman returned to the army. He led a raid into Virginia destroying a stronghold of General Lee’s. 

 

Due to politics of the time after the war ended, Stoneman became a Major General, but was mustered out in 1866. He then reverted to his regular army rand of Lt. Colonel and was appointed in charge of the 21^st infantry and sent to Arizona. After establishing Camp Pinal and the Picketpost camp, Stoneman fell into disfavor over his ill treatment of the Indians. 

 

He left the Army and moved to California, something he’d long dreamed of doing. He was elected Governor of California in 1882 and instituted some new state hospitals, a home for the blind, and a Forestry Board. 

 

All this is fascinating history I dug up both before and after climbing Picketpost Mountain. I am in awe of the cavalry troops who climbed the peak on a regular basis carrying provisions. The area is remote and the climb up there is challenging even when you aren’t weighed down with a pack. 

 

Have you ever been to Superior, Arizona? It’s a small mining town with some great food and little shops. The history of the town is fascinating and worth looking into. With the Pinal Mountains close by, and the trails, including the one up Picketpost, it’s worth considering for a day trip.

The Art of Scrimshaw by Nancy J. Farrier

National Museum of American History

From accounts I’ve read the art of scrimshaw began on whaling vessels. Fishermen would spend months at sea, often with little to do. Whaling could only be done during daylight, so the sailors had hours of time on their hands. They had an abundance of bone and teeth from the whale, so they carved designs, or made useful objects to take home to their wives, mothers or a sweetheart. The men who did the scrimshaw were called scrimshanders.

 

Sailors used the teeth of sperm whales, bones of other whales, or the tusks of the walrus to make their carvings. A crude sailing needle was used to etch the design. Often, soot, tobacco juice or candle black would be used to bring out the design. The quality and detail of the artwork depended not only on the skill of the artisan, but also on the weather and the seas. Imagine trying to scratch tiny lines into a hard surface when the floor is moving. That must have been difficult to do.

 

National Museum of American History
Sperm Whale Tooth

Scenes of home life, sailing scenes and pictures of sweethearts from back home were popular to use in scrimshaw. From masted ships to breeching whales the art of the scrimshanders captured the imagination of people everywhere. 

 

There were many useful objects carved or fashioned by scrimshanders. Many of these can be found on the website of the Smithsonian National Museum of American Art if you type in scrimshaw to their search engine. They include wonderful detail on each item that is fascinating to read.

 

Pan Bone
National Museum of American History

One of the bones used would have been the pan bone, or jaw bone of the whale. An
oval section of bone would have been cut from the jawbone, sliced thin and polished prior to adding a design. In the picture is such a pan bone, although it is unusual in that the scrimshander included the date and detail information. This scene depicts the harpooned whale diving and dragging the boat down with him. Most fishermen did not know how to swim, so this would mean death for them, especially in the cold waters of the north. In this scene, with the other boats in close proximity, the sailors would have had a good chance of survival.

 

Here are some of the various items made by scrimshanders:

 

National Museum of American History

Candle Lantern: This lantern was designed to hold a single candle. The materials are bone and copper. There are holes in the bottom for draft purposes, and you can see the stub of a candle in the holder. The copper is etched as are the four pieces of bone that make up the top of the lantern. Each piece of bone has a different scrimshaw. One is a ship, one the date of 1859, one the scrimshander’s name – John Denton, and the last is the inscription – Happy is he who findeth light. From the lack of soot inside the lantern it is obvious this piece was prized and rarely used.

 

National Museum of American History

Pie Crimper: Men loved to make useful items to bring home to their wives, mothers or sweethearts. Pie crimpers were very useful and showed the man had been thinking of them on the long voyage. The edge of the pie crimper would run around the outside of the pie and seal the edges together. They were made in many different shapes. The one I have here is in the shape of a mythical hippocamp – half horse, half fish.

 

National Museum of American History

Corset Busk: Another popular item to take home was the corset busk. Many women wore corsets to make their waists smaller. The scrimshander would make the busk from the bone or baleen of a whale. This would have been a very intimate scrimshaw item, which the wife would use to stiffen the corset, and also served as a way to keep her husband close when he would be gone for long periods of time.

 

National Museum of American History

Watch Stand: Most scrimshaw was done with women in mind, however this watch stand must have been made for a man. This piece has a hollowed place to put a man’s pocket watch, but is unfinished. You can also see that patriotic carvings were popular.

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed learning about scrimshaw. It’s hard for me to imagine being on a ship for months at a time, but if I had to do that I would enjoy doing some sort of handcraft to pass the time. Have you ever seen, or do you have, any scrimshaw? 

Nancy J Farrier is an award-winning, best-selling author who lives in Southern Arizona in the Sonoran Desert. She loves the Southwest with its interesting historical past. When Nancy isn’t writing, she loves to read, do needlecraft, play with her cats and dog, and spend time with her family. You can read more about Nancy and her books on her website: nancyjfarrier.com.

James Whitcomb Riley by Nancy J. Farrier

James Whitcomb Riley - 1913
Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

I grew up in Indiana and was introduced to James Whitcomb Riley’s poetry at an early age. He was, after all, the ‘Hoosier’ poet. His country style and way of capturing rural life endeared him to many people.

 

Born in Greenfield, Indiana in 1849, James Whitcomb Riley is said to have loved poetry or rhyming before he learned to read. His first written verses were private valentines to his classmates.

 

Birthplace, Homes, Pictures of JWR
Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 

Riley was not a good student. He struggled with the structure of school and often dropped out or missed classes. He graduated 8^th grade when he was 20 and didn’t further his education. He often said he knew nothing of math, geography, or science.

 

His mother told him stories that included fairy tale beings such as trolls, giants, and fairies. When Riley needed something to do, his mother encouraged him and his friends to put on plays. Riley wrote the material and they acted out the plays in the back of a grocery store. As they grew older, they named themselves the Adelphiansand graduated to putting on productions in barns to a larger audience.

 

He drew inspiration for his poetry from his life and the people who influenced him. While Riley’s father was part of the Union Army serving during the Civil War, Riley’s mother took in an orphan, Mary Alice “Allie” Smith. She was the inspiration for one of Riley’s most popular poems, “Little Orphant Annie.” The title was a misprint on the part of the typesetter and was supposed to read “Little Orphant Allie.”

 

Little Orphant Annie

 

Little Orphant Annie’s come to our house to stay,

An’ wash the cups an’ saucers up, an’ brush the crumbs away,

An’ shoo the chickens off the porch, an’ dust the hearth, an’ sweep,

An’ make the fire, an’ bake the bread, an’ earn her board-an’-keep’

An’ all us other children, when the supper things is done,

We set around the kitchen fire an’ has the mostest fun

A-list’nin’ to the witch-tales ‘at Anne tell about,

An’ the Gobble-uns ‘at gits you

Ef you

   Don’t

      Watch

          Out!

 

Riley's Sign Painting Advertisement
Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

Riley worked at various odd jobs. He sold Bibles, and painted signs on barns. In 1874, he worked at the Greenfield News as an associate editor and submitted some of his poetry. He struggled for years financially until he started going on speaking tours where he would perform his poetry. He was a popular speaker and the demand for his poetry grew. His first book, The Old Swimmin’-Hole and ‘Leven Other Poems was published in 1883. They were stories that harkened back to his childhood and to the stories his mother told him. He went on to publish over 50 volumes of poetry, much of it prized for its small town reflections.

 

James Whitcomb Riley, holding his dog
Surrounded by children in front of his Indianapolis home.
Wikimedia Commons

For a young man who struggled in school, it was a great honor to have universities teach literature courses studying Riley’s poetry. Several of the universities offered him honorary degrees, the first being Yale in 1902.  

 

From 1901 until his death in 1916, Riley’s health declined. He developed neurasthenia in 1901, a nervous system disorder. He was diagnosed with Bell’s palsy in 1909. His travel was restricted dues to his illnesses. He still wrote poetry but it wasn’t publishable.

 

Riley Statue by
Sculptor Myra Reynolds
Greenfield, IN
Wikimedia Commons

The nation was shocked that their beloved poet died after suffering a stroke in July 1916. Memorials were made to him. The James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children opened in 1924. A memorial foundation purchased his home in Indianapolis and made it into a museum: the James Whitcomb Riley House.

 

Below are the first stanzas of two of Riley’s popular poems.

 

The Old Swimmin’ Hole

 

Oh! the old swimmin'-hole! whare the crick so still and deep 

Looked like a baby-river that was laying half asleep, 

And the gurgle of the worter round the drift jest below 

Sounded like the laugh of something we onc't ust to know 

Before we could remember anything but the eyes 

Of the angels lookin' out as we left Paradise; 

But the merry days of youth is beyond our controle, 

And it's hard to part ferever with the old swimmin'-hole.

 

When the Frost is on the Punkin

 

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock,

And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin’ turkey-cock,

And the clackin’ of the guineys, and the cluckin’ of the hens,

And the rooster’s hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence;

O, it’s then’s the times a feller is a-feelin’ at his best,

With the risin’ sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,

As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock,

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock.

 

JWR Complete Works by Pete Unseth
Wikimedia Commons

Have you read any of James Whitcomb Riley’s poems? What do you think of his style? I grew up knowing lines from his work, so reading these always brings a smile and a feeling of familiarity to me. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Nancy J Farrier is an award-winning, best-selling author who lives in Southern Arizona in the Sonoran Desert. She loves the Southwest with its interesting historical past. When Nancy isn’t writing, she loves to read, do needlecraft, play with her cats and dog, and spend time with her family. You can read more about Nancy and her books on her website: nancyjfarrier.com.

The Grimm Brothers by Nancy J. Farrier

 What do you think of when you read the title, “The Grimm Brothers”? My guess is you imagine a volume of fairy tales, including popular favorites like Snow White, Cinderella, Rapuzel, or Hansel and Gretel. But how did those stories come to be? Who are the famous brothers behind the fairy tales?

 

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm 1847
By Hemann Biow, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

Jacob Grimm was born in January 1785, and his brother Wilhelm was born in February 1786. They were the 2^nd and 3^rd oldest of nine children, three of whom died as infants. When Jacob was six years old, his father accepted a position as city magistrate in Steinau, Germany. From 1791 to 1796, the Grimms lived in a nice house, with servants, a carriage provided, and tutors for the children.

 

Grimm house 1791-1796
Photo by Alexander Hoernigk, Wikimedia Commons 

Life took a downward turn in 1796, when their father died of pneumonia. The Grimms lost their home and all their luxuries, having to depend on the help of their grandfather and aunt. Jacob was now the oldest of the children and thus responsible for their welfare at age eleven. Wilhelm shared the responsibility with Jacob and for the next two years they listened to the advice of their grandfather.

 

In 1798, Jacob and Wilhelm’s aunt paid for their admittance to attend the Friedrichsgymnasium school in Kassel. The two brothers studied hard and were at the top of their class. They discovered a love of learning and went on to attend the University of Marburg where they studied law. It was here they had a professor who instilled a love of history and philology leading the brothers to study medieval German literature.

 

In 1805, Jacob had to quit his studies, taking a job with the Hessian War Commission. His family was in such extreme poverty that they had meager portions and only ate once a day. 

 

Drawing by Ludwig Emil Grimm - 1843
Wikimedia Commons

By 1808, Jacob quit the war commission and became a librarian in Kassel. His mother died, leaving him total responsibility for his younger siblings. Jacob was able to pay for his brother Ludwig to attend art school. Later Ludwig would illustrate some of their books, and he did sketches of his brothers.

 

While working at the library, they had a friend, Clemens Brentano, who asked them to collect fairy tales that he could use in a book. They sent Brentano copies of 54 stories. They were glad they sent the copies when Brentano lost the manuscripts they’d sent him. When Brentano lost interest in publishing the fairy tales, the brothers gathered the 54 stories, plus 32 more and published a first volume of fairy tales. They published another 70 fairy tales in 1815.

 

The original fairy tales were dark and never intended to be children’s literature. The stories were for adults and carried warnings within their text. Many of the stories were about the stark living conditions of the times. 

 

Front/title page of Kinder-und Hausmärchen
Illustrated by Ludwig Grimm, Wikimedia Commons

Hansel and Gretel, by Arthur Rackham 
Wikimedia Commons

An earlier story they published, The Children of Famine, started like this: “Once upon a time there was a woman with two daughters, and they had become so poor that they no longer had even a piece of bread to put in their mouths. Their hunger became so great that their mother became unhinged and desperate. Indeed, she said to her children, “I’ve got to kill you so that I can get something to eat.”

 

In their later life, Jacob and Wilhelm worked on writing a German dictionary. They were retired from teaching and writing fairy tales, enjoying the challenge of word studies. The dictionary was not complete when they died. Wilhelm died first in 1859 of an infection, and Jacob took his death hard. He became reclusive, working only on the dictionary, until his death in 1863.

Berlin Memorial Plaque, by OTFW, Berlin
Wikimedia Commons

 

The brothers had been so close all their lives, I can only imagine how hard it was for Jacob to lose Wilhelm. I remember reading Grimm’s fairy tales as a young girl and loving them. How about you? Do you like fairy tales? Are you familiar with them?

 

 

 

In December, I published my first fairy tale based book, a novella, Fairy Tale Christmas. This story is loosely inspired by Grimm’s fairy tale, Water of Life. You can find it here.

Princess Ivyana’s father, the King, is on his deathbed, and she and her sisters are given an impossible task: to find the Water of Life, the only known cure. But no one knows how to find this elusive water, and when her sisters go missing, Ivy is left as her father's only hope.

The only one willing to help Ivy is Kivin Tonnas, a lowly stable hand. Accompanied by Kivin and her maid, Ivy sets out on a dangerous journey to find the Water of Life. But Kivin harbors a secret, one that even he doesn't know. He is under a curse, and only Ivy can break it. As they journey together, their forbidden love grows, but will it be enough to overcome their differences? 

Nancy J Farrier is an award-winning, best-selling author who lives in Southern Arizona in the Sonoran Desert. She loves the Southwest with its interesting historical past. When Nancy isn’t writing, she loves to read, do needlecraft, play with her cats and dog, and spend time with her family. You can read more about Nancy and her books on her website: nancyjfarrier.com.