Harriet Tubman and William Henry Seward (and a free book event)

by Kathleen L. Maher

Are you "geeking out" about the new Harriet Tubman movie like me? If so, I thought you might enjoy reading about this amazing lady's not-commonly-known relationship with Lincoln's Secretary of State. 

First, some trivia about William H. Seward, a historical figure and native New Yorker whom I never get tired of studying.

• New York State Senator 1830-34
• New York Governor 1839-42
• US Senator for NY 1849-61 
• Considered early favorite Republican for president in 1860  
• Secretary of State 1861-1869 for Lincoln and Johnson
• Attacked and seriously wounded by Lewis Powell during Lincoln's assassination plot
• purchased Alaskan territory (considered "Seward's Folly") in 1867

Seward was a passionate abolitionist, which damaged his presidential chances in 1860 though he was a strong contender to Lincoln. Slavery was not abolished in New York until 1827, and I found it an ironic surprise to learn his own father was a slaveholder. He and his father had a strained relationship over tight purse strings, and as a young man, William--or Henry as his friends called him--left school to find employment in Georgia, where he witnessed the mistreatment of slaves. He remained devoted to the abolitionist cause even after his family reconciled with him, and called him home to New York to finish his law degree.

Seward earned a reputation for defending a black man accused of murdering four white people following escape from jail. Seward argued a new defense strategy, insanity, citing the abuse the man William Freeman incurred in prison. Seward was an advocate for prison reform and humane treatment for the insane. Seward also defended an underground railroad conductor by the name of John Van Zandt who was sued by a slaveholder. Seward's wife Frances was even more devoted to the abolitionist cause than he. After the Fugitive Slave law of 1850, the couple opened their own home as a safe house along the Underground Railroad route passing through Auburn, New York. 

In the mid 1850's the Sewards met Harriet Tubman in their mutual work on the Underground Railroad. Frances Seward gave Margaret Tubman a place to stay in Auburn after Harriet brought her niece from Maryland. In 1857, a permanent home was offered to Harriet to house her aging parents, whom she had helped escape in a daring trip south. For a while they stayed in Canada, but the active anti-slavery sentiment in Auburn assured her of their safekeeping.  In 1859 the Sewards sold that property to Harriet for a small sum. Harriet would use this house as a base of operations throughout the rest of her activity on the Underground Railroad. 

Harriet met and later married Nelson Davis, and the Auburn wedding was attended by the Sewards, among many other friends. The brick structure of the Harriet Tubman Home on her 25 acre parcel of land is where she spent most of her living from 1859-1913, a part of the Harriet Tubman National Historic Park in Auburn exists to honor her work and legacy. The Thompson Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church which she helped finance and build remains on the property as well as the home for indigent and elderly African Americans which was her dream to provide after the war.

Tubman died in 1913 at the venerable age of 93. She is buried in Auburn at the Fort Hill Cemetery, which became listed on the National Register of Historic places in 1999.

Kathleen L. Maher’s first crush was Peter Rabbit, and she’s loved conflicted heroes ever since. She has two novellas in BARBOUR BOOKS' collections: Victorian Christmas Brides and Lessons on Love. Winner 2012 ACFW Genesis Award. Author of Sons of the Shenandoah Series: The Abolitionist's Daughter and The Chaplain's Daughter.
Kathleen and her husband live in an old farmhouse in upstate NY.
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My first book, The Abolitionist's Daughter provides a look into the Underground Railroad through a fictitious family and features real heroes of the Underground Railroad. Book 2 in Sons of the Shenandoah series, The Chaplain's Daughter, kicks off five days of a Free Kindle Event. Be sure to download your free copy today through November 12 on Amazon.

Historic New York Winters

Being a lifelong New York Yankee, (no not a baseball team player, but a bonafide citizen) has made me a lover of winter and that dreaded four letter word, S N O W. Perhaps part of that comes from my maiden name, Talvi, which means winter in the Finnish language. Whatever the reason, I always get a thrill when I hear a snowstorm is on the way. It stands to reason that winter has created some pretty amazing history in my home state. New York boasts historic blizzards, a century old winter festival, even one of the most photographed and toured Christmas/winter destinations in the world. 

The Great Blizzard holds infamy as the one of the worst, longest, and most deadly snowstorms on record, and spanned several Northeastern states. Between March 10 and 14, 1888 a powerful system carrying moisture moved up the east coast, meeting with an Arctic blast moving down from Canada. Heavy rains turned to a colossal snowstorm--one for the record books. New York saw the deepest snowfall levels, recorded in Troy and Saratoga, each measuring over 50 inches. The system, also called The Great White Hurricane, brought formidable winds. In New York City,  40-plus mile an hour sustained blowing, with gusts recorded at over 70 miles per hour, created drifts in places over 50 feet high, covering three story houses and virtually shutting the metropolis down for over a week. 

400 people lost their lives to this storm, over 200 in New York City alone. But it brought about much needed change at a time that defined technological advances and modernization. Elevated trains that had been paralyzed in the aftermath of the storm were thereafter designed to run underground where ice couldn't derail or snow piles impede. Gas, telephone, and telegraph lines knocked down in the storm took weeks to restore. With growing populations increasingly dependent on these utilities, their infrastructure went subterranean as well. 

A decade later, a happier story evolved at Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks. The longest running winter carnival on the east coast had its beginnings in this logging community where a tuberculosis clinic brought sufferers flocking to seek cure in the cool, pristine climate. Local winter activity enthusiasts formed the Pontiac Club, to celebrate the area's perfect setup for skiing, skating, snowshoeing, hockey, and sledding during the long winter months. In February of 1897 a one-day winter festival was held, with attendees decked out in formal wear. Subsequent carnivals commenced on odd years, their duration longer, and activities broadened to include the annual building of the Ice Palace and nomination of its Ice King and Queen, community fireworks, parades, sports activities and competitions, theater, and a button exchange. 

But perhaps New York's most famous winter scene, depicted in movies such as Elf and Home Alone 2, is the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree and skating rink. The first Rockefeller Center tree was erected by construction workers building Rockefeller Center in 1931. It was a small and informal tree, decorated with simple Depression-era paper garlands and popcorn strings. Two years later, the official tradition kicked off, with a grand 50-foot tree resplendent with electric lights. On completion of Rockefeller Center, a skating rink adorned the plaza below the tree in 1936. 

Photo by Magda Ehlers from Pexels

Interesting trivia about the Rockefeller Center tree: 

• During WWII and after the attack on the World Trade Center, decorations featured patriotic colors and themes. In fact, durung the war three smaller trees stood in place of one large one, each festooned in red, white, or blue respectively. And because of mandatory blackouts, the trees held no lights from 1944-5.
• The tree lighting was first televised in 1951.
• 1971 the tree was first mulched and used for nature trails in upper Manhattan.
• eco-friendly LED lights were first used in 2007
• 2007 the tree lumber was first milled and donated to Habitat for Humanity.

❆❅❄❆ What are some of your most prominent winter memories? Maybe where you live, snow is a rare occurrence. Do you have a favorite movie or historic event that involves winter or snow scenes? Would love to hear about it!

Kathleen L. Maher has had an infatuation with books and fictional heroes ever since her preschool crush, Peter Rabbit. She had a novella in BARBOUR's 2018 Victorian Christmas Brides Collection, featuring her hometown of Elmira, New York. She won the 2012 ACFW Genesis contest for her Civil War story, which released this past summer under a new title The Abolitionist’s Daughter. Look for upcoming releases in 2019, including another Barbour collection, Lessons in Love, set to release in October. Kathleen shares an old farmhouse in upstate New York with her husband, children, and a small zoo of rescued animals.

Follow Kathleen on Facebook,  Twitter and  Amazon

Mount Vernon Gardens & Outdoor Theatre

By Tiffany Amber Stockton

Last month, I shared about the history of the West Point Military Academy. If you missed that post, you can read it here: https://www.hhhistory.com/2018/06/west-point-us-military-academy.html.

So, who among those reading this blog enjoy the theatre? I'm not referring to the movie theater, although going there can also be enjoyable. No, this would be live theatre performed on a stage of some sort and oftentimes adapted based upon the crowd of those gathered to watch. For as long as I can remember, I have always loved performing. Even as a little girl, I craved the spotlight and thrived when I was the one on stage. Some might have even called me a "ham." *grins* How about you? What theater experiences have you had?

Would you believe commercial outdoor theater has only been in existence for a little over 200 years? This obviously doesn't include Shakespeare's performances for the common people, as those were available to anyone at no charge.

* * * * *

Mount Vernon Gardens: First Outdoor Theatre

In 1800, though, chef-turned-theatre manager, Joseph Corre, opened the first *commercial* outdoor theatre on the northwest corner of Leonard Street and Broadway in New York City. It was called The Theatre at Mount Vernon Gardens and was situated within Corre’s private outdoor park and tavern. When I first read about this, I thought it was the Mt. Vernon in Virginia owned by George Washington, but this one is entirely different.

Mount Vernon Gardens was among the first of many New York “gardens” that became popular hangouts for hot and tired city dwellers looking to escape the hustle and bustle. It was certainly the first of New York’s gardens to offer professional theatre. The performance advertised for the first evening was entitled Miss in Her Teens; or the Medley of Lovers. Playing the leading roles were some of New York’s top performers, including Joseph Jefferson I and Lewis Hallam, Jr., both on loan from the nearby Park Theatre–which was on summer hiatus.

No images survive of Corre's Mount Vernon Gardens, but this print to the left of Vauxhall Gardens in 1803 gives a sense of what these New York pleasure gardens were like.

Today, the site of Corre’s Mount Vernon Gardens is deep within lower Manhattan, just two blocks north of City Hall. If you can believe this, though, it was out in the country in 1800 and served as a refreshing rural getaway. Rural? In the middle of New York City? Surprising, isn't it? Manhattan at one point wasn't all cobblestones and paved sidewalks or roads.

Longwood Gardens open-air theatre area

One of my all-time favorite locations for outdoor theatre is Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania. Growing up around the Mid-Atlantic area, I had the good fortune to take several school field trips there, and my family visited many times as well. As an adult, I made a few trips there with friends. Living in Colorado now, it's quite difficult to find anything even remotely similar, although the Denver Botantical Gardens do suffice and are enjoyable to visit.

Longwood Gardens open-air theatre with seating

Longwood Gardens, though, was created by one of the "American royalty" families of DuPont, for the enjoyment of the general public. No only are the gardens themselves amazing and impeccably maintained, but their outdoor theatre is a place for a wide variety of concerts, performances, and even weddings throughout the spring and summer months. My most memorable visit was when I saw Brigadoon performed here. It left a lasting impression that has stayed with me for over 25 years, and it inspired me to see the other versions of this musical, as well as purchase the soundtrack performed by the original Broadway cast plus the one from the MGM film from 1954. Oh, I could sing those songs for hours...but I digress.

Madison Square Gardens, circa 1879

Theatre was only a sidelight for the Mount Vernon Gardens. For the most part, the main function was as an outdoor tavern–a place for New Yorkers to sip a beverage within a pastoral setting just minutes from downtown. As the popularity of “gardens” grew, they employed a wide variety of events and performances to entice visitors. By mid-century, New York’s gardens became competition to legitimate theatre, especially during the summer months. But instead of fighting, many commercial managers embraced the opportunities summer theatre offered. Eventually, the term “garden” became associated with any multi-purposed indoor facility–hence, Madison Square Gardens.

Madison Square Gardens under construction, circa 1939

Unfortunately, Mr. Corre’s Mount Vernon Gardens didn’t last as a theatrical venue. After three seasons, the formal theatrical offerings ceased, though the facility continued for several more years, offering concerts, pyrotechnical displays and various theatrical events typically found at New York’s other private gardens.

Corre’s innovation was quickly picked up by others, though, and within 20 years, there were a number of garden theatres successfully operating in New York City. Some were roof gardens, operating on top of buildings and providing extra income for property owners. Among the best known of these early outdoor facilities were Columbian Gardens, United States Gardens, and Vauxhall.

* * * * *

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN:

* Have you ever attended a play or performance in the outdoors? What was it? Where?

* Have you ever performed outside in any venue?

* If you could go back in time to Manhattan in 1800, what do you think would surprise or enthrall you the most?

* What did you like most about today's post?

---

BIO

Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood, when she was accused of having a very active imagination and cited with talking entirely too much. Today, she has honed those childhood skills to become an author and speaker who works in the health & wellness and personal development industry, helping others become their best from the inside out. She is also an educational consultant with Usborne Books.

She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, along with their two children and Nova, their Shiba Inu mix, in Colorado. She has sold twenty (21) books so far and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, GoodReads, and LinkedIn.

The Finger Lakes--historical gem of New York State

Thousands of years ago, when glaciers carved the hand print of God into Central New York State, a perfectly beautiful region was formed known as the Finger Lakes. Growing in popularity only in recent decades, it has long been a hidden paradise known to lucky upstaters like me. World class wineries, picturesque landscapes, orchards, sailing, a NASCAR raceway, and glens and gorges with hiking trails laid by FDR's Works Progress Administration, name only some of the attractions drawing tourists in recent years. History is rich in this region. Come and take a virtual tour with me.

Early in New York's settlement, plentiful native-growing grapevines were discovered, and attempts to cultivate them date back into the 1600's. In the early 1800's two godly men found success in creating a palatable wine. Deacon Samuel Warren and the Reverend William Bostwick had vintner ambitions springing from a desire to produce communion wine as well as a good table wine to compete with the too-plentiful grain alcohol responsible for the rampant over-indulgence of the 1800's. The lake winecountry, with its micro-climate and prolonged seasons has been compared to Germany for growing some of the finest white wines in the world. Early successes in the region involved champagne, including Pleasant Valley Wine Company's award winning vintage that won the coveted medal at the Vienna World Exposition in 1873. It was the first American wine to be so recognized internationally. Prohibition hit many of these vineyards especially hard, but some of the old wineries exist today. 

Seneca Lake, the deepest of the Finger Lakes, holds many distinctions historically. Salt mines supplied table salt since the mid nineteenth century. The long body of water connected the Erie Canal to smaller regional waterways, such as the Chemung Canal, from the early 1800's. At the southernmost tip of the lake is Watkins Glen, which has its own intriguing history. First named for a Mohawk Chieftain's daughter Catherine, it was an early tourist attraction and center of industry. The natural wonders of a glen carved through layers of shale became a travel destination over a century ago. In later years, motor car races attracted a faithful following at Watkins Glen International Raceway. 

On the upper, east side of the lake, a military depot was built in Romulus and trained servicemen since the 1940's. Seneca Army Depot, and a Naval Training Station later converted to Samson Airforce Base, were active military posts in their time. Sonar tests were conducted in the depths of Seneca Lake during World War II, Airmen were trained there for the Korean War, and the base reportedly held underground nuclear silos for a time. In recent years, the closed depot offers a military museum while a nature preserve on the grounds protects the largest herd of wild white Whitetail deer in the world.

Cayuga Lake is the second biggest finger lake. Ithaca, at the southern tip, boasts Cornell University, the first Ivy League college to admit women.

Another claim to historical fame, along the northern shore of Cayuga Lake was the birthplace of the women's suffrage movement at Seneca Falls. Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were two abolitionist women who had been spurned from taking part in a London anti-slavery convention, so they organized a meeting for women near Stanton's home in Seneca Falls in 1848. Two hundred women met at the Wesleyan church on July 19 over social, civil, and religious concerns, launching the women's rights movement in earnest, and ultimately leading to the female vote. 

Like Seneca, the geography near Cayuga Lake is full of gorges and glens surrounding the lake, including one of my favorite summer places, Robert Treman State Park. It has spectacular waterfalls, natural swimming holes, and hiking trails like Watkins Glen State Park which were both built during the Works Progress Administration, building infrastructure and putting Americans to work during hard times. Hiking paths with slate pathsascend miles of trails, and have weathered the decades beautifully, making it a tourist draw for nature lovers and photographers as well as camping enthusiasts the world over.

From the rolling farmland to the world-class vineyards and wineries, to sports and recreation, to historical landmarks, Upstate New York's Finger Lakes region challenges all rivals for beauty and romance. Cruising the crystal waters, or picking apples in the orchards, horseback riding, touring the wineries, or hiking the glens, can't you just imagine the stories begging to be told here? I sure can! Thank you for visiting. I hoped you enjoyed your tour of the beautiful and historic Finger Lakes.

 Kathleen L. Maher’s first literary crush was Peter Rabbit, and she’s had an infatuation with books and fictional heroes ever since. She has a novella releasing with Barbour in the 2018 Victorian Christmas Brides collection, featuring her hometown of Elmira, NY. Her debut historical “Bachelor Buttons” was released in 2013, and incorporates her Irish heritage and love of the American Civil War. She won the American Christian Fiction Writers' Genesis Contest for unpublished writers, historical category, in 2012. 
Kathleen and her husband raised their three children in an old farmhouse in upstate NY, along with a small zoo of rescued dogs, cats, and birds. They run an art business in their spare time and enjoy spoiling their grandchildren on the weekends.

Find Kathleen on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mahereenie
And on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/kathleenlmaher

(photo credits to Kathleen L. Maher and Nancy Carmichael)

Unusual Facts about Central Park

New York City is fascinating to me. In recent blogs here on HHH, I shared a tiny portion of the early history of NYC and also the beginnings of NYC’s Central Park, both overall views of New York City’s past. Today I’d like to share some detailed history of Central Park. A look at individuals or specific places that might not be as well-known as others.

First, I view history like an onion. Layer after layer of stories make up the whole of history. There’re factual layers. Like the dates and places of exploration, events and discoveries. There are personal layers, like the struggles of immigrants living in the tenements in the Fourth Ward, or freed or escaped slaves trying to find a safe place to raise a family. There are structural layers, like the building of the Empire State Building, Central Park and One World Trade. Many layers in one city equal an intriguing history.

       

1886 Map of Central Park

                 

Unusual Facts about Central Park:
   

Ramble Cave

               
1. Most of Central Park is man-made. Man-made water falls, lakes, hills, rock structures—the list goes on. An exception to this, is Ramble Cave or Indian Cave. This natural cave pre-dates the park and city. It’s located in the Ramble area of Central Park and has seen its fair share of nefarious deeds within its walls. Murder, assaults, suicides . . . So many that in the year 1934, the cave was sealed. One interesting report from 1897 was of fifteen-year-old, Susie Grunelt. According to the Times, the girl disappeared from her home without a trace. Her parents frantically searched for her and found no clue of the teens whereabouts. Almost a month after Susie disappeared, a police officer found her reclining on a rock at Ramble Cave, staring at the lake below. She was promptly returned to her family none the worse for the wear.

2. There are at least five waterfalls in Central Park. All are man-made. The     

Central Park waterfall. Rosbert N. Dennis Collection

water is piped through a 48-inch pipe hidden by rocks at the Pool Grotto on West 100th Street. The strangest thing about these waterfalls? The water is New York City’s drinking water. Hmm, think about that the next time you take a sip from a public water fountain.

3. By the mid-nineteenth century, when plans for a park in the bustling New York City/Manhattan Island area were being developed, much of Manhattan Island was already taken up by residential and commercial uses. There wasn’t enough open land to create the eight-hundred and forty  acres park. Developers settled on a track of land that was sparsely populated, and the city proceeded to seize the property under the law of eminent domain.

Seneca Village

In other words, the government gave the landowners what they deemed to be a fair market price and forced the families from their homes. Seneca Village was one of these communities forced to vacate. The small town consisted of about 260 residents, three churches and a school. The village was approximately two-thirds African Americans and the rest of the population made up of immigrant groups such as Irish and German. About fifty-percent of the citizens owned their homes which gave them the right to vote. After a lengthy court battle the villagers lost their homes. Not until recently had there been any archeological excavations in the Seneca area. But researchers are working to tell the stories of these brave New York City citizens. You can find out more about the Seneca Village Project here. Seneca Village Project

Do you have any interesting little known historical stories from your area? If you do, please, share them with us in the comments below.


Thank you for stopping by Heroes, Heroines and History today. Be blessed.

Photos curtesy of Wickipedia.org

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Multi award-winning author, Michele K. Morris’s love for historical fiction began when she first read Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House book series. She grew up riding horses and spending her free time in the woods of mid-Michigan. Married to her high school sweetheart, they are living happily-ever-after with their large family in Florida, the sunshine state. She's represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. 

Michele loves to hear from readers on Facebook, Twitter, and here, through the group blog, Heroes, Heroines, and History at HHHistory.com.

New York and Creating Santa Claus

New Amsterdam’s Dutch settlers brought the tradition of Saint Nicholas, whose feast day is Dec 6^th. Saint Nicholas is said to be the patron saint of New York, and his veneration held influence over Dutch, German and Scandinavian immigrants who settled in New York, Pennsylvania and the Great Lakes region. Clogs and shoes might be filled with goodies such as oranges and nuts, if one was truly faithful. The Protestant Reformation had a chilling effect on saint veneration, and this tradition largely went underground in Europe. America proved a friendly environment for a more secularized Christmas tradition to flourish.

Legend has it that the first ship that docked in New York was the Goede Vrowe, which according to Washington Irving’s 1809 satirical Knickerbocker’s History of New York, had as its prow carving “a goodly image of St. Nicholas, equipped with a low brimmed hat, huge pair of Flemish hose and a pipe that reached to the end of the bowsprit." This image was more working-class Dutch than the proud image of the revered Bishop of history. This Saint Nick appealed to the common man, and after the patriotic fervor of the Revolution, inspired people to return to their ancestral roots.

Saint Nick had planted a foothold in the creative minds of New York writers. Washington Irving in particular is credited with the most imaginative early descriptions of what was to become our modern Santa Claus. He describes Saint Nicholas not only as having a broad hat and long pipe, but of driving a sleigh over the rooftops, filled with presents which he drops down the chimney. At first, it is to all good and unworldly Dutch he comes, on random nights throughout the year, but as tradition and devotion fade, only the children with the purest hearts receive, and only on The Eve of the Feast of Saint Nicholas.

The Children's Friend

In 1821 the first lithographed book in America was published, naturally by a New York publisher, celebrating Sante Claus as “The Children’s Friend.” The images and anonymous poems depict a plump man in red, driving a sleigh pulled by reindeer to deliver his gifts for the first time on December 24th.

Two years later, 1823, and another New York writer, Clement C. Moore, took this iconic image of an impish old man and expounded on it to bring us the famous elf of his poem, A Visit from Saint Nicholas, later better known as T’was the Night Before Christmas.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

This Saint Nick came down the chimney and filled stockings for good girls and boys. For it wasn’t until the 1840’s after Prince Albert presented Queen Victoria with decorated trees at her palaces that the Christmas tree came into vogue in the United States.

Both Irving and Moore use a curious phrase in describing Saint Nick’s mannerisms—"laying a finger aside of his nose.” It is the equivalent of our modern-day wink and nod, assuring us that this is real, and not just the stuff of childhood fantasy. Ask Virginia, she knows there really is a Santa Claus.

Kathleen Maher is a 21st Century girl with an old soul. She has a novella coming out in 2018 with Barbour's collection Victorian Christmas Brides. Her debut novella Bachelor Buttons, released in 2013 through Helping Hands Press, incorporates both her Irish heritage and love of Civil War history. She won the ACFW Genesis Contest for unpublished writers, historical category, in 2012. Kathleen and her husband share an old farmhouse in upstate NY with their children and a small zoo of rescued animals.

Rachel Brooks Gleason, pioneer in women's healthcare

New York State is known for pioneering women who championed the cause of women's suffrage, women's education, and women's rights. Seneca Falls is to this day a pilgrimage for students of civil rights, for the groundbreaking work of Susan B Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and is considered the birthplace of women's rights. But a few decades earlier and in the same town as the first college to offer a baccalaureate degree to women equal to that offered to men, another pioneer for women took center stage. 

Rachel Brooks Gleason holds the distinction of being only the fourth woman in United States history to practice medicine. Born in Vermont in 1820, she later settled in New York and married Silas O. Gleason in 1844. This was during the period prior to Elmira Female College and women's colleges in general. Determined and resourceful, she studied her husband's medical texts at home, attaining enough of an academic background that she prepared herself for entry. Dr. Silas Gleason served as a professor at Central Medical College in Rochester, and through his influence she ultimately prevailed and won acceptance to the institute, graduating with a medical degree in 1851. This not only opened the doors to her, but also to other female students after her.

The Gleasons began their joint medical practice in the innovative movement of hydropathy, or hydrotherapy, a Victorian philosophy of healing arts that contended water held curative powers. They adopted the European model of water cure health resorts, founding one first in western New York, and ultimately settling at another they founded in Elmira, New York, in 1852. The dynamic couple served the Elmira Water Cure for forty years, building renown and attracting prestigious guests such as the aforementioned suffragettes, as well as a former Vice President of the Unites States, Schyler Colfax, Harriett Beecher Stowe of Uncle Tom's Cabin fame, and several of Brigham Young's children. 

Rachel's pioneering for women's health concerns cannot be overstated. She was one of the first to insist that women were more effectively treated by other women, who naturally understood their needs better. Heretofore, many genuine, physical ailments were dismissed by male practitioners as "hysterics" or attributed to emotional strain. Rachel also embraced her role as educator, conducting health discussions from town to town and house to house in what she referred to as "parlor talks." She was widely received to lecture and also enjoyed success as the author of prolific pamphlets and books on women's health. She and her husband were ardently prolife. She required loose garments at the Water Cure for her female patients, believing that the restrictive clothing of the period caused many common maladies. Daily bathing was a requirement at the Cure, and short hair styles given for faster drying times. Caffeinated drinks, alcohol and tobacco were forbidden, while "taking the waters" through ingestion, immersion, and even mists and sprays was emphasized. 

Rachel Gleason was a mother of two, and a mentor to dozens of young women, eighteen of whom achieved an education in medicine because of her encouragement and financial support. She and her husband were influential in choosing Elmira as the location for the first female college. She was an ardent champion of the freedman, the invalid, and was ahead of her time on women's hygiene, diet and exercise. A progressive thinker in all of the noble ways of the 19th century reforms, she was also a woman of deep and profound faith, holding weekly bible studies for over twenty years.

One endorsement, from a world famous literary figure of the day who coincidentally lived and married in the same town, sums up who Rachel Gleason was, both professionally and personally. Samuel Clemens, more commonly known as Mark Twain, married into a prominent Elmira family, the Langdons.  Rachel delivered all four of Twain's children. Though his famed wit was known to poke fun at the philosophy of hydropathy, for Rachel he had nothing but praise and confidence. She traveled to Buffalo, NY to attend Olivia Langdon Clemens after the birth of Twain's son, and legend has it that he threatened to prevent Dr. Rachel from leaving when she naturally had to return to Elmira after several days. His affectionate name for her is fitting. "The almost divine Mrs. Gleason."

Kathleen Maher is a 21st Century girl with an old soul. She has a novella coming out in 2018 with Barbour's collection Victorian Christmas Brides. Her debut novella Bachelor Buttons, released in 2013 through Helping Hands Press, incorporates both her Irish heritage and love of Civil War history. She won the ACFW Genesis Contest for unpublished writers, historical category, in 2012. Kathleen and her husband share an old farmhouse in upstate NY with their children and a small zoo of rescued animals.