Steamboating on the Mississippi River Sternwheelers

Cruising the Mississippi River creates a romantic image of 19th Century Americana, reminiscent of Mark Twain’s Life on the Mississippi.

Especially on board a steam-powered paddlewheeler, such as the legendary Delta Queen.

Growing up in Kentucky not far from the confluence of the Tennessee, Cumberland, Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, I dreamed about someday traveling down the Mississippi River on a riverboat.

Later, I lived in a Minnesota river town on the banks of the Upper Mississippi, and now I’m working on a novel that features a paddlewheel tourboat on an Iowa lake. I still have not ridden on the Delta Queen, but I have had the opportunity to take a short cruise on a boat with a paddlewheel.

For some reason, watching the paddles spinning through the water fascinates me. The paddlewheel propels the boat forward (or backward when necessary), but what powers the huge wheel to create the motion?

Ben Campbell steamship at landing about 1850, image restored from daguerreotype. Library of Congress archives

Ben Campbell steamship at landing about 1850, image restored
from daguerreotype. Library of Congress archives

It turns out paddlewheels have been used to move boats for centuries, but it wasn’t until the steam engine was applied to power the wheel, in the early 1800s, that they became practical. Early versions on the Mississippi used wood, which was readily available along the river. Later, coal was used to generate the steam, but 4.5 to 14.5 tons of coal per day were required to keep their engines running.

The paddles could be located on the sides of the boat (sidewheelers) or mounted at the rear (sternwheelers). But the latter style was more common in the central part of the continent. They had flat bottoms and shallow hulls designed to carry large loads on generally smooth and occasionally shallow rivers.

Rivers were the “freeways” of the 1800s. Travel was faster and much more comfortable on the big riverboats than by any other means. Because of the sternwheeler's design, the Mississippi was opened to river traffic from New Orleans all the way to Minnesota. By the 1850s, hundreds of riverboats were landing in St. Paul with all types of goods and thousands of people.

On its tributaries, such as the Ohio and Missouri, cargo and passengers were carried from Pittsburgh to Cairo, and from St. Louis to Kansas City and beyond.

Passengers who wanted to get from one place to another as cheaply as possible spent their time aboard near the cargo on the main deck. Only the rich could afford a cabin on an upper deck with dining in the grand salon.

Delta Queen docked at New Orleans, 2007. Photo by Joe Ross,
 Lansing, Michigan, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

In my mind, the Delta Queen epitomizes the grandeur of luxury travel during that time. It’s the last remaining historical steamboat capable of overnight cruises, and is a National Historic Landmark.

The Delta Queen and her identical twin the Delta King – called the million dollar boats – were fabricated in Scotland and Germany and assembled in 1927 in California. She remained in California until 1948, when she was relocated to New Orleans as a tourist boat on the inland waterways.

The elegant interior of the Delta Queen, with intricately carved stair railings and grand staircase,
outdid other luxury steamboats of the era. Delta Queen Steamboat Co. photo

No expense was spared in outfitting the Delta Queen with the finest appointments, such as teak handrails, Tiffany-style stained glass, and crystal chandeliers. Throughout the boat, the fittings are brass and the posts and paneling are either oak or mahogany. She is 285 feet long, 60 feet wide and has a height of 66 feet to the top of the smokestack. There are 88 staterooms for a total of 176 passengers.

At this time (2025), the Delta Queen is undergoing a multi-million-dollar refurbishing, but when complete, the company again plans to offer three- to seven-day cruises.

At several locations along the Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, and Cumberland, among others, you can ride a replica of a paddlewheel steamboat. One- to two-hour sightseeing excursions, lunch or dinner cruises, and sunset cruises are typically offered. These days, most are powered by diesel fuel, not steam.

The Delta Queen features the typical red paddles
of historical sternwheeler steamboats. Delta Queen
 Steamboat Co. photo

If you’re lucky enough to ride on one with a working paddlewheel, be sure to notice the mist of the water as it rushes along the bright red paddles. It’s a delightful experience that will take you back to the golden age of steam-powered riverboats on the inland waterways of America.

You may also enjoy these posts:

Heroes, Heroines, and History: Full Steam Ahead: Steamboats on the Hudson by Laurie Alice Eakes

and

Heroes, Heroines, and History: Steamboats and Indian Wars--by Jennifer Uhlarik 

Sources:

Steamboat - Wikipedia
Steamboating the Rivers - Steamboats.org
Mississippi River Boat History, Minnesota | Padelford Riverboats
Delta Queen Steamboat Company | Overnight Steamboat

Multi-award-winning author Marie Wells Coutu finds beauty in surprising places, like undiscovered treasures, old houses, and gnarly trees. All three books in her Mended Vessels series, contemporary stories based on the lives of biblical women, have won awards in multiple contests. She is currently working on historical romances set in her native western Kentucky in the 1930s and ‘40s. An unpublished novel, Shifting Currents, placed second in the inspirational category of the nationally recognized Maggie Awards. Learn more at www.MarieWellsCoutu.com.

Her historical short story, “All That Glistens,” was included in the 2023 Saturday Evening Post Great American Fiction collection and is now available free when you sign up for Marie's newsletter here. In her newsletter, she shares about her writing, historical tidbits, recommended books, and sometimes recipes.

A Victorian Christmas Dinner Menu

At Christmas, the line between past and present blurs. You notice it when carolers, ice skaters, and horse-drawn sleighs adorn greeting cards. It stands out as women in long dresses and men in elegant attire enjoy candlelit dinners, theater performances, and strolls through the park. You can't miss it whenever families gather for merriment, fond reflection, and good food. That's when it doesn’t take a huge stretch of the imagination to picture yourself in Victorian times.

Back then, dinner highlighted Christmas day. Cooked from scratch, it provided guests with the very best a host could offer. Tradition took its place at the head of the table, decreeing favorite decorations and dishes to produce another memorable feast.

Evergreens, holly, and mistletoe bedecked dining rooms. Fine cloth, candles, and floral centerpieces adorned tables. At every place, floral boutonnieres or breast-knots awaited guests who sat down to the household’s finest china. An array of forks, knives, and spoons awaited them, along with a fine napkin, salt cellar, a bread plate, and the best stemware. Christmas dinner arrived in courses, planned well in advance. The following menu comes from “The Boston Cooking-School Cookbook,” popularly known as “The Fannie Farmer Cookbook,” first published in 1896.

A Menu for Christmas Dinner

· Consomme and Bread Sticks

· Olives, Celery, and Salted Pecans

· Roast Goose, Potato Stuffing, and Apple Sauce

· Duchess Potatoes, Cream of Lima Beans

· Chicken Croquettes with Green Peas

· Dressed Lettuce with Cheese Straws

· English Plum Pudding with Brandy Sauce

· Frozen Pudding, Assorted Cakes, and Bonbons

· Crackers and Cheese

· Café Noir.

Consomme and Bread Sticks

Soup or salad? This dinner includes both, but it begins with soup. Some Victorians preferred oyster bisque, which neatly combined two courses for those who considered a fish course essential. Fannie Farmer dispensed with the fish course entirely, which no doubt catered to those who felt that cooking a lot of courses didn’t suit Christmas day.

Consomme, or clarified broth, is time-consuming to make. The broth might be made from a variety of meats--chicken, beef, veal, lamb, pheasant, or even turtle. It required the cook to boil the broth with a “clearmeat” of egg whites, cut vegetables, and ground meat. The result was a beautiful concentrated soup with superior flavor. Today, you can buy canned consommé, but that is often broth with gelatin added. You can find instructions for homemade consommé in the Fannie Farmer cookbook.

Olives, Celery, and Salted Pecans

Some Victorians served small delicacies at this point, while others offered them alongside the salad. Other tasty morsels included pickles, radishes, melon spiced with nutmeg, sweet- pickled grapes, and beets on a bed of mayonnaise-dressed lettuce.

Roasted Goose, Potato Stuffing, and Applesauce

Fannie Farmer’s menu is simple compared to others of the day. Besides roasted goose, a Christmas table might groan under the weight of a standing rib of beef, a turkey with cranberry sauce, and a boar’s head or ham. Goose is quintessential Christmas fare, of course. Just ask Tiny Tim in Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” Whatever the main dish(es), the host carving the meat before his guests was a cherished tradition.

Applesauce needs no introduction, but potato stuffing was new to me. According to some, serving potato stuffing makes mashed potatoes redundant. I can get behind anything that eases that last-minute scramble to get everything to the table while it’s warm. I’m no expert, but a recipe at the New England website looks promising.

Duchess Potatoes and Cream of Lima Beans

Any overachiever should love Duchess Potatoes, or Pommes Duchesse as the French call them. The recipe has been around since it first appeared in La Nouvelle Cuisinière Bourgeoise (1746). In her Boston Cooking-School Cookbook, Fannie Farmer suggested piping the potato-egg mixture into interesting shapes—baskets, roses, pyramids, crowns, leaves, and the like. What’s not to love?

I never thought I’d say this, but I’m looking forward to trying Cream of Lima Beans. Read the comments to the recipe and you might want to make them too. The dish sounds easy and surprisingly delicious.

Other vegetables graced Victorian Christmas feasts: sweet potatoes, salsify, rice, creamed spinach, minced cabbage, creamed tomatoes, cauliflower au gratin, to name a few.

Chicken Croquettes with Green Peas

Victorians liked to make a dish that combined bits of meat, fruit, bread, grains, and/or vegetables in a fried crust. Croquettes were a thrifty way to use up leftovers or cuts that otherwise might not be eaten (such as brain or sweetmeat), Chicken croquettes with peas sound fairly safe, and might even get children to eat their peas.

Dressed Lettuce with Cheese Straws

By this point in the meal, diners were slowing down but anticipating dessert. One more course remained before that happy event. Wise cooks offered a simple salad course of lettuce with French dressing, enlivened by cheese straws and a few small delicacies (perhaps radishes, beets, and nuts) on the side.

English Plum Pudding with Brandy Sauce

At last arrived the grand finale. Plum pudding, or Christmas pudding, originated in the Middle Ages. At first a savory dish, it had transformed into its present sweet form by the Victorian era. Plum pudding has concluded traditional English Christmas dinners for centuries. Doused with brandy and set alight, it would be carried by the hostess into the dining room amid cheers and applause.

Despite its name, this pudding contains no plums. It features raisins, which used to be called “plums.” Currants, figs, and citron are included in Fannie Farmer’s English Plum Pudding recipe. Suet (a kind of beef fat) was chopped fine and incorporated into the batter. Although suet is an unfamiliar ingredient to Americans, cooking with it is not that different from using lard or shortening.

To buy suet in the United States, check with a butcher. If you want to experiment with a substitute, the Times Colonist website has advice for you, It also offers a pudding recipe that doesn’t call for suet. The steamed cranberry pudding with raisins, currants, and walnuts contains no alcohol and takes about twenty minutes to prepare. It cooks in under two hours. Victoriana Magazine has a selection of Christmas pudding recipes.

If you use shortening in your pudding, please make it a healthy version with no transfats. Butter has a lower melting point, so the texture will vary, but I did notice comments stating that it turns out delicious.

The pudding is steamed in a mold (available online). Good Housekeeping explains how to steam plum pudding. The traditional time to make plum pudding is the first Sunday of Advent. We’re a little late this year but early for the next.

Fannie Farmer’s cookbook has you covered for pudding sauces, by the way. If you're not into the traditional brandy sauce, you can choose another.

Frozen Pudding, Assorted Cakes, and Bon Bons

From what I can tell, Victorian “frozen pudding” was much like ice cream frozen in a mold. One example is Nesselrode pudding. A chef working for Russian Count Nesselrode created a decadent chestnut pudding and named it for his employer. A fancy dessert in Victorian times, Nesselrode Pudding remains popular today.

Victorians enjoyed a variety of cakes, as we do today. Folks are still raving over Mary Berry’s Christmas cake, a fruitcake-like confection.

Victorian bon bons were small candies, often covered in chocolate (because why not?). They were much like the boxes of chocolates we indulge in today. A list of homemade bon bons at Victorian Voices describes caramel walnuts, chocolate almonds, chocolate caramels, coconut ices, and something known as “American sweets,” which contained a variety of fillings.

Crackers and Cheese

“Salt after sweet!” an aunt of mine was fond of proclaiming. Her words had the ring of something she’d brought forward from childhood. I blame Grandma for instilling this mantra in her and, by osmosis, in me. I can’t eat a piece of cake without wanting potato chips. I’m kidding, mostly. Actually, crackers are considered a palate cleanser, and cheese contains casein, which strengthens tooth enamel and prevents acidic foods from damaging your teeth. They knew a thing or two in Victorian times.

Café Noir

Fannie Farmer’s Christmas dinner menu concludes with black coffee to let the meal “settle.” Many people believe that drinking coffee after a meal aids the digestion, and it does have certain beneficial effects. It is known to balance blood sugar after eating, which increases energy levels.

Conclusion

This menu is more attainable in terms of labor and resources than the Victorian Thanksgiving menu I wrote about last month. I do like the idea of hosting a Victorian Christmas dinner for friends and family. I'll try a few of the dishes this Christmas and next year go gung-ho. How about you?

What's New with Janalyn Voigt

I am enjoying a brief lull in my schedule to allow for the holidays. This is something I've wanted to do since my writing career blossomed. This is the first Christmas in a long while that it has worked out. I'm thankful for my blessings, and more time for my family and myself is one of them. Bedtime reading is in the picture again, and I couldn't be more ecstatic. My years judging literary contests and reading books for review meant that I read to a schedule. I can't think of anything more likely to kill a passion for reading. Fortunately, it's back, and I intend to guard it well. If you are struggling to read, I understand. One thing that helped me is getting excited about putting together a reading corner in my home. The plans, much delayed by Christmas, are in the works. Speaking of Christmas, have a lovely one. 

Janalyn Voigt is the author of the Montana Gold western historical fiction series and the Tales of Faeraven medieval epic fantasy series. Learn more about Janalyn Voigt.

Solving The Mystery of Cholera in Victorian London

 by Edwina Kiernan

During the Victorian era, against the backdrop of industrial revolution and urbanization, a sinister adversary emerged: cholera. 

This deadly disease claimed countless lives, fostering a growing atmosphere of fear and confusion. The quest to understand cholera and its mode of transmission would become a pivotal chapter in the history of public health. 

This article explores the Victorian struggle to comprehend and combat the cholera epidemic.

The Menace

Cholera, a bacterial infection, wreaked havoc throughout Victorian England. Characterized by severe diarrhea and vomiting, cholera led to rapid dehydration and, in many cases, death within hours. This deadly disease struck fear into the hearts of Victorians as its mode of transmission was, as yet, unknown.

Initially, the prevailing belief was that cholera spread through miasma — noxious fumes arising from decomposing organic matter. This misconception hindered efforts made to grasp the true nature of the disease and devise effective preventive measures.

Patients suffering from cholera, 1854

The Mastermind

One of the key figures in unraveling the mystery of cholera transmission was Dr. John Snow, a British physician. Snow challenged the prevailing miasma theory, proposing an alternative hypothesis: cholera’s transmission was waterborne. 

Through meticulous investigation and mapping of cholera cases in London, Snow identified a striking correlation between incidences of the disease and contaminated water sources. His famous map of the 1854 Broad Street cholera outbreak highlighted a cluster of cases centered around a contaminated public water pump. 

Snow's work laid the foundation for understanding that cholera was not airborne as previously believed, but waterborne — a revolutionary concept that reshaped public health strategies.

John Snow, physician

The Mystery Solved

The Broad Street cholera outbreak, also known as the Golden Square outbreak, was a watershed moment in the history of epidemiology. In the summer of 1854, a densely populated area in London experienced a sudden surge in cholera cases. 

Dr. John Snow's meticulous investigation during this outbreak provided crucial evidence supporting his waterborne transmission theory. By interviewing affected individuals and plotting cases on a map, Snow pinpointed the Broad Street water pump as the epicenter of the outbreak. 

Despite initial skepticism, the local authorities, persuaded by Snow's evidence, removed the pump handle, effectively curbing the spread of the disease. This event marked a turning point in understanding cholera, paving the way for modern epidemiology.

John Snow's cholera outbreak map

The Microbiological Proof

While Snow's epidemiological insights were groundbreaking, confirmation of the waterborne transmission theory came with later advances in microbiology. 

In the late 19th century, scientists like Robert Koch and Louis Pasteur made significant strides in understanding bacteria and their role in infectious diseases. The identification and isolation of the bacterium Vibrio cholerae provided concrete evidence linking contaminated water to the transmission of cholera. 

This microbiological confirmation not only solidified Snow's findings but also paved the way for the development of water sanitation measures that proved critical in controlling the spread of the disease.

The Measures Undertaken:

Armed with the knowledge of cholera's waterborne transmission, Victorian society initiated significant public health reforms. Sanitary measures, such as the improvement of sewage systems and the establishment of clean water supplies, became paramount in preventing cholera outbreaks. 

Legislation and policies aimed at ensuring the purity of public water sources gained prominence, transforming the urban landscape and reducing the prevalence of waterborne diseases. 

The Victorian era's battle against cholera not only revolutionized public health practices but also laid the groundwork for future advancements in understanding and combating infectious diseases.

A Victorian Thanksgiving Menu?

Picture the Victorian era, and America doesn't usually spring to mind. We think of England. Women in elaborate gowns ride in carriages beside men in top hats, cravats, and tailored jackets. Meanwhile, in London town, impoverished waifs with dirt-smeared faces shiver in icy winds. Did you know that the term, “street urchin,” originated in Victorian times? No wonder Charles Dickens featured them in his writing. It's not amazing that we find ourselves transported to the land of Queen Victoria. The era that took Victoria as its namesake spanned her entire reign (from 1837 to 1901). 

America also experienced the Victorian era. It coincided with western expansion and encompassed the Civil War, Spanish-American War,  Mexican-American War, and the annexation of Texas. The Pony Express rose and fell, and a golden spike completed the Transcontinental Railway during this period. Vast herds of buffalo and indigenous nations dwindled in the face of Manifest Destiny. Nineteen states joined the Union. Hawaii's King Kamehameha lit his palace with electric lights. 

A Victorian Thanksgiving Menu

The first Thanksgiving feast didn’t much resemble the traditional meal familiar today. There’s some debate on whether turkey was even present. One of two firsthand accounts mentions them, but not cooked or as the main course. That position may have belonged to duck and geese, unless the wildfowl was carrier pigeon or swan. The pilgrims also ate fish, eel, and shellfish, along with a variety of vegetables (peas, beans, squash, and corn, plus cabbage and carrots). They consumed no mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes, as these hadn’t made their way to North America yet. They wouldn't have possessed enough sugar for cranberry sauce. Pumpkins were plentiful, but other pie-making ingredients were not.

By Victorian times, Thanksgiving dinner included traditional dishes we know today but also unusual ones. Jenny June’s American cookery book by J. C. (Jane Cunningham) Croly (1870) suggests the following menu: “Oyster soup, cod, with egg sauce, lobster salad, roast turkey, cranberry sauce, mixed pickles, mangoes, pickled peaches, cold slaw, and celery; boiled ham, chicken pie ornamented, jelly, mashed potatoes browned, tomatoes, boiled onions, canned corn, sweet potatoes, roasted broccoli. Mince, and pumpkin pie, apple tarts, Indian pudding. Apples, nuts, and raisins."

Oyster soup

Victorians cherished oysters. They ate these in a variety of dishes, including beef and oyster pie, bacon-wrapped angels on horseback (an appetizer) and on a special plate with a well in the middle for the dipping sauce. It’s not surprising to find them featured in this opulent menu.

Cod with egg sauce

Cod was popular for eating but also the source of cod liver oil, which people often took in the 19th-century to ward off sickness. This seafood dish seems a carryover from the first Thanksgiving.

Lobster salad

This is another luxurious concoction that hearkens to a pilgrim’s feast.

Roast turkey

Turkey shares the honors with other entrées.

Cranberry sauce

The sugar necessary to make cranberry sauce became more readily available in 1876, when America signed the Reciprocity Treaty with Hawaii, allowing the import of tariff-free products from Hawaii. The sugar beet industry was also picking up.

Mixed pickles

Special glass jars framed in plated silver, often with silver-plated tongs or a pickle fork, sat on many Victorian tables. These contained pickled vegetables and fruits. The presence of a pickle castor meant that the family was wealthy enough to pay servants both to fill and serve them. Pickle castors were made of pressed, colored, or art glass and decorated with gargoyles, lattice, beading, cherubs, birds, animals, and other ornamentations.

Mangoes

Loved since Ancient times, mangoes are native to southern Asia but then moved to other tropical climates. They arrived in Mexico in the early 19th Century. They came to Florida in 1862 or 1863 and to California in 1880.

Pickled Peaches

You may not have heard of these delicacies if you’re not a Southerner. That seems the area of the United States where the recipe has survived. (I did see some for sale in an Amish store.) Judging by the number of recipes posted online, pickled peaches are delicious. If nothing else, including them in the Thanksgiving menu provided an opportunity to impress guests by putting out a second pickle castor.

Cold Slaw

No, that’s not a typo. By 'cold slaw' Jenny June’s cookbook means 'cole slaw,' the shredded cabbage salad. This represents a misspelling, as ‘cole’ is the Dutch word for cabbage. A quick search reveals numerous Thanksgiving cole slaw recipes online. One blogger praised this dish because it doesn't wilt like regular salad.

Celery

This humble vegetable has been a Thanksgiving staple for over a century. People serve it chopped with mayonnaise, in celery soup, stuffed with peanut butter or cottage cheese, and more. It’s still going strong.

Boiled Ham

I haven’t tried this method of cooking a ham, but folks swear by it. Here, for the interested, is the original Victorian boiled ham recipe from Mrs. Beeton’s Book Of Household Management (1861).

Chicken Pie Ornamented

You will notice the abundance of meat selections in this menu. People in the past usually consumed more variety than we do today. 

I can link to a Victorian chicken pie recipe, but the ornamenting is up to you.

Jelly

People in the Victorian era loved making savory and sweet molded gelatin dishes. The molds they used are a popular antique item.

Mashed Potatoes Browned

I believe these were not the browned butter mashed potatoes we see today, although those sound yummy, but rather oven-browned mashed potatoes. Duchess potatoes seem the modern equivalent.

Tomatoes

Victorians preferred cooking their vegetables. They probably sliced and baked or stewed tomatoes, as shown in this article from VegHotPot.

Boiled Onions

This may refer to the creamed pearl onions we serve at holiday feasts today. Americans use onions in lots of dishes, but we tend to overlook them as a separate vegetable. New England Recipes provides instructions on boiling onions.

Canned Corn

Corn is a uniquely American vegetable, which makes it perfect for Thanksgiving.

Sweet Potatoes

Christopher Columbus carried this tuber to Spain, and it was cultivated in Virginia by the early-1700s. Recipes don’t pair marshmallows with them until around 1917, although American Cookery (1796) by Amelia Simmons contains a recipe for potato pudding topped with egg whites and baked.

Roasted Broccoli

Broccoli likes cooler weather, and it’s vibrant around Thanksgiving.

Mince

This strikes me as more a British traditional item. Victorians liked to add meat to their mince recipes, like this one by From the Larder.

Pumpkin Pie

America’s standard Thanksgiving dessert takes a bow! Lisa Cook teaches how to create a light Victorian version.

Apple Tarts

Victorians loved pies and tarts, something we have in common with them. What could pair better with pumpkin pie than apple tart? Honestly, I don’t know how anyone would have room for dessert after everything else on this menu.

Indian Pudding

This treat is a historical dessert made from cornmeal and molasses. Early colonists created it, possibly as a substitute for hasty pudding. I’d never heard of it before, and you might not have either. The recipe is not well-known, but the view from great island has us covered.

Apples, Nuts, and Raisins

Hosts included these items to fill any possible empty spaces in guests’ stomachs. Right? ;) 

Whew! Just thinking about cooking that meal is exhausting, and most people couldn't afford such a spread. Not to worry. The mixed pickles give away that folks with servants served this feast. I think this was the ideal that folks strove to attain, kind of like trying to scale up your home to match beautiful images on Pinterest. Still, breaking away from tradition to try something new doesn't hurt. I want to include Indian pudding in this year’s Thanksgiving dinner. How about you?

What's New with Janalyn Voigt

Fall is the perfect time for sinking into a comfortable chair and reading. It's one of my favorite things to do. Adding a  cozy fire earns me bonus hygge points. No, I didn't swear. 'Hygge' (pronounced hoo' ga) is a Danish word for that feeling of contentment you feel while drinking hot chocolate with snow flying outside the window. It comes when you dine by candlelight with someone you love. Watching vintage movies in your pajamas is sure to bring it on. 

These days, we could all use more hygge in our lives. I hope, as the days grow shorter and darker, that you will take time to savor quiet moments and good company.

Janalyn Voigt is the author of the Montana Gold western historical fiction series and the Tales of Faeraven medieval epic fantasy series. Learn more about Janalyn Voigt.

Pepperbox Pistols in 1840s England

by Edwina Kiernan

The Context

The 1840s marked a fascinating period in England's history, fostering significant advancements in technology, transport and industry. Against this backdrop, pepperbox pistols emerged as a noteworthy innovation of firearms technology. These compact, multi-barreled handguns played a unique role in personal defense and law enforcement during a time of social and political change. 

6-shot pepperbox pistol, cal 8.5mm, England circa 1840

The Concept

Pepperbox pistols, known for their circular arrangement of multiple barrels around a central axis, offered several advantages over traditional single-shot firearms. These pistols were relatively small and easily concealable. Their design allowed for rapid firing and quick reloads, making them a valuable tool for personal protection.

6-shot pepperbox pistol, cal 8.5 mm, England circa 1840

The Creator

One of the key figures in the development of pepperbox pistols was Elisha Collier, an English inventor. Collier's pepperbox design, patented in 1818, was known for its reliability and innovative self-priming mechanism. This design allowed users to bypass the time-consuming process of manually priming the firearm, a significant advantage compared to other firearms of the time. Collier's pepperbox was particularly popular among those who wanted a dependable and easily concealable weapon.

The Culture

England in the 1840s was a complex socio-political landscape, with urbanization and industrialization bringing new challenges to personal safety. Pepperbox pistols found favor among individuals seeking effective self-defense solutions in this changing environment. Whether for personal protection against the rising crime rates in urban centers, or as a deterrent against potential threats, pepperbox pistols played a valuable role.

The Constables

Law enforcement officers in 1840s England faced various challenges, including civil unrest, political upheaval, and the rise of criminal organizations. While most police officers carried truncheons, in order to appear less threatening, inspectors and those of higher ranks often carried pepperbox pistols, mainly as a compact yet reliable means of defending themselves and establishing order in situations of heightened danger, due to their ability to rapidly fire multiple rounds.

Interior case for set containing English pepperbox pistol, percussion, with cap and ball.

The Changes

While Elisha Collier's design was influential, the 1840s also saw various innovations and adaptations in pepperbox pistol design. Gunsmiths and manufacturers experimented with different calibers, alternate barrel configurations, and adjusted mechanisms, thus catering to a diverse range of preferences and needs. Some models even featured interchangeable barrels, allowing users to switch between calibers as required.

The Contribution

Although pepperbox pistols eventually gave way to more modern revolvers, their impact on the development of firearms technology and self-defense strategies cannot be understated. These multi-barreled handguns played a significant role in pioneering the firearm technology that followed.

Victorian Hair Art

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By Marilyn Turk

When I was doing research for my next book, Rekindled Light, I toured the historic district of Pensacola, Florida. One of the houses I visited was the 1871 home built by Clara Barkley Dorr. Mrs. Dorr was a wealthy widow with four surviving children of five when she moved into the home in 1872. The well-built, two-story home boasted stylish décor of the Victorian period.

One of the more interesting artifacts I saw was the collection of hair art displayed in shadow boxes in the foyer. This art was designed by Mrs. Dorr composed of hair from her children, both living and dead, and maybe also from her deceased husband.

Creepy as that seems to me, hair art was common during the Victorian age. Even though the practice had been around for hundreds of years, the Victorians were responsible for turning this form of mourning into an art form.

A hair wreath such as shown above could be made from a single person’s head or like a family tree, could be made from a combination of several family members’ hair. A wreath with an open-end at the top symbolized the deceased’s ascent to heaven.

Hair could also be fashioned into flowers and leaves by twisting and sewing it around wire forms, or into three-dimensional sculptures that were covered by glass domes and placed on parlor tables.

In addition to wreaths, hair jewelry was popular. Bracelets, rings, brooches, watch fobs and buttons were also fashioned from hair as a way to carry a part of your loved one with you.

Godey’s Lady’s Book offered patterns and instructions for shaping and creating hair wreaths. Instructions for detailed works were also available in the 1867 book, Instructor in the Art of Hair Work. In the early 1900’s, even the Sears and Roebuck Catalog sold hair jewelry.

Have you ever heard of or seen hair art? What do think about it? How would you like to get some hair art for Christmas?

Stay tuned for the release of Rekindled Light, which has a character who practices hair art.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of my latest release, Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides Romance collection!

Historical fiction flavored with suspense and romance

Multi-published author Marilyn Turk calls herself a “literary archaeologist,” because she loves to discover stories hidden in history. Her World War II novel, The Gilded Curse, won a Silver Scroll award. When readers asked what happened to the characters after the book, Marilyn wrote the sequel, Shadowed by a Spy. Her four-book Coastal Lights Legacy series—Rebel Light, Revealing Light, Redeeming Light, and Rekindled Light—feature Florida lighthouse settings. In addition, Marilyn’s novella, The Wrong Survivor, is in the Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides collection. Marilyn has also written a book of devotions called Lighthouse Devotions. Marilyn also writes for the Daily Guideposts Devotions book.