History of Kayaks

 by Molly Jebber, Amish Historical Romance Author

Above are new kayaks. Maybe you have one you enjoy. They are fun to take out on the water and take in the sights and wildlife. Dolphins love putting on a show if you're in the Gulf of Mexico!

Here's one of the first canoes/kayaks:

Five thousand years ago, the Inuit and Aleut tribes of men and women built the first kayak out of animal skins, bones, and wood and whatever they could find. These tribes were found in Artic North America (Northern Russia, Canada, and Greenland). They needed the kayaks to travel across the water in the summer, and the kayak provided a swift way to do this. Whale fat was also used by the tribes to waterproof the kayaks. They were also easy to get back into if the kayaker fell out of it. This looks hard to me! But maybe you are a kayaker, and you have mastered this. I'm to chicken to kayak. LOL

Kayaks were also used for hunting birds, walrus, and other sea life by the tribes. The first kayak concept for making it a simple structure has not changed much compared to our kayaks today. They are better constructed and have variations, but keeping it to fit one person is still the same. 

Umiaqs were kayaks that were sixty feet in length also made five thousand years ago. Better for hunting and having more room to tie off their food from hunting. 

In 1936, kayaking became a sport in the Olympics, although it was not a popular sport among the population until about the 1970's. My grandchildren and friends in Florida love to kayak. The floating alligators don't bother them. I'm afraid I'd step on one getting in or out of the kayak! 

Do you kayak? Share with us in the comments below!

Rachael has suffered tragedy, and she's been alone long enough. She's ready for love, and she meets Caleb while working at the Amish Charm Bakery. But Caleb's sister-in-law is difficult, and she's causing trouble. Rachael's patient, but one twist after another challenges their relation. What does the future hold for Rachael and Caleb? 

Here's a cute picture of my granddaughter, Jolene, holding my book off the shelf at Walmart!

To order Molly's book, click here: http;//www.mollyjebber.com

Standard Register Company

 

LET'S TALK ABOUT STANDARD REGISTER COMPANY!

BY

Molly Jebber

Author, Amish Historical Romance

I had friends and colleagues who worked for Standard Register, so this company was near and dear to me in Dayton, Ohio.

In 1912, Thomas Schirmer and his brother, John Sherman refined a machine they created so it would produce as many as eight copies of a document at a single writing. The machine kept multiple documents aligned which allowed all the layers of paper to be preprinted with lines, check boxes, and other formats. They rented space and began their company using this machine and others to offer companies preprinted forms and copies for recordkeeping.

In 1913, a great flood happened and nearly destroyed their business due to debt and backlogged orders. But Schirmer and Sherman devised a plan to save the business. They borrowed money against the life insurance policies to fill backorders and to accept new business, and get up-to-date. They had the company back on track in seven months.

In 1916, the company had enough business to erect a purpose built factory.In the 1930's, Sherman applied a pin-fed concept to machine written documents to speed up the process. of continuous forms. The new machine and process added to Standard Register's increased business.


In 1933, the company's business increased to one million dollars, and increased to five millon in 1938. This rapid growth was due to international licensing agreements. The company authorized R. L. Crain Limited, a Canadian firm, to produce its patented forms in 1934, and they formed an affiliation with W.H. Smith & Son (Alacra) Ltd. in England a year later. Thomas Schirmer died, and his brother, John Sherman, ran the company until he died in 1944.


Milford Spayd, who had joined the company in 1933, took over as President. Sales increased to eleven point four million dollars in 1946, and to over forty three million dollars in 1956. Standard Register continued to grow, placing factories in Pennsylvania, Arkansas, and California as well as some international countries.


In 1966, Kenneth Morse took over the company and increased business and increased sales. In the 1970's the business slowed due to weakened supply and fierce competition. In the 1990's, Standard Register filed Chapter 11, and later closed it's doors. It was a sad for many.


Please visit me here to see where I'll be speaking. Will I be near you? I'd love to meet you! Molly's News

Stephen Girard

 

Stephen Girard

by

Molly Jebber

Amish Historical Romance Author

Stephen Girard was famous for being the first multi-millionaire at that time in history and for saving the United States from financial ruin during the war of 1812. He was born May 20, 1750. He was an American citizen, philanthropist, and banker of French origin. He didn't have any children, so he spent money on helping the education and welfare of orphans. He married Mary Lum in 1887, but she became mentally ill and hard to manage. She was committed to a mental institution, and he didn't marry again. His legacy and money still help orphans to date. 

Stephen was the son of a common sailor. He lost sight in his right eye at the age of eight. His education was scant.  

In 1760, he went to New York and worked as a cabin boy. He worked in the coastal trader system along the east coast and as far as the south of the Caribbean. In May of 1776, already a licensed captain, he sailed to Philadelphia were he opened and ran a grocery and liquor shop while he kept a hand in the coastal trading system. By 1790, he had a fleet of trading vessels and a net worth of six thousand dollars which was a lot back then. 

In 1791, his merchantmen were involved in salvaging goods from French planters during the Haitian revolution. He was left with ten thousand dollars of goods he was holding for the owners, when they were most likely killed during this revolution. When he couldn't find any of the owners left, he added the goods to his. 

Stephen also participated in the Old China Trade, financing voyages to Canton. He profited from legitimate goods as well as opium, which was smuggled into China. In 1824, this part of his business ended when there was an incident with one of his ships and China's authorities. 

In 1793, there was a breakout of Yellow Fever. Girard hired nurses and doctors to help, and also his home. He cared for patients himself.

In 1812, he opened a bank which many years later became Mellon Bank, and then Citizen's Federal Bank. December 26, 1831, Stephen died. He had been hit and ran over by a wagon and horse in the street years earlier, and he had never fully recovered.  

Please visit me at Molly Jebber's website to learn more about me, contests, speaking events and more.

History of Springboro, Ohio - Underground Railroad

 

Best-selling and Award-winning Amish Romance Author

Let's talk about the history of Springboro, Ohio!

I went to school in Springboro, Ohio when it housed seventh through twelfth grades in one building. It was a small town then. My parents moved from Dayton, Ohio to Springboro, and built a house in a new subdivision. Now, it's farmlands have turned into many areas of small to large housing, stores, restaurants, bed and breakfast options, and more. My dad served as interim mayor when the mayor became ill and until his recovery. Dad also served on the City Council, as well as working as an analyst for General Motors. Mom was the finance director until she retired. She'll be 91 in July. 

In 1915, Jonathan Wright, his wife, Mary, and five children moved from Pennsylvania to  Springboro. Jonathan Wright used the surveyor skills taught to him by his father, Joel, and platted the small town. He and his family were Quakers and opposed slavery. Their house was a station as part of the underground railroad that provided a safe haven for slaves on their way to freedom. Jonathan and his wife and four of his children are buried in Springboro's Factory Road cemetery. 

Between 1815 - 1864, Springboro had many safe houses for slaves on the underground railroad. Also many agents and conductors were also involved surrounding and in the village. Springboro is in the middle of the Miami Rivers and close to the Ohio River which were also used to transport slaves on the freedom trail. No runaways were ever captured or sent back from the Springboro area during their participation in helping slaves. 

In the 1830's, a woolen factory and two mills were built in Springboro. The town was named for it's many springs. 

Starting in 1960, the town changed from a sleepy little village to a booming hot spot to live. Houses and companies were built, and enough to warrant a main highway (I-75) exit. Springboro rests between Dayton and Cincinnati which is appealing, because you can work and shop in either area within the same distance either way. 

I hope you've enjoyed the history of Springboro. 

Have you read Liza's Second Chance? Special price of $3.99 eBook, $7.99 paperback. Buy Liza's Second Chance link

What hometown did you spend your childhood in?

Books for the Beach (Or the Porch, or the Pool)

Summer's halfway over, but there's still time to get in a few great reads. Whether your days are lazy and hazy or frantic and full, you'll  appreciate winding down to escape into a good book--and we've got one to fit your every reading mood, from sweet and romantic to mysterious or downright suspenseful. 

Don't leave for the beach (or the porch, or the pool--your vacation retreat, wherever it is!) without some good reads at the ready. 

                                                 

We proudly recommend the following.

Why? Because they're ours--they come right from our hearts--the authors who write the posts for this blog each day.

Click on the Book Covers to Get Your Copy!

The Charleston earthquake has left destruction like nothing Doctor Andrew Warwick has ever seen. On a desperate mission to find the lady who owns his heart, he frantically searches through the rubble, where he finds her injured and lifeless. After she regains consciousness, the doctor’s hopes are quickly dashed as he realizes she doesn’t remember him. Things only get worse when he discovers she believes she’s still engaged to the abusive scoundrel, Lloyd Pratt. Now Drew is on a race with the wedding clock to either help her remember or win her heart again before she marries the wrong man.

Waking in a makeshift hospital, Olivia Macqueen finds herself recovering from a head injury. With amnesia stealing a year of her memories, she has trouble discerning between lies and truth. When her memories start returning in bits and pieces, she must keep up the charade of amnesia until she can find out the truth behind the embezzlement of her family’s business while evading the danger lurking around her.

New from Vickie McDonough!

Dusty Starr is unstoppable in the rodeo arena, but when it comes to love? He was bucked off long ago. Now he has a second chance at love, but will he have what it takes to win? 

In 1942, Lexie Smithfield becomes heir to her family's vacation home on Jekyll Island, and a mysterious telegram beckons her return. Ten years before, tragedies convinced her mother the island was cursed, and the home in the exclusive Millionaire's Club was abandoned.  Russell Thompson knows what really happened, but swore never to tell. Will Lexie discover the real danger before it's too late? 

Three riveting short stories follow Samuel Adams as he struggles through the events surrounding the Declaration of Independence and evokes the Dawn of Liberty.

Liberty comes with a price. Can a fledgling nation bear the cost?

British forces advance upon a struggling colonial army. The time of decision has come. Declare independence, or give up the fight. The weight of a nation rests on Samuel Adams' shoulders as he joins the delegates of the Second Continental Congress. Can he raise the cause of Liberty above the fear of the King's wrath in the hearts of his countrymen?

Seattle debutante Sofi Andersson will do everything in her power to protect her sister who is suffering from shock over their father's death. Charles, the family busy-body, threatens to lock Trina in a sanatorium--a whitewashed term for an insane asylum--so Sofi will rescue her little sister, even if it means running away to the Cascade Mountains with only the new gardener Neil Macpherson to protect them. But in a cabin high in the Cascades, Sofi begins to recognize that the handsome immigrant from Ireland harbors secrets of his own. Can she trust this man whose gentle manner brings such peace to her traumatized sister and such tumult to her own emotions? And can Neil, the gardener, continue to hide from Sofi that he is really Dr. Neil Galloway, a man wanted for murder by the British police? Only an act of faith and love will bridge the distance that separates lies from truth and safety.

New from Anne Greene!
A kidnapping. A ticking clock. Three hot PI’s. A Black Widow kills again. Will Holly’s first case end in disaster? Will the two men in Holly’s life give her too much heat?

Motivated by the murky circumstances surrounding her father’s reputation-ruining murder, Holly vows to clear his muddied name, prove herself as a PI, and redeem Garden Investigation’s integrity and dwindling list of clients. Then her best friend, Matt, is kidnapped…and everything changes.

Orphaned Annie Paxton and her brothers have lost the only home they've ever known and are determined to make a better future in St. Joseph, Missouri. Annie dreams of a pretty house with window boxes, having friends, and attending church every week. But then her brothers land jobs as Pony Express riders, and Annie puts her dreams on hold to work as a cook at Clearwater Ranch on the Pony Express route.  Annie struggles to adapt to her new job, and the gruff station owner doesn't seem inclined to make her life any easier. A friendship has just begun to blossom and builds between them when Annie attracts the attention of a refined, dashing lieutenant from nearby Fort Kearney. Annie must learn how to trust her instincts and follow her heart--even if she's conflicted about which way it's leading her.

From heart-pounding battles on the high seas to the rigors of Valley Forge and the Shawnee’s savagely fought wars, Valley of the Shadow continues the thrilling saga of America’s founding.

New from Susan Page Davis! 1918, Rural Maine. Judith Chadbourne gave up her teaching job after her mother’s death to help her father with her five siblings. But when her brother Joel is drafted, the household chores and farm work may overwhelm her. Their neighbor, Ben Thayer, seems rich and mysterious, but his heart aches from his own loss. Judith accidentally breaks the antique ornament her mother loved. The splintering star echoes her family’s shattering. Joel falls ill at the army camp, and Ben’s concern may bring the beginnings of trust. Can love take Judith beyond the frozen Maine winter?

Beautiful historical romance novellas written just for you by some of today's best-selling and award-winning Christian authors! Sit back and relax while these four talented women whisk you back to simpler times in America's past... but with that simplicity came hard work and change, so curl up in your favorite spot and see what Mary, Ruthy, Pam and Cara have brought your way as you "Spring Into Love" with this new delightful Christian romance collection!

Meet 12 adventurous Victorian era women—a beekeeper who is afraid of bees, a music teacher whose dog has dug up a treasure, a baker who enters a faux courtship, and six more—along with the men they encounter while making summertime memories. Will these loves sown during summer be strengthened by faith and able to endure a lifetime?

New from Martha Lou Rogers! Summer Patterson, a photo-journalist for a popular magazine, is on a mission to capture the charm and nostalgia of the old Route 66 through the West Texas Panhandle in story and picture, but when her car breaks down in a "middle of nowhere" town, her mission takes a turn she never expected. Cody Harper is a retired rodeo champ filling in as a mechanic until he can get his own ranch. Repairing Summer's foreign car will take days, so he arranges for her to stay with his grandmother Ellis. Meeting the people of McLean, Texas and riding with Cody to discover the beauty of a part of Texas she'd never seen leads her in a direction she had no plans to take. She returns to her busy life in the city of Dallas, but her heart is back in West Texas where she lost it along Route 66.  Getting it back will be no easy task, especially if Cody has his way.

It's the spring of 1861 on the Gulf Coast of Texas. Amanda never thought she would marry because of a promise she made to her dying mother, but her attraction to Captain Kent Littlefield is undeniable.
When Texas secedes from the Union, her brother Daniel aligns with the Confederate States, while Kent remains with the Union troops.
Her heart is torn between the two men she is closest to and the two sides of the conflict. Amanda prays to God for direction and support, but hears only silence. Where is God in the atrocities of war―and whose side is He on?

Discover four heroines in historical Austin, TX, as they find love--Jane Austen style. Volume 1 includes:

If I Loved You Less by Gina Welborn, based on Emma
A prideful matchmaker examines her own heart when her protégé falls for the wrong suitor.

Refinements by Anita Mae Draper, based on Sense and Sensibility
A misguided academy graduate spends the summer falling in love . . . twice.

One Word from You by Susanne Dietze, based on Pride and Prejudice
A down-on-her-luck journalist finds the story of her dreams, but her prejudice may cost her true love . . . and her career. Alarmingly Charming by Debra E. Marvin, based on Northanger Abbey
A timid gothic dime-novel enthusiast tries to solve the mystery of a haunted cemetery and, even more shocking, why two equally charming suitors compete for her attentions.

New from Tamera Lynn Kraft!

After Vivian’s fiancé dies in the Great War, she thinks her life is over. But Henry, her fiancé’s best friend, comes to the rescue offering a marriage of convenience. He claims he promised his friend he would take care of her. She grows to love him, but she knows it will never work because he never shows any love for her.

Henry adores Vivian and has pledged to take care of her, but he won’t risk their friendship by letting her know. She’s still in love with the man who died in the Great War. He won’t risk heartache by revealing his true emotions.

 

In this action-packed sequel to PULSE, author L.R.Burkard takes readers on a heart-pounding journey into a landscape where teens shoulder rifles instead of school books, and where survival might mean becoming your own worst enemy.

Now that an EMP has sent the United States into a Dark Age, Andrea, Lexie and Sarah have more to worry about than the mere loss of technology. Threats of marauders and rumors of foreign soldiers mean no one can let down their guard. The appearance of FEMA camps might be reassuring--except military outfits seem determined to force people into them...With evil threatening on every side, can the U.S. recover before everyone--and everything--is destroyed?  

Do you make time for fun summer reading? Where's your favorite place to read--beach, bed, lazy chair? Leave a comment and let's compare notes!