PACK HORSE LIBRARIANS: PROVIDING MORE THAN A BOOK SERVICE By Mary Davis

 By Mary Davis

In 1913, Mary F. Stafford started the first Pack Horse Library in Paintsville, Kentucky, supported by local coal baron John C. C. Mayo. When Mayo died the following year, the funding died with him and the program ended.

 

In the midst of the Great Depression, the WPA (Works Progress Administration) under the Second New Deal provided government work for the unemployed. Elizabeth Fullerton worked in the women’s and professional projects at the WPA and decided to resurrect Stafford’s concept. A Leslie County Presbyterian minister provided his library if the WPA would fund personnel to take the books to people who couldn’t get to a library. This initiated the new Pack Horse Library. The Pack Horse Library Project was established under the WPA in 1935. By 1936, eight of these libraries were in operation.

 

WPA Librarians

Pack Horse Librarians, mostly women, were hired to go into the remote parts of the Appalachian Mountains to deliver books to the residents who didn’t have access to a library. They carried approximately 100 books with them. These brave ladies (a.k.a. “Book Women”) traveled 50-100 miles a week by horse or mule and, sometimes, on foot or rowboat for $28 a month. Often, the only income their families had.

 

Librarian on Horseback

However, the money from this program only covered salaries, so books had to be obtained by other means. Many were the old or damaged books and periodicals larger libraries no longer had use for, as well as out-of-date text books from schools and churches.

 

The donated books would be repaired and readied by the head librarian at the local headquarters for delivery to individual homes and schoolhouses. Resourceful librarians made card catalogs out of cheese boxes and bent old license plates into bookends.

 

In the beginning, there were 800 books for 5-10,000 people, not nearly enough to go around. The residents were hungry for reading material, so librarians put together scrapbooks of newspaper and magazine clippings as well as anecdotes and local recipes. These became so popular, that the patrons made some of their own with family history, child-rearing advice, recipes, and sewing patterns to be circulated by the Pack Horse Librarians. Some 200 different books had been created by librarians and patrons.

 

Librarian at a School

PTAs and women’s clubs helped to raise funds for new books, and communities had book drives and open houses. The program grew to 30 libraries, servicing 100,000 patrons. In addition to distributing books, the librarians provided reading lessons, would read aloud to people, and brought new ideas to these isolated areas. As outsiders, they were sometimes not welcomed.

By 1936, the collection had grown to around 33,000 books that were circulated to about 57,000 families. There was generally a one-week lending period.

 

Book Woman Reading to Man

One book woman guided her horse across cliffs to get to her patrons. Another walked her eighteen-mile route after her mule died. And yet another walked beside her mule because it was old. The librarians had to furnish their own horse or mule, which were often leased. The Pack Horse Librarian project continued until 1943 when the government funding was withdrawn.

 

Whether by horse, mule, on foot, or boat, these brave pack horse librarians never wavered from their goal.

Happy Reading!

 

UNPUZZLING THE PAST

1990s Cozy Mystery

Written by Mary L. Chase, Edited By Mary Davis

When secrets and lies are uncovered, will Mar be able to put the pieces together to learn the truth? A year after the death of her mom, Margaret Ross discovers the proverbial skeleton in the closet. Most families have a secret or two. Some are best left alone. Others need to be brought to the light of day to heal old wounds. With the help of her best friend, a lawyer, and a handsome doctor, Mar determines to hunt down all the facts. When she does, will she find what she’s searching for? Or should she let this puzzle R.I.P.?

MARY DAVIS, bestselling, award-winning novelist, has over thirty titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her latest release is THE LADY’S MISSION. Her other novels include MRS. WITHERSPOON GOES TO WAR, THE DÉBUTANTE'S SECRET (Quilting Circle 4) THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (Quilting Circle 3) is a Selah Award Winner. Some of her other recent titles include; THE WIDOW’S PLIGHT, THE DAUGHTER'S PREDICAMENT, “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection , Prodigal Daughters Amish series, and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Rocky Mountains with her husband of thirty-nine years and one foster cat. She has three adult children and three incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:

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Sources

https://settlementlibrary.blogspot.com/2009/12/pack-horse-library-project.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pack_Horse_Library_Project

The History of Buttons

Molly Jebber

Amish Historical Romance Author

Let's talk about the history of buttons!

We all have buttons on some of our clothes. I was surprised Old Order Amish do not use buttons, because they consider them a decoration, and they don't use them as to not draw attention to their clothes, especially since buttons were once considered a sign of prestige. We'll learn more about this below.

The oldest button was found in a region of the Indus Valley, now known as modern day Pakistan. It is estimated to be around 5000 years old, with a decorative flat face that fits into a loop, and is primarily made out of curved shell. These buttons were not used as a closure on clothing or sewn in a straight line. They were used as decorations.

Ancient Romans also made and used buttons. Their garments were loose-fitting and made of heavy material which required thicker buttons made of horn, wood, and bronze. The Middle Ages is when the button really began to take hold as a fastener. Buttons were used for more fitted clothing for men and women.

In the 1600's, button makers became more popular around the globe. During this time, buttons were only affordable to the more wealthy men and women. They were a symbol of prosperity and prestige.

In the 1890s freshwater pearl button manufacturing exploded—in response to the ever-growing demand of the ready-to-wear industry (and to protective tariffs that discouraged imports). In factories from Wisconsin to Iowa to Arkansas, workers used tubular saws to cut round blanks from mussel and clam shells, which were ground to standard thicknesses, then faced, drilled, and polished.

The Industrial Revolution made way for prices of buttons to become affordable and worn by the masses. By the 1920s buttons made of synthetic materials were increasingly common. Because these could be made in larger sizes and different colors, ready-to-wear fashions began to feature them. Charlie Chaplin was obsessed with buttons. The bigger the button on his clothes, the better.

In the twentieth century, plastic buttons even made them more available to everyone since they could really be produced cheap.

Thank you for joining me here today to learn a little more about those buttons we've been wearing!

My newest and fifth book in my Amish Charm Bakery Series is MAGDELENA'S CHOICE. On sale for a limited time! Visit me at Molly Jebber to watch a video trailer about this story and visit me on Molly's Facebook page for contest news! The first book in the series, Liza's Second Chance, is being made into a movie by Sony/Pureflix.

Porch Swing Time

Porch swing up for the winter, Mayetta, Kansas, Nov 1940. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, DC

According to the calendar, as well as the sight of birds who'd left us for the season, it's time to lower the old porch swing and set a spell. As you may have guessed, this post is about one of those favorite pieces of porch furniture - the swing, and the people who use them.

The front porch is of American origin from 19th mid-century, but it's most glorious years were those from the 1880's until the 1940's. These were the years of new neighborhoods with shortened work days where people enjoyed sitting out and watching the world go by, if only for a few hours of the evening. 

In this first image, soon-to-be-president Woodrow Wilson shares family time with his wife on the swing, while his three daughters sit and stand nearby. Although probably staged, it shows a typical front porch setting with the bonus of 1912 fashion. 

Woodrow Wilson, seated posed on swing on porch, facing front, with his wife and three daughters, c1912. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, DC

A similar setting is that of Arnold Genthe and two women friends sharing a porch swing. The image is slightly blurry, yet comical because Arnold Genthe was a successful photographer and this time he is the object of the image and not the creator of it. I wonder what he thought when the finished product emerged from the chemicals and wash of his darkroom. 

Arnold Genthe and two women friends seated on a swing on the porch of his bungalow in Long Beach, New York, between 1911-1942. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, DC

The moment I saw this next image, my heart reacted to the despair in the woman's face. The year is 1912 and a blanket emblazoned with White Star Line covers her lap. Charlotte Collyer and her daughter are survivors of the Titanic sinking. Husband and father, Harvey Collyer, was carrying their life savings of $5,000 when the ship went down. Along with losing all the money needed for their new fruit farm in Idaho, Charlotte and her daughter lost all their possessions which had been stored in the hold of the ship. They were left destitute. Charlotte pushed on to Idaho to fulfill her husband's dream, selling her story of survival to make ends meet, and we are left with this image of her shock and grief.

Mrs. Charlotte Collyer with her daughter Marjorie, 1912. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.

A porch swing with a gentle summer breeze can be a great place to read and that's exactly what this mother and child are doing on their front porch at Sabine Farms in Marshall, Texas. The caption accompanying this photo brings attention to the garden in the background as well as the book.

Wife of FSA (Farm Security Administration) client reading book to her son on swing on her front porch. Notice garden in background and title of book. Sabine Farms, Marshall, Texas, 1939. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.

Of course, reading is enjoyed by all ages whether it's a book, newspaper or letter. Some people can't read on a moving swing as they get motion sickness if they look down, but that's the beauty of a porch swing...it can be as still as the person sitting on it wants it to be. Or, for the more adventurous, a slight push of a toe can glide it into motion. 

Front porch, Elgin, Illinois, 1941. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.

Sitting on a porch swing is a lovely place to be, don't you think? The 1920 Montgomery Ward catalogue shows 2 distinct styles of porch swings and one is almost double the price as the other. But is it due to comfort or beauty?

Porch Swings, 1920 Montgomery Ward catalogue. Source: archive.org

Please share your memories of a porch swing, if have some, and if you don't, any thoughts on the subject?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anita Mae Draper's historical romances are written under the western skies of the Saskatchewan prairie where her love of research and genealogy yield fascinating truths that layer her stories with rich historical details.  Anita's short story, Here We Come A-Wassailing, was a finalist for the Word Guild's 2015 Word Awards. Her novellas are included in Austen in Austin Volume 1, The American Heiress Brides Collection, and The Secret Admirer Romance Collection. Readers can check out Anita's Pinterest boards for a visual idea of her stories to enrich their reading experience.  Discover more at:

Website - www.anitamaedraper.com

Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/anitamaedraper/

Conrad Weiser

Conrad Weiser Statue

Conrad Weiser is one of the most remarkable and influential figures in colonial Pennsylvania history. Beginning at the age of 17, he served variously as a diplomat and interpreter for his fellow Germans and the Indians, Pennsylvania’s Indian agent, and colonel of the militia. A close friend of powerful Indian and colonial leaders, he was also a faithful husband and father of 14 children, a farmer, a tanner, a founder of the town of Reading, a monk at the Ephrata Cloister, a leader in the Lutheran Church, a promoter of Moravian missions, a hymn-writer, and a woodsman. He appears several times in Northkill and the forthcoming The Return, Books 1 and 2 of the Northkill Amish Series, coauthored by me and Bob Hostetler. I’ve been fascinated by Weiser since I first discovered him while researching the series.

Conrad Weiser was born November 2, 1696, in the German principality of Wurttemberg. After his mother’s death, his father, Johann Conrad Weiser, migrated to America in 1710 with his children and settled on the New York frontier. At the age of 15, Conrad went to live with their Mohawk neighbors at the Indian Castle at the mouth of the Schoharie River in order to learn the language of the Iroquois so he could serve as a go-between for the German community. Under the guidance of the Mohawk chief, Quagnant, Weiser acquired a keen knowledge of the Iroquois language, religion, and social customs and was soon in almost constant demand as an interpreter and negotiator.

Weiser married Anna Eva Fegg on November 22, 1720 and in 1729 moved his family to the Tulpehocken Valley in present-day Berks and Lebanon counties in Pennsylvania, where many Germans from New York were migrating. After they settled on 200 acres near Womelsdorf, Weiser soon became a close friend of Shikellamy, a powerful chief of the Oneidas who had been sent to the area by the Iroquois to rule over the Delaware and Shawnee nations. Shikellamy became a frequent guest at the Weiser home and insisted he serve as interpreter for all negotiations with the provincial officials.

Weiser's signature

Recognizing Weiser’s value, in 1731 the governor placed him in charge of all Indian affairs for the colony. Weiser worked closely with Shikellamy to keep the frontier peaceful and was deeply involved in the implementation of Pennsylvania’s Indian policy, which recognized the dominance of the Iroquois over all other Indian nations in the colony. Weiser was predominantly responsible for negotiating every major treaty between the colonial settlers in Pennsylvania and the Iroquois Nations from 1731 until 1758. He convinced the Six Nations to take no part in the quarrels between the French and the English. This long-standing friendship eventually resulted in the other Indian nations withdrawing their allegiance from the French as well, which contributed greatly to France’s eventual defeat. Weiser’s courage and good will impressed the Iroquois so much that they named him Tarachiawagon, Holder of the Heavens.

When war first broke out along the frontier, Weiser was chosen to be the commander of the local militia. Pennsylvania soon formed a provincial militia and built a line of outposts, and in 1756 Weiser was commissioned as lieutenant colonel in command of the 1st Battalion, Pennsylvania Regiment, which was responsible for manning the line between the Delaware and Susquehanna Rivers. He held this post until he retired 1758. That same year General John Forbes’s expedition to Fort Du Quesne forced the French to abandon and burn this great stronghold. Weiser was instrumental in negotiating the 1758 Treaty of Easton, which ended the great majority of Indian raids in eastern Pennsylvania.

Ephrata Cloister

Anna Eva bore Weiser 14 children, seven of whom lived to adulthood. Although a Lutheran, Weiser joined the monastic community of Ephrata Cloister between 1735 and 1741, intermittently withdrawing from family and political life to live there. He eventually became disillusioned with the Cloister’s leader, however, and returned to the Lutheran Church. He helped found Trinity Church in Reading, and his daughter Maria married Henry Melchoir Muhlenberg, a leading minister of the Lutheran Church in Pennsylvania. Weiser also actively promoted the missions the Moravian Church established to the Indians in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Conrad Weiser Homestead

A major landholder, farmer, tanner, and businessman, Weiser remained active in local affairs until the end of his life. He served as a magistrate for Lancaster County and helped to found the town of Reading in 1748 and Berks County in 1752, which he served as its first justice of the peace. He established a general mercantile in Reading, the first in the community, and built a home there in 1758 after turning the management of his farm over to 2 of his sons. He died at his farm on July 13, 1760, at the age of 63.

Weiser’s influence was so great that after his death relations between the colonists and the Indians rapidly began to decline. The most fitting tribute to this remarkable man was given by an Iroquois leader speaking to a group of colonists: “We are at a great loss and sit in darkness … as since his death we cannot so well understand one another.” How different might the relations between the new United States and the Native Americans have been if he had lived long enough to serve through the Revolution!

Unfortunately, no known portaits of Weiser survive. However, you can visit the Conrad Weiser Homestead at Womelsdorf, managed by the Pennsylvania Historical Museum Commission, which interprets his life and preserves the restored structures and graveyard. The park contains statues of Weiser and Shikellamy as a memorial to Weiser’s great friendship with the Indians.

What is your favorite era in history to read about, and who is your favorite real-life hero of that era?

~~~

J. M. Hochstetler is the daughter of Mennonite farmers and a lifelong student of history. She is also an author, editor, and publisher. Northkill, Book 1 of the Northkill Amish Series coauthored with Bob Hostetler, won Foreword Magazine’s 2014 INDYFAB Book of the Year Bronze Award for historical fiction. Book 2, The Return, releases in Spring 2017. Her American Patriot Series is the only comprehensive historical fiction series on the American Revolution. One Holy Night, a contemporary retelling of the Christmas story, was the Christian Small Publishers 2009 Book of the Year.

Take Time For a Good Book--You Deserve It!

Summer's winding down, but now more than ever you deserve to get in a little reading. With fall comes hectic school schedules, carpooling the kids to sports, dance, church and who knows what all. Allow us to recommend a good book as the perfect antidote to the coming crazy busy season. We've got one to fit your every reading mood, from sweet and romantic to mysterious or downright suspenseful. 

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!
https://www.amazon.com/Anne-Greene/e/B004ECUWMG
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 allow yourself to read for leisure? Leave a comment and let's compare notes!  

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