While researching a Colorado pioneer character for an upcoming biography, I had difficulty finding her “voice”. Other people had plenty to say about her, good and bad. It was not until the final years of her life that she spoke out for others to hear. Unfortunately, by then, her thoughts were dominated by a spirit and dream world, leaving us with a jumble of disjointed perceptions.

As I waded through archival files, I was amused to find a pile of scribbled notes in my subject’s handwriting, which described remedies and recipes. At first, I gave them cursory attention, and set them aside. Then, I began to realize the truth. These notes were my character’s voice from the past! By preserving directions inside a well-used cookbook, she determined choices which provided signposts and clues about her daily life. Not only were personal preferences indicated by carefully saved instructions, but they also contained quotations, which gave cryptic meaning to her outlook and life.

One cookbook which contained notes was the White House Cookbook, published in 1887. Recipes were printed in paragraph format, containing little more instruction than a vague time frame, and whether to add fuel to the stove for a hotter fire. Some ingredients would be difficult to find now, or would defy logic in light of current cooking methods. For instance, one recipe suggested mixing a few “hops” with flour before baking. When I asked my friendly natural foods grocer about this item, he helpfully suggested I stop by a brew pub if I wished to find hops for my next baking project. I think I will pass on that one.

If you wish to get in touch with the past of your ancestors, pay attention to the well used cookbooks in their collection, as well as family recipes. Many cookbooks, such as the White House Cookbook, which is pictured here, have been republished and are available on the internet. I previously purchased an 1896 edition of the Fanny Farmer Cookbook as a solid example of American cooking, and a terrific historical resource.

Make sure you study household journals and recipe notes for unrelated items as well. You never know what you will find there.

If cooking is not your interest, other specialized books can contain voices from the past. Other titles might include topics such as gardening, woodworking, mechanics, sewing, livestock, agriculture, and the family bible. The fact that these resources were kept close at hand and were used liberally tells us quite a bit about their owners, their habits, interests, and beliefs. Think about the types of books which are important to your everyday life, and what they say about your identity.

Joyce B. Lohse, 12/15/09
www.lohseworks.com

If Thanksgiving is upon us, it must be time for CAL – the Colorado Association of Librarians Conference. Every year, publisher Filter Press hosts a booth for this event in Denver, allowing the authors to meet and greet librarians, teachers and readers. It is always illuminating, and a mixed bag of good news and bad news comments. The bad news is predictable … more book buying budget cuts, more social studies programs slashed, more demand for books about speicalized topics way down on the priority scale.

The good news is encouraging and will keep us going. As more people learn about our “Now You Know Bio” series, they find more ways to integrate them into their programs, and more people read them. They recognize the quality of the biographies and the research which has gone into each one. They love the topics we’ve chosen, and enthusiastically look forward to the newest arrivals.

I’m thankful for what we have, and I embrace the challenge of moving forward to produce more pioneer stories which appeal to young readers and history buffs of all ages. I appreciate Filter Press, who believes in my work and publishes it, giving me a voice, and for the encouragement and support of my colleagues there, and in Women Writing the West. I am honored to apply my writing skills to preserve history, and to give a voice to women who were formerly silent and consequently overlooked. Many of their stories have emerged and can now be celebrated, either as individuals or in conjunction with their pioneering partner.

John and Eliza Routt (rhymes with “scout”) provide a great partnership story. My award-winning book, First Governor, First Lady: John and Eliza Routt of Colorado, published by Filter Press, is a duo-biography about the life and work of the Routts as Western pioneers. I was fortunate to revisit their story and share it in an article for the current holiday issue of Steamboat Magazine. To read a condensed version of the article, go to: http://www.steamboatmagazine.com/articles/255.php

Happy Thanksgiving!
Joyce Lohse – 11/23/09
for more information about Now You Know Bios:
www.lohseworks.com
www.filterpressbooks.com

Little libraries make the world go round. On the plains southeast of Denver last Saturday, Librarian Gayle Gresham hosted an Author Open House at the Elbert Public Library, which shares space with the Elbert School Library. It is a warm and wonderful place, full of the hustle and bustle of folks looking for a good read, and kids Googling the internet.

Along with Filter Press, I was invited to meet and greet patrons, and display and sign books for sale. With a craft bazaar taking place elsewhere in the building, traffic moved from one venue to the other. It was a fine, fun time, well spent in a welcoming space for authors and readers to mingle and celebrate books.

The Elbert Library is also home of the Women Writing the West Collection. These books receive a second life when they are removed from the WWW trade show exhibits to make room for new titles. They are then processed and placed into circulation in Elbert, where they have become quite popular as locals seek out titles they might have missed, many with Western and historical themes. A new shelf will soon be added to facilitate expansion of the collection.

Joyce Lohse, 11/18/09
www.lohseworks.com

Transitional shoulder months in Colorado are full of beauty and surprises. One minute, a blizzard sends you scurrying toward the hearth and a pile of quilts, then the sun pops out and lures you outdoors to linger among crunchy leaves and inhale the warm breath of Indian Summer.

As shadows lengthen and the days grow shorter, activities related to collecting, preserving and enjoying pioneer history return indoors. During a recent snowstorm, I set aside research and read a book entitled, Prayers For Sale, by Sandra Dallas. As a longtime fan of  Sandra Dallas, I would be hard pressed to find fault with anything she writes. She is a lovely person, and a terrific role model for a writer on a quest to produce worthy and worthwhile historical books and articles.

Prayers For Sale is enjoyable on many levels. It is appealing to those who savor great historical fiction and to those who simply relish a darn good read. Dallas does her usual outstanding job of characterization while weaving, or rather quilting, an intriguing and well-crafted story thread set in a Colorado mining camp. Themes of pioneer courage, friendship, mentoring, enduring love, and forgiveness enrich the story, provoking thought and delighting historical sensibilities. When I need inspiration, or I wish to be transported to an earlier time and place, Sandra Dallas always delivers. The story motivated me to resume my needlework, always a centering activity.

To learn more about Sandra Dallas, go to: www.sandradallas.com

This coming Saturday, November 14, my writing path leads to the town of Elbert, on the plains southeast of Denver. Librarian Gayle Gresham has invited members of Women Writing the West to meet and greet the public at the Elbert Library Open House. Book displays and authors will be available between 1 and 3 p.m. in the public library, which shares space with the school library, at 24489 Main Street. Come out to Elbert to mingle with the authors and enjoy cider and cookies. Elbert Public Library is home of the Women Writing the West collection, over 100 books donated to their library by the non-profit national writing organization.

Joyce B. Lohse, 11/10/09
www.lohseworks.com

History researchers in Denver beware and be aware. As of Oct. 31, the Colorado Historical Society is closing its library for the next two years while they move and reconstruct their museum. Yes, I said two YEARS!! Realization of this closure has thrown my research schedule for my next biography into panic mode. The subject for the next book is Elizabeth Tabor, known around Colorado as “Baby Doe”, the Silver Queen of Leadville.

Although my writing and research schedule has become somewhat tospy-turvy and compressed, I hit paydirt this week when I squeezed in a visit to CHS before the impending closure. The large volume of the Tabor holdings are a two edged sword. The good news is that there is much information to read, view and assimilate. The bad news is that it takes time and organization to sort through the inconsequential, sift down to the nitty-gritty, and identify the really good stuff.

Frustrations slip away when treasures fall into the researchers hands. Fortunately, those moments came and I was transported to a time long ago when our pioneer state was newly formed. A silver king named H.A.W. Tabor put aside his ego and business concerns to scribble words of love to “Lizzie”, the bold script fading but the intent still clear on thin scraps of paper. A voyeur into the past, I was able to interpret these items directly from the source. History was in my hands.

I will miss CHS while they regroup. However, when one door closes, two more usually open. The adventure is just beginning. I am almost grateful that I was forced to scramble into disjointed action. Almost.

Joyce Lohse, 10/23/09

Colorado Sprgs Pioneers Museum

After an exceptional week of book and history activity, I come away with troubling news. I am not often motivated to make a political statement. Although I choose my battles carefully, this situation calls for action.

Colorado Springs, my home for 18 years, is on the cusp of an election which will make or break the city’s future. Without a tax increase, one of the casualties will be the closure of the  Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum. This important historical resource in the old county courthouse is the repository of the region’s history. The staff are exceptional caretakers, the displays significant, and the acquisitions critical to researchers, educators, historians, and authors. Without access to this amazing resource, my biography of General William Palmer would not be complete. Although I am grateful and fortunate that I was able to study Palmer’s historic photographs, letters and journals for my research, I cringe to think that others might not have access to this important repository and the capable guidance of the museum staff. The thought of this museum closing is truly heartbreaking.

If you would like further information about the affect of these ballot issues, please go to the following link:

http://www.csindy.com/colorado/message-to-our-readers/Content?oid=1425860

If you lack the time or inclination to read the article, and you live in C. Springs, please vote YES on 2c, and NO on 300 in November, and encourage other residents to do so. Palmer founded this city on the premise that residents would benefit from an exceptional quality of life. The future of this beautiful city is at stake.

– Joyce B. Lohse, 10/4/09

Montrose County History in a D&RG Station

Sometimes as I explore Colorado, I stumble across a historic treasure. A few weeks ago, while visiting Grand Junction on the West Slope, I drove south in search of history and new outlets for my books. In Montrose, about an hour from Junction, I was drawn into a museum on a side street by an impulse fondly recognized by writers and researchers as serendipity.

Housed in a restored Denver & Rio Grande railroad station was a wonderful collection of artifacts from Colorado history. Deb Barr welcomed me inside while sharing her knowledge and passion for area history and other things. She wears many hats in the community, from museum curator, to reporter, to clerk, to jazz singer. She was pretty excited to learn about my latest title, “General William Palmer: Railroad Pioneer”, founder of the D&RG Railroad. The book is now for sale in the museum gift shop, a fine collection of items pertaining to area history.

This little museum is not to be missed. If you are in the area with little time on your hands, at least step inside the depot and gift shop. The museum, which operates independently, is well-deserving of support and attention from history buffs. It is open until mid-October before closing for the winter. Watch for gift shop events in the winter.

Montrose County Historical Museum
21 North Rio Grande
970-249-2085
open mid-May through mid-October
Monday through Friday 10 AM – 4 PM
Saturday 10 AM – 2 PM

– Joyce Lohse, 9/25/09

House still standing at Dearfield

This past week, I attended a screening at the Colorado Historical Society of Dearfield: The Road Less Traveled, with commentary by producer, donnie l. betts. The video, which was outstanding, was especially meaningful to me as I had visited the ghost town of Dearfield a few weeks earlier. Located thirty miles east of Greeley, Colorado, Dearfield was a colony settled by African American pioneers between 1910 and 1940. At one time, the community, founded by businessman O.T. Jackson, contained about 700 residents. The land was so dear to them that they named the town “Dearfield”.

Life was not easy in Dearfield. Weather was harsh, and growing conditions difficult for farming. World War I took away young men who did not return, and the Depression took a further economic toll. Although residents tried valiantly to maintain the town, hard times depleted it. By the 1940s, only twelve people remained. As betts pointed out, one reason the colony endured as long as it did, with a successful dining room and gas station, was due to the courage and tenacity of the female residents.

Fortunately, circumstances have led the Black American West museum to become owners and custodians of the property. Restoration as a historical landmark and for an interpretive center require much time, effort and funding. Much work has been done, and more is on the horizon. Hopefully, those things will all come together to keep the story and the dream alive.

Joyce B. Lohse, 9/6/09

Nobody puts on a Western parade like Leadville, Colorado during Boom Days. This festival is a celebration of historic Leadville’s mining past as a boom town, at an elevation of 10,200 feet above sea level. The parade and festival, which take place during the first weekend in August, are the perfect excuse for the inner cowboy and cowgirl to come out and play in the cool, fresh mountain air. I was in town, with my traveling pard, Christie, not only for Boom Days, but also for a booksigning in the charming, independent Book Mine bookstore. I signed books along with another Women Writing the West member, Ann Parker, who writes mysteries set in Leadville. The whole day was splendid and a wonderful celebration of the Wild West. There seemed to be fewer horses and mules than usual in the parade, perhaps a nod to the tight economy. But it was fabulous in every other way.

It was a busy week for this western author. After traveling to Leadville on Saturday, Sunday found me at ParkerFest, at the Douglas County Library display, along with author Cynthia Becker. We had a great time, although the crowd was more interested in buying produce and crafts than biographies.

On Wednesday, I presented pioneer stories to the Longmont Genealogical Society. Talk about a wonderful group! We had a great time, and they were enthusiastic about my stories and books. I’ll return to Longmont any time.

Now, it is time for this cowgirl to stay closer to home and regroup, write some articles, do some research, and enjoy the rest of the summer. Bring on the good times, and some of those wonderful West Slope Colorado peaches!

Joyce Lohse, 8/15/09
www.lohseworks.com

Dianne and Joyce at Glen Eyrie - photo by Doris Baker

Last Monday, I had the good fortunate to visit Glen Eyrie Castle in Colorado Springs for a private tour. Our guide was Len Froisland, 25-year historian for the castle. Women Writing the West members Dianne Hartshorn, who portrays Queen Palmer around C. Springs, and publisher Doris Baker of Filter Press completed our group.

General William Palmer, founder of Colorado Springs and the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, originally built Glen Eyrie in 1872 when he married his wife, Mary Lincoln Mellon, known as “Queen”, a nickname since childhood. The house was restored in 1881, and again, beginning in 1902, when it took on the appearance of a stone castle. Palmer’s instruction to architects was to build a home that would endure for a thousand years. After one hundred years, the house has done very well. Currently, it is owned by the Navigators, a Christian organization, which maintains and utilizes the property as a retreat and conference center, with facilities open to the public for afternoon tea, bed and breakfast, and tours.

The house is remarkable. Inside, custom woodwork was used to decorate throughout. Special attention was given to fire prevention after Palmer’s Antlers Hotel burned in 1898. Palmer was extremely innovative in his attention to detail and his desire to create a self-sufficient compound for himself and his family. A power station, creamery, and greenhouses were built close at hand without disturbing the sprawling lawns, staggering vistas, and striking rock formations on the grounds tucked against the Rocky Mountain foothills. Scottish landscape artist, John Blair, designed the layout with beautiful landscape treatments, pathways and rock bridges. A school house was built in the early 1880’s to provide the children with private schooling, guarding them from possible kidnap during the raging railroad wars while rivals struggled to dominate transportation routes through the mountains.

During reconstruction of his home, William Palmer traveled throughout Europe with his daughters collecting artifacts and decorations to complete the mansion. Although most of those items are gone now, they have been replaced with similar furnishings. Many of his collected touches, such as Dutch tiles around fireplaces and fixtures, still exist. Queen died at the young age of 44 in 1894, before the castle was rebuilt, although the plan implemented some of her original ideas. William Palmer suffered a horseback riding accident in 1906 which left him paralyzed. He continued living life as best he could in the sprawling mansion until his death in 1909.

For more information, refer to:

General William Palmer: Railroad Pioneer
by Joyce B. Lohse
Filter Press, 2009, “A Now You Know Bio”
www.lohseworks.com
www.filterpressbooks.com