Research is very important when writing Historical Fiction. I had fun writing the Bear
Lake Family Saga series because I was able to put some very interesting historical
facts in each of my books. Some things I added were from history while others
were experiences of my ancestors. I will list one historical fact from
each book so you will understand what goes into my research.
In Melinda and the
Wild West, I found that Butch Cassidy robbed the bank in Montpelier during
the time period of my story, which takes place in 1896 at Paris, Idaho. I used
every detail of the robbery in my novel. I found that Butch Cassidy referred to
himself as the “Robin Hood of the West.” He actually wrote, “The best way to
hurt them is through their pocket book. They will holler louder than if you cut
off both legs. I steal their money just to hear them holler. Then I pass it out
among those who really need it.”
Cassidy never
acted without a well staked-out plan. That was why he never got
caught. He had two partners in crime at the time of the Montpelier robbery.
Meeks held the horses while Cassidy and Lay robbed the bank. When the robbing
was done, Cassidy nonchalantly walked outside and climbed upon his horse. Then
he rode out of town while Elsa Lay held a gun on the bank teller. Then Meeks
followed shortly afterwards. No one took notice of Cassidy or Meeks. After a
while, Elsa Lay walked out of the bank, hopped on his horse, and took off at
high speed. All three got away without a problem. (Treasured Tidbits of Time, Bear Lake Historian Pat Wilde) Every
year, Montpelier puts on a reenactment of the robbery for the public.
In Edith and the
Mysterious Stranger, my heroine is a nurse. My great grandmother, Frances Davies, saved a man’s life who had been
gored by a bull. When the doctor was away, the neighbors went to her. Every
detail was recorded in her biography and I used it for my story.
One day a bull gored my great grandmother’s neighbor and she
went to his aid. Finding that his abdomen was torn open, she washed away the
blood and relocated the man’s protruding intestines. Then she sewed him up with
a violin gut string that she had sterilized. Afterwards, Frances fixed a
liniment of arnica burrs steeped in alcohol and then she applied some
sterilized cloths to his wound, which was saturated with the liniment. When she
was done, Frances wrapped a clean strip of cloth around his body to hold the
bandages in place. Each day she washed his wound with carbolic water and
applied fresh bandages. The man lived for over 20 years after his accident. I
instantly knew that Edith had to have this experience as a young nurse in my
story.
For the subplot of Jenny’s
Dream, the community has to deal with a vicious grizzly bear that is
roaming the mountains. In the history of the Rocky Mountains, there have
been many bears that roam the mountains, but none so famous as Old Ephraim. He
roamed the mountains from Soda Springs, Idaho to the Logan Utah Canyon from
1911 to 1923. They called him Old Ephraim or Old Three Toes, since he only had
three toes on one foot. As a subplot to my story, I added the actions and deeds
of this vicious grizzly. Old Ephraim measured at exactly nine feet and eleven
inches tall, and weighed 1100 pounds.
As the subplot in Sarah’s
Special Gift, I added the intriguing story of the Bear Lake Monster. The
mystery of the Bear Lake Monster has been an exciting part of the Bear Lake
history ever since the pioneers arrived in Paris, Idaho in 1863. Prominent
leaders of the area encouraged the Native American legend because no one had a
desire to move to the cold Bear Lake country. The valley was located at the
tops of the Rocky Mountains and the winters were harsh.
The legend of the Bear Lake Monster made life a
little more exciting for the pioneers. Some people claimed to have seen the
monster and gave descriptions of it. Throughout the years, no one has ever
disproved the Bear Lake Monster. Is it fact or fiction, legend or myth? It was
fun to add accounts of those who claimed to have seen it into my story.
Elena Woman of Courage
was such fun to research. I wanted Elena to be a doctor during the 1920s, so I
had to do some research and find out if there were women doctors back then. I
found that Elizabeth Blackwell was the first woman to graduate with a doctor’s degree in 1868, and she opened a medical college
for
women where they could have the opportunity to get an education. Women were not allowed to attend a medical university until 1899. So how did Elizabeth get in?
She hounded them until the faculty gave in and admitted her as a joke. They figured she would fail miserably. But she fooled
all
the professors and graduated at the top of her class. After
her graduation in 1849, she sadly found
that no hospital would hire her
because she was a woman. But this did not
stop her. Elizabeth
organized her own clinic in New York
and helped many people.
Elena, Woman of Courage takes place
during the roaring twenties
when women stood up for their rights. They bobbed their hair,
raised their hemlines, and wore
long beads down to the
waist. It was a new era for everyone,
with new challenges. The
new styles caused a lot of commotion. Women with
bobbed hair were fired from
their jobs without any warning. A preacher pounded
the pulpit, saying that a “bobbed woman was a disgraced woman.”
The language of the twenties was new.
Parents were in the dark, wondering
what their children were talking about. I will list just a few slang words I got from my research:
Ah, horsefeathers! - An expletive
Tomato - a woman
Bearcat - a fiery woman
Doll - an attractive woman
Cat’s pajamas! – How wonderful!
Chassis - a woman’s body
Gams - a woman’s legs
Goofy - in love
Hotsy-totsy - something pleasing
Moonstruck - acting in a dreamy, confused way; in
love.
Spooning - kissing or talking about love
Bank’s closed – There’s no kissing tonight.
You slay me! - That was real funny!
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