by Percy French (1854-1920) Every once in awhile, authors latch onto a word and it becomes so popular, you virtually can’t get away from it. Lately, one of those words is “petrichor”, meaning the earthy scent of rain that’s fallen on dry soil. Each time I see or hear it, though, it brings this song … Continue reading EILEEN OG: An Irish Song
Songs & Stories
Tuesday Trivia: African-Americans in the Old West
History tells us that at least 15%, and possibly up to 33%, of cowboys in The Old West were African-American. Among them was William Pickett, who invented the trick we now call bull-dogging—catching and throwing a steer—though Bill’s habit of biting the cow’s lip to control it is no longer practiced. (Not too surprising, IMHO.) … Continue reading Tuesday Trivia: African-Americans in the Old West
ALL THE PRETTY LITTLE HORSES: An American Folk Song
American folk songs often present both positive and negative facets of life. This traditional lullaby is no exception, as it exemplifies the chasm that exists between the “haves” and “have nots”. The baby fortunate to be born to the manor will have cake for breakfast, while the poor child lies crying, and probably dying, in … Continue reading ALL THE PRETTY LITTLE HORSES: An American Folk Song
Tuesday Trivia: A Cowboy and his Outfit
“I see by your outfit that you are a cowboy …” These words from Streets of Laredo are not as transparent as they may seem to be. Our modern interpretation of “outfit” refers basically to the clothes we wear, and can be stretched to include belt, shoes, hat, and handbag. But would clothes distinguish a … Continue reading Tuesday Trivia: A Cowboy and his Outfit
Young Women Homesteaders and The Promise Of The West – Letters To Home
Wonderful stories! Reblogged on giffordmacshane.com
In today’s post I will be sharing some letters from women homesteaders in the United States at the beginning of the 1900s. The Homestead Act allowed adults to work land out west in order to own it after a period of time. Their stories are inspiring and enlightening.
View original post 1,522 more words
Tuesday Trivia: The Land of Saints and Scholars
Ireland is often referred to as The Land of Saints and Scholars. During the Dark Ages in Europe, much of the continent was overrun by barbarian tribes. Irish priests and scholars were responsible for keeping many ancient texts intact, and for creating new art and literature. Of primary note is the Book of Kells, an … Continue reading Tuesday Trivia: The Land of Saints and Scholars
Tuesday Trivia: Native Americans & the Right to Vote
Since the 2020 election season has started, I've got a trivia question for you: Who was President of the United States when all Native Americans were given the right to vote? A.) Dwight D. Eisenhower B.) Theodore Roosevelt C.) Richard M. Nixon D.) Calvin Coolidge No peeking now—just give it your best shot! C’mon, you … Continue reading Tuesday Trivia: Native Americans & the Right to Vote
Tuesday Trivia: Union Suits and Linens
#amwriting #history
Thanks to the movies and mid-20th century TV, when we think of men’s underwear in the Old West, we usually picture the union suit, a garment that looked like a cross between a onesie and today’s longjohns, with buttons up the front and a flap in the back to accommodate nature’s needs. But union suits weren’t always a single piece — it was possible to buy shirts and pants separately. They also came in an above-the-knee length (for the especially hardy).
Union Suit Advertisement
Sears & Roebuck catalogue
Less well-known were garments called “linens”, from the material they were made out of. Linens could be long, though they were usually knee-length or shorter. They had buttons or grommets with laces, and some had wide waistbands. Even more obscure was a cotton garment with buttons and ribbed legs that’s quite similar to the recently-popularized “boxer-briefs”. From my research, I believe…
View original post 9 more words
Tuesday Trivia: The Wackiest Gun In The West
Anyone who's a fan of the Old West is familiar with the Colt .45 and the Buntline Special. Like most old & new revolvers, both of these have a rotating 6-chamber cylinder. But did you know there was also a gun with six rotating barrels? That's right. Ethan Allen (no relation to the Revolutionary War … Continue reading Tuesday Trivia: The Wackiest Gun In The West
Tuesday Trivia: Mark Twain
Mark Twain, whose real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens, is an American icon. But in his time, he wasn't the only one in his family with name recognition. Twain's older brother, Orion Clemens, was a newspaper publisher and had studied law under Edward Bates, who later became President Abraham Lincoln's Attorney General. Orion was appointed … Continue reading Tuesday Trivia: Mark Twain
