You’ve heard about the Underground Railroad in the southern coastal states, and Harriet Tubman’s and Frederick Douglass’s heroism in aiding slaves escape to the northeastern states and Canada. The Railroad actually had several distinct routes to freedom, as shown on this map from National Geographic. The branch on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers was established … Continue reading The Quakers and the Underground Railroad
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Western 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 Western Trivia: Mark Twain
Native American Trivia: Navajo Clothing
In the mid 1860s, Navajo traditional clothing gave way to velveteen. The women began to wear velveteen dresses (or skirts and blouses) in lieu of deerhide or woven dresses called “blanket dresses”, which were fashioned by connecting two woven panels at the shoulders and lacing up the sides. The men replaced deerhide or woven leggings … Continue reading Native American Trivia: Navajo Clothing
Western Trivia: The Fast Gun
Today’s trivia is a little nugget about the FAST GUN. In spite of what we’ve seen in TV or movie Westerns, gunslingers in the Old West were few and far between. And even fewer of them were cowboys. Most cowboys did carry a pistol or two, as well as a rifle. But a cowboy’s main … Continue reading Western Trivia: The Fast Gun
Gifford MacShane, Author 