CHASING A CHANCE: Where Did It Come From

 Post(C) by Doris McCraw

With the release of the latest novel, "Chasing A Chance", I took a trip down research memory lane. There was a story I'd read that also played a part in the novel's creation. 

So, where did this story come from? It all started with a story I read a number of years back by Lauran Paine called, "Holding the Ace Card". In the story, a woman left her son to be raised by a foster family. He hadn't seen her since that time, but she asks him to help her with a range war as he's become an outlaw and gunfighter.  I was intrigued by the story of a women who would leave her child then ask for help from that same child. But other than an award winning short story, I didn't do anything else with the idea.

Next, I was at the library, doing my normal research. For those who don't know, normal research for me is finding pieces of information and traveling down rabbit holes trying to find everything I can about a subject. I came across a snippet about a town called Boston, Colorado. WOW! This is not to be confused with the Mining town associated with the Boston Mine Camp near Breckenridge, Colorado. 

Boston came into existence in the Southeast corner of Colorado and had a brief and bloody existence. There were primarily two factions that led to the demise. But during its heyday, it had two newspapers,  five saloons, a three-story hotel, bank, drug store, hardware store and three livery stables. It vied for county seat of Baca county with the town of Springfield. 

Photo of the Comanche Grasslands outside La Junta,CO

Boston was also said to be the home of the Jennings Gang, which is another story to be told later. It was reported that at one time the town had over one thousand residents. They even had sidewalks, put there by an ordinance of the city. The walk were said to be eight feet wide and extended for four blocks on Main Street and two blocks on 9th Avenue. The town was proud of being the only other city in Southeast Colorado, beside Lamar that could brag about such. 

Digging into the history of that town and its demise is still a work in progress. I do know one newspaper reported that 'the town of Boston, Colorado was in flames'. However for those who want to read a bit more, there is information out there. I found this short piece interesting, but there is so much more to the story of this short lived town. Boston Colorado's Demise.

In future posts I will share more of the story of Boston, and other research. In the meantime, happy reading.

Angela Raines - author: Where Love & History Meet

For a list of Angela Raines Books: Here 

Photo and Poem: Click Here 

Angela Raines FaceBook: Click Here

Doris Gardner-McCraw -

Author, Speaker, Historian-specializing in
Colorado and Women's History

Member of National League of American Pen Women,

Women Writing the West,

Pikes Peak Posse of the Westerners

#BlogaBookScene: "Gunvar's Gift"

I wanted to share a short scene from the recent "One Yuletide Knight", published by Prairie Rose Publications.

It is part of the 'Baby It's Cold Outside' #blogabookscene. In the story "Gunvar's Gift", my offering to this anthology, my hero has been betrayed and is now trying to find his nemesis. He is approached by two men, one he knows:

Excerpt:

       Out of the darkness and snow, Gerold watched the two men making their way toward him. He braced himself for battle, calling out, “Halt, come no further.”

The two stopped, and then Gerold heard laughter as one called out, “Is that anyway to greet an old friend?”

“I have no friends.”

“Come, come, don’t you recognize me?”

“Of course I do, Marcus, but...”

“I am your friend. We’ve been hunting you,” Marcus said as he moved forward.

“Yes, I know. I know you have been hunting me, but you won’t take me,” Gerold replied as he prepared to strike. “That is far enough and don’t try to keep me busy while your partner gets behind me.”

“Gerold, we are not going to take you, or harm you. We want to help you,” Marcus responded, stopping his forward movement. “The other man is Peder.”

“So, you’ve teamed with the enemy. Am I that valuable?”

You can find more great stories here: One Yuletide Knight

For more great scenes follow Twitter and the hashtags: #blogabookscene, #PrairieRosePub, #MedievalRomance, and #WesternRomance

February’s Blog-a-Book-Scene theme: All You Need is Love

See you in February! Until then Happy Reading

Angela Raines

Angela Raines - author: Where Love & History Meet

For a list of Angela Raines Books: Here  

Angela Raines FaceBook: Click Here

Angela Raines is the pen name for Doris McCraw, author, historian specializing in Colorado and Women's History.

"GIFT OF FORGIVENESS" January #blogabookscene

 Gift of Forgiveness - a novella, by Angela Raines – January #blogabookscene #westernromance #PrairieRosePub @PrairieRosePub

Blog-a-Book-Scene is a monthly themed blogging endeavor from a group of authors who love to share excerpts from their stories. Find us on Twitter with the hashtag #blogabookscene and #PrairieRosePub.

January’s theme is Baby, It’s cold outside. The cold wintry excerpt below is from my western romance novella, Gift of Forgiveness

They've both lost so much -
but do they have the courage to try again?

Excerpt:

 "George, I done told ya we ain't to do anything that'd leave a mark... We'll just have some fun somewheres else when we collect the rest of our pay."

George sighed, his breath blowing on Nettie's face making her want to gag. The strain of the pretending was taking a toll on body and mind. Nettie felt the sun starting to set, the air getting cooler. The thought of being left somewhere was terrifying, although if they did leave her, perhaps she could escape and find Albert.

Suddenly, Nettie was thrown off of the horse. Opening her eyes slightly she caught a glimpse of Shorty and George swinging on each other. She started to get up, but her legs wouldn't hold her. The two men started laughing. Nettie fell back, frustration eating at her.

"We knowd you was foolin'," George Smith said, pulling Nettie to her feet.

"Figured if you was foolin' you'd try somethin' if we pretended to be distracted," Shorty Wasson cackled. "An' it worked."

Picking herself up, Nettie felt a cold north wind blow across the area. There was a chance of snow soon, she felt. That terrified her even more.

The Gift of Forgiveness is available on 

Amazon: eBook KindleUnlimited

February’s Blog-a-Book-Scene theme: All You Need is Love

See you in February! Until then Happy Reading

Angela Raines

Angela Raines - author: Where Love & History Meet

For a list of Angela Raines Books: Here  

Angela Raines FaceBook: Click Here

Angela Raines is the pen name for Doris McCraw, author, historian specializing in Colorado and Women's History.

STARTING NEW TRADITIONS -BLACK-EYED PEA SOUP

Post copyright 2015 by Doris McCraw

As people move away from home and family the traditions they grew up with go with them. When families blend, some traditions combine others slip away. The other scenario, you create new ones.

Traditions are what connect us to our roots. For a fun look at traditions from other regions Barb Betts wrote a fun post on the Prairie Rose Publications blog. You can read it here: http://prairierosepublications.blogspot.com/2014/12/happy-new-year-by-barbara-betts-hello_30.html

In this household the idea of black eyed peas is a pretty steady one. Still, not our favorite food. So with a bit of trial and error, we've started the Black-Eyed Pea Soup tradition. In honor of the end of the Holiday Season, and my desire to extend it as long a possible, I'm sharing our recipe with my readers. A simple but filling soup that we serve with cornbread on New Years Day.

BLACK-EYED PEA SOUP

Serves 3 large of 4 small servings

1 Can Black Eyed Peas, drained and rinsed

1 quart Chicken Broth

1/2 Cup French Style Green Beans

1 Clove Garlic

1 Small Potato- finely diced

1/4-1/2 Pound Ham or Ham bone (to taste)

1 Bay Leaf

Put all the ingredients into a large pot, bring to a boil then simmer 3 to 4 hours to blend the flavors. When ready to serve, remove bay leaf and enjoy.

Happy New Year!

Doris

HOME FOR HIS HEART
http://www.amazon.com/Home-His-Heart-Angela-Raines-ebook/dp/B00LU3HZEK/

https://www.amazon.com/author/angelaraines-dorismccraw

Doris Gardner-McCraw 
Author, Speaker, Historian-specializing in
Colorado and Women's History

Actor and Casting Director for
Red Herring Productions.
www.redherringproductions.com

Photo and Poem: http://fivesevenfivepage.blogspot.com
Blog: http://renawomyn.blogspot.com/ 

Early Colorado Christmas Celebrations

Post written and copyright by Doris McCraw

As the Christmas and Holiday season approaches, how about some early celebrations? Imagine if you will, 1858, you have followed the siren's call to Colorado in search of the 'golden fleece' known as gold and silver. Life has been busy and the high desert with its mild weather has fooled you. Then when you do the figuring, its Christmas, what do you do? Or maybe you have traveled with your family and now you plan to celebrate in the middle of nowhere. Join me as I share some of the stories I have found.

According to the records, the area around what is now Denver had about 200 men and 5 women (four were married) and assorted children. Perhaps I should add the two towns that made up the area were about sixty days old. Plans were being made in the two camps for a festive meal. One camp was planning and candles for a tree that had been cut in the foothills. This was the German couple and trees were a part of the home country festivities. The other party had a meal of buffalo, rabbit, wild turkey, rice pudding and peach and apple pie, listing just part of the menu.

USGS Topographic Mapping Field Camp

It is written that Christmas morning that year was 'soft and genial as a May day...'. Into this lovely mix "Uncle Dick" Wootton (sp) brought his gift, "Taos Lightening". Needless to say, the day was one to be remembered, if you hadn't taken in too much of the free gift Uncle Dick brought to the party. (I'll have to tell you more about Uncle Dick later)

One family on the Arkansas river, up close to the cut off to what is now Monarch pass, had been cut off from others and the towns due to heavy fall snow storms that year of 1863.  They had been working their claim, even in the heart of winter. When Christmas arrived, they had plenty of food, but not much variety. So the one daughter decided to bring out the good china brought from their home in Nebraska and serve up a feast. According to the story, they made mock turkey, from beef, beans, substitute coffee, made from browned bran. The parents were the guest of honor. Now that is a creative young lady, who set this up with the help of her siblings.

. Harding sandstone on gneiss and schists 1.5 miles northwest of Canyon [City]/USGS. “

In the early trapper days around 1842, the northeast corner of Colorado/Utah saw a holiday take shape with the help of the Indians in the area. Their Holiday meal consisted of appalost, a type of shish kabob with lean meat and fat roasted over a low fire, buffalo cider, a liquid found in the stomach of buffalo, supplemented with washena, marrow fat and pomme blanc from the Indians.

In Leadville in 1888, Dick Berryman's Saloon offered the following bill of fare: Possum, Turkey, Roast Pig, Sweet Potatoes and Corn Dodgers.

Leadville, Colorado, mining district, subject of an early mining-geology study, 1879.

As you can see, even back in the early days, people did what they could to celebrate. I will leave you with a lovely passage from Isabella Bird's book, "A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains". As Isabella traveled the Rocky Mountains, alone, she wrote letters back to her sister in England. This passage is from her time in the Estes Park area of Colorado in 1873 as she rode her horse Birdie through the fir covered area.  "...I think I never saw such a brilliant atmosphere.That curious phenomena called frost-fall was occurring in which, whatever moisture may exist in the air, somehow aggregates into feather and fern leaves, the loveliest of creations, only seen in rarefied air and intense cold. One breath and they vanish. The air was filled with diamond sparks quite intangible. They seemed just glitter and no more. It was still and cloudless, and the shapes of violet mountains were softened by a veil of the tenderest blue."

This area is known as Little Yellowstone in Rocky Mountain national Park (photo W. Lee, USGS, ...

To each and everyone, may you have the Christmas and Holiday that your heart desires.

snowfall - by the author

HOME FOR HIS HEART
http://www.amazon.com/Home-His-Heart-Angela-Raines-ebook/dp/B00LU3HZEK/
also available as an ebook on Barnes & Noble and Smashwords.


Doris Gardner-McCraw/Angela Raines
Author, Speaker, Historian-specializing in
Colorado and Women's History

https://www.amazon.com/author/angelaraines-dorismccraw
Photo and Poem: http://fivesevenfivepage.blogspot.com
Blog: http://renawomyn.blogspot.com/ 

“Film and Photography on the Front Range” (Regional History Series): Colorado Springs, CO. Pikes Peak Library District 2012

Interview with Col. Chivington

Many people remember John Milton Chivington in connection to the 'Sand Creek Massacre' which took place in Colorado in November of 1864. What others may remember is his campaign during the Civil War and Glorieta Pass. The true story lies in the story of his life from his birth in 1821 and his death in 1894. Here is a short interview with the man himself as portrayed by Ken Oyer. 

Glorieta Pass 2012

Why did you come to Pikes Peak Region, and where did you locate?

As a Methodist minister, I was sent by the church, from Omaha, Nebraska, to Denver in 1860, where I served as a Presiding Elder in Denver's First Methodist Episcopal Church. 

As a side note, if you wish to know more about this church here is a link to a brief history:
http://www.stpauldenver.com/history-denvers-first-church-1860

What about your family life, your parents, your wife and children?

I was born on January 27, 1821 to a farm family in Lebanon, Ohio.  My father died when I   was only five years old and the burden of providing for the entire family fell to my mother     and older brothers. I married my first wife, Martha, in 1844, the same year I became a         minister.

How do you see yourself and what would you want your legacy to be?

I went to my grave standing by my decision and my actions at Sand Creek, a battle which eventually became my biggest burden in life and that ruined any political aspirations I had. I would prefer to be remembered as a Civil War hero for my actions at Glorietta Pass, New Mexico. I would also like to be remembered as a minister with enough bravery and passion to speak out against slavery in pro- slavery towns.

Any words you would like to share about your life not included above?

History will sometimes judge a man entirely based upon certain portions or aspects of his     life rather than the entire life; what that man did, or failed to do, can very well become his      legacy whether or not he wishes it. His legacy is not always his choice.

As Ken, what about Chivington do you find most interesting or complex?

I would have to say that I find it interesting (perhaps odd) that Colonel Chivington
could be a man of God and stand so vehemently against slavery, and yet find it in himself
to despise the Native Americans as much as he did.

Thank you Ken for taking the time to share you knowledge about this very interesting and controversial man. If you would like to hear more from Chivington, join him at the Historic Chapel in    Evergreen Cemetery, 1005 South Hancock Expressway, Colorado Springs, CO., on Sunday September 21 at 2 PM. Cost is $10 per person. For more information or to reserve  your seat, contact:  evergreencemeterysociety@yahoo.com

Historic Chapel, Evergreen Cemetery

The Legacy that is James 'Jimmy' Burns

Perhaps one of the most interesting, yet mostly unknown benefactor of the Pikes Peak Region is James 'Jimmy' Burns'. Burns with his partner were responsible for one of the most productive mines in the Cripple Creek/Victor mining district in the early days. To learn more of this man's legacy read on.

Burns Mausoleum in Evergreen Cemetery

Why did you come to Colorado Springs?

Chance and fate really brought me here. I had tried several careers before moving to Colorado Springs. I tried being a merchant marine, a lawyer (or at least went to school for it), a machinist, a small time miner in Peru and even a cotton broker. Sometimes I made money, sometimes I lost it. After losing a lottery winning I got word that a few of my sisters and my brother had moved to a new town out in Colorado called Colorado Springs so decided to try my luck there.

What made you believe you could find gold in Cripple Creek, since so many were already there?

Yes, I was a bit of a late comer to the Cripple Creek Mining District. I had no real mining experience but after seeing so many others go and actually find something, I with my partner James Doyle decided to try out our luck. It was a rough go in the beginning as every inch of Battle Mountain seemed to already have been claimed but after much searching we found a postage stamp sized piece of land and went to work.

Store Fronts in Victor, Colorado

How about your family life, your parents, your wife and children?

I was born to an Irish father and a Scottish mother, John and Ellen Burns. They immigrated to North America and finally settled down in Portland, Maine. My two oldest sisters were born in Scotland, the rest of us in the US. We were a pretty close family and remained so throughout most of our lives. In 1900 I met and married the most beautiful women I had ever seen, Olivia Belle Parker. She provided me with a son, James Jr. in 1902, and a daughter Gladys in 1904. It turned out that Gladys was probably the only good thing that happened to me in all of 1904 but that’s another story. Another son, Wilson came along in 1911. I have tried very hard to be a good husband and father and I would like to think that I have been. They all mean the world to me.

How do you see yourself and what would you want your legacy to be?

A good question! I see myself as a man who tries hard, always keeps trying, and has been successful because of it. I have made enemies but I have made many good friends and I hope that it’s those friends and my family that will define my legacy. It the end, being known as a good man will be a good enough legacy for me.

As Ron, what drew you to continue your research on Jimmy?

Since the first time I saw the big white marble family mausoleum and it’s classic styling at Evergreen Cemetery, I was drawn to finding out more about him. Who was the person that would build that kind of monument to himself? What I found is a very interesting person with a rags-to-riches tale whose contributions to Teller and El Paso counties seems to have been nearly erased or forgotten. Some people still remember the Chief Theater but how many people know why it was called the Burns Building? I wanted to be able to bring his memory and the memory of his accomplishments back to light.

James 'Jimmy Burns', is brought to life by Ron West a 6 pm on Thursday, September 11, 2014, at the Historic Chapel in Evergreen Cemetery in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Cost is $10 per person. For more information or to reserve your seat contact:  evergreencemeterysociety@yahoo.com

Historic Chapel, Evergreen Cemetery