8/15/2017

Best of the West: Meet Strong Woman and Adventurous Men

Today's Best of the West features a guest post from Western writer Frank Kelso
Western writer Frank Kelso

The Pioneer Women

In late June, I attended the Western Writers of America Conference in Kansas City, MO, which is the trailhead for the Santa Fe, the Oregon, and the California Trails. Kansas City takes great pride in its statuary and its fountains. Two memorable statues in Kansas City for me are the Pioneer Mother (http://bit.ly/2uvkSqz) in Penn Valley Park near downtown, and the Pioneer Crossing Park (http://bit.ly/2t2MXRK) in the nearby Shawnee Mission area of Kansas. Earlier in the year, we detoured east from I-35 to visit Ponca City, OK, to visit the Pioneer Woman Museum, home of an equally well-know statue of the Pioneer Woman.
These memorials pay tribute to the role strong-willed women played in developing the West, as we know it today. While each bronze is unique, all three emphasize the role of mother and child. The family produced a leavening effect on a wild, untamed, and uncharted land. The family reminded all of the fundamental fabric of society, the marriage of man and woman, who were to procreate and work the land.
The society of the mid- to late-1800s placed a multitude of restrictions on a woman’s role. However, the rigid societal structure weakened after crossing the Missouri border into the territories. The nature of the quest forced women to become an active partner, for survival, if for no other reason.
Each of us has our version of the strong-willed, determined woman standing beside her man, reloading the cap-and-ball rifles to ward off marauders. If the man fell, the woman picked up the rifle, continuing the fight to save herself and her children. The surviving woman, now a widow, faced a different life, then as now.
Statue of Pioneer Woman
Kansas City, MO
Life for a single mother in 1866 wasn’t all that different than in 1966. If a woman decided to remarry, she uprooted her family to move with her new man. In the process, the mother and the children experience a lot of anxiety about their new life. In my story, Tibby’s Hideout, Bess Newcomb says yes to a traveler who visited her twice a year while he carried trade goods to and from San Antonio. He wrote her wonderful letters. After accepting his proposal, Bess loads her family and their belongings into her Studebaker station wagon to move to Las Vegas.
Wait you say—“They didn’t have Studebaker cars in 1866. Where’d she get a Studebaker?” Studebaker of 1966 was the same company that built sturdy, reliable overland freight wagons and smaller station wagons in 1866. What about LasVegas? It wasn’t there in 1866. No, this is not the one in Nevada. In 1866, travelers on the Santa Fe Trail found Las Vegas, New Mexico, as the welcome last stop on the prairie before climbing into the mountains to reach Santa Fe.
As often experienced by new families, Tibby Newcomb wasn’t ready for a new father, or for moving from Comfort, Texas, and leaving his grandpa behind. Eight-year-old Tibby’s solution was to run-away. His Ma called him the “man of the house,” ever since he could remember. “Got her a new beau—she don’t need me anymore.” Tibby’s childish logic leads him into trouble.
Bess’s treatment of Tibby’s misbehavior may shock some of today’s readers. I remind those readers that in 1866 “Spare the rod, spoil the child,” was more than a sampler on the wall—they put it to practice. Bess gives Tibby a knuckle pop on the head when he says, “dang.” She yanked him up straight by the hair of his head for sassing her.
Tibby finds the ideal place to hide, expecting his mother to leave him behind with grandpa. It’s such a good hideout, a gang of rustlers uses it—much to Tibby’s surprise. A reluctant Tibby leads the rustlers to Bess. In her first story, True to the Union, Bess fought two battles to defend her home and children. Once again, Bess must step up when her new husband falls wounded. The new family survives the encounter, a little worse for the wear. HEA.
The women who settled the west, as portrayed by Bess, became determined and strong-willed to survive the harsh land. The same respect is due those women who ventured west to marry strangers. They were not “came later” or “moved here,” (as opposed to “born here.”) These women rolled their sleeves, pitching in to stand by their men. The memorial statues mentioned in the opening were created to honor all of those pioneer women.

But wait…there’s more!

Tibby’s Hideout is one of my short stories in the anthology of eight western romances called The Posse. It’s available on Amazon, but if you want a free ebook of The Posse, join my blog, Traveling the West, and I’ll send you a copy—free! http://authorfrankkelso.blogspot.com

Bess is the protagonist of a Chapter book series, The Pioneer Woman, I plan to release in the summer of 2018. Bess, her sons Tibby and Isaiah, and her new husband, Joe Robidoux, will have more adventures.

~~~

Frank has also partnered with John O'Melveny Woods to bring us California Bound, a Western adventure starring two unlikely heroes...




Purchase on Amazon

During three years in a Union POW camp, Jeb and Zach dreamed of California’s Gold fields -- but the road to California leads through Texas, where Jeb planned to visit his sister.
A cross-border war rages along the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass, Texas …Cattle rustled … Ranches burned … Innocents killed or kidnapped!
The Cortiña bandoleros raid Texas. After killing her family, Cortiña kidnaps fourteen-year-old Rebecca, Jeb’s niece. Cortiña’s hideout is an adobe-walled fort. A cavalry company can't take it without artillery. How can two men attack it and expect to walk away?
Texas Lawmen won’t … The U.S. Cavalry can’t … two Civil War veterans wade the Rio Bravo to rescue a stolen girl.



Frank Kelso


Frank grew up around Kansas City, Missouri, the origin of the Santa Fe Trail. Historic sites, monuments, and statues abound highlighting the journey west, including the Wagons West, Pioneer Woman, and the Indian Scout located on the bluffs overlooking the wide Missouri. Writing Western themed books fit with his upbringing. A biomedical research scientist in his day job, Frank writes short stories and novels to keep family traditions alive.

Frank's website: http://frankkelsoauthor.com
Twitter: @authorfrankelso


John O'Melveny Woods

John has written television and movie scripts, on-line articles, and books since attending the USC School of Cinematic Arts. He is CEO of Intellect Publishing, LLC, a boutique book publisher providing both print and e-books. His books include, 10-Minute Win, Return to Treasure Island, a sequel based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic, Treasure Island, Jesse James’ Secret, The Lost Tomb of Alexander–A Seekers Novel, and The Crusaders, a memoir of growing up in the Southern California hippy/surfer culture in the 1960s-70s.

Links to John’s web pages:

Is there a strong woman who had an influence in your life? Who is she, and what did you learn from her?


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20 comments:

  1. Always glad to add to my author list thank you.

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    1. Thanks Mary! Hope you'll check out Frank's free story via his blog, too.

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  2. Wow, this book sounds great. I guess th strong woman in my life would be my mom, she's the pillar that holds our family together.
    Wonderful blog EE.

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    1. Thanks Tonya! Yes, mother's do play that role. My mom and my mother-in-law are two strong women in my life who have given so much to our family!

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  3. Sounds like a winner of a book. The strongest woman in my life was my grandmother. She thought me never to give up and give with all you have to help others. Today I still give her thanks for never giving up on me.

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    1. Your grandmother sounds like an awesome woman! I am grateful to my grandmother for setting me on a path to writing books. I wish she could be here but I know she's in heaven watching over me...and smiling.

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  4. Love your blog. One of the strongest woman I know is my mother. She raised 6 kids and has lost both sons. She keeps her emotions in check to support everyone else around her and doesn't let stress get her down, cloud her judgement or temperament.

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    1. Wow, your mother sounds like an incredibly strong woman. What an inspiration! Thanks for being a loyal reader, and good luck in the drawing.

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  5. The strongest woman in my life was my grandma she got me out of the foster home also my foster sister and taught us a lot. She passed at 100 from tripping in a schhol yard walking to Mcd's she fell backwards. She was always a woman around us and never swore at the toughtest times. ptclayton2@aol.com

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    1. Peggy, that is such a glowing tribute, and your grandma sounds like an awesome won. And 100 years old! Wow! My husband's aunt is approaching 100, and she's one of the strongest, most optimistic people I've ever met. Thanks for coming by and being a loyal reader! Good luck in the drawing.

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  6. What an interesting post, thank you.
    The strongest woman in my life was my mother. Always worked hard and did a great job taking care of the family.

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    1. Thank you Rita, I'll pass along your compliments to Frank. His assessment of mothers in the 1800s isn't really that far from our mothers and grandmothers, is it?

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  7. Thanks for sharing -- My mom was my strong woman!

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    1. Hooray for your mother! I think this post may have to make a second round on Mother's Day! Good luck in the drawing and thanks for stopping by.

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  8. The strongest woman I know is a friend who taught me to trust in the Lord and he would not lead me astray. I try to do that. I'm not always successful, but I try. Great books Frank. Keep them coming.

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  9. The strongest women in my life is my mom..that's why I have what I have today..she didn't waste and made do with what she had.. and to alway be kind to others the way you would want someone to be to you..and to treat all with kindness no matter the difference of the color of skin..

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  10. The strongest woman that has the biggest impact in my life was my mother. She raised myself and my two sisters with strength and grace in the face of adversity. She never had two pennies to rub together but she was always positive and taught us never to worry about money. She would always say never worry about a problem that money can fix, we will make more tomorrow. She worked to raise three daughters alone and she was a great grandmother to her 8 grandchildren. I miss her wisdom and guidance every day.

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  11. New author to me will have to check out. His work sounds very good.

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  12. My mom was the strong influence in my life. She taught me how to stick with something even though it seemed hard or unrewarding at the time.

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