Today's Best of the West features a guest post from Western writer Frank Kelso
| Western writer Frank Kelso |
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 |
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...
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.
Frank Kelso
~~~
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.
Book website: http://californiaboundbook.com
Book FB page: https://www.facebook.
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
Author FB page: https://www.facebook.
Twitter: @authorfrankelso
Frank's Blog: http://authorfrankkelso.
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?