Austin, the state capital of Texas is in Central Texas, was originally planned on a 640-acre site on a bluff above the Colorado River. Today, Austin lays 160 miles northwest of Houston, 195 miles south of Dallas, and 80 miles northeast of San Antonio. The location isn’t as interesting as the history of the wild …
When the Civil War ended many young men found their old way of life was gone. Their homes were left in ruins, land confiscated by carpetbaggers when the new high taxes couldn’t be paid. All or most of their family members were dead or missing. Many headed west, hoping for a new start. In the …
The Sketchy History of Frontier Sheriffs and Lawmen Read More »
Blacksmiths practice the age-old art of forging tools from iron or steel. Most blacksmiths didn’t shoe horses, those specialists are known as farriers. Many types of horseshoes made today were also used in the 19th century. During the Civil War, the Union forces had a horseshoe-forging machine which gave them an advantage over the Southern …
History of Blacksmiths & Farriers in the 19th Century Frontier Read More »
The development of the sewing machine began with Walter Hunt’s 1834 eye-pointed needle design, which was later re-invented and patented by Elias Howe in 1846. Both Walter Hunt’s and Elias Howe’s machines used two spools of thread and a curved eye-pointed needle that passed the thread through cloth in an arc motion; then on the …
Historically, the death of a partner was the major cause of single parenting. So, at a time when the average woman had eight or nine children, it’s not surprising that the Civil War created many single widows and pregnant widows on both sides. Some women were single parents because they had children out of wedlock. …
The Plight of the Single Mother in 19th Century America Read More »