2012 Casas de Antano -- Houses of Yesteryear

The state of New Mexico is celebrating it's centennial year of statehood throughout 2012.  Festivities that were held on January 6th -- the hundredth anniversary of the day the territory became a state -- were just the beginning.  We are being treated each month to awesome historical events.

This past weekend, Las Crucens had the opportunity to tour seven historic adobe homes and buildings that were standing in 1912.  Each of these properties has been well preserved and offered a glimpse in the living standards that existed before statehood occurred.

Since Lily's story continues from Tierra Red into the sequel, Illusions, it was a special treat for me to tour homes she might have visited or places in which special events were held.  The home above dates from the 1850s.

This was the home of Samuel F. Bean, a relative of the well-known historical figure Judge Roy Bean, and was built in the early 1890's.  It has been lovingly restored and is still recognizable from an 1892 photograph.

Perhaps the most astonishing example of early 1900 architecture in Las Cruces, the above 1907 photo is of the H. B. Holt House.  It was designed by Henry C. Trost, a contemporary architect of Frank Lloyd Wright.  The interior of this home is exactly the same as it was when built and has extraordinary architectural elements throughout.

This is the Frank Amador house which was built in 1905.  The eighteen-inch thick adobe walls, twelve-foot ceilings, original fir floors, and an ornate marble fireplace mantle are original features.  Hidden by the trees in this photo is a widow's walk on the roof.

All these homes,the Amador Hotel (which is being restored at the moment), and the Nestor Armijo House (which dates from 1877 and is also under restoration) were simply amazing to visit.  When I imagined the house that Lily Preston built on the edge of town in 1898, I envisioned spacious rooms with many large windows.  I was delighted to discover that all of these homes on tour had the same features.

Those Dangerous Gibson Girls!

I received the most fascinating piece of Victorian trivia in my email box a few days ago from Melissa Rolston of the Victorian Trading Company :

Few would regard such ornamental accoutrements that pierced lavish bonnets as a liability.  But scouring through past events it was obvious that Gibson Girls everywhere were armed and dangerous.  I attended an antique show last week anxious to hear further tales from the sellers of all things old.  One gentleman ceremoniously extracted a Victorian hatpin from his jeweler's case.  The heirloom was encrusted with diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires and cast in the form of a sword with a filigree sheath.  He shared with me the theory that this sacred artifact was utilized as a self-defense weapon.

The intrigue of this practice prompted me to delve deeper into the subject.  It appears that the suffragette movement denounced the Victorian fashion trend of ribbons tied under the chin to be naive and submissive.  Edwardian women opted for a more practical approach to securing their magnificent headpieces against an unannounced gust.  A controversial event that occurred in 1908 launched bans on the sharp jewelry.  It was recorded that an insecure English judge demanded that women on trial remove their hats in fear of weapons in his courtroom.  Soon thereafter it was mandated that any woman piercing her bonnet with a hatpin required a license should her pin extend 9".  Many ladies were forced to have their pins cut down in order to sport them in public, frequently wearing them as "stick pins" upon their bodices . . . . 

The term "pin money" hails from the English Parliament's restriction on the popular hatpin imports from France in the early 1800s.  The British were alarmed by the effect of the highly-sought Parisian jewelry had on the balance of their trade and thereby restricted the sale of the pins to be only Janauary 1st and 2nd.  Englishwomen saved all year for this frenzied splurge known as "January Sales".

Who would have thought of our Lily as being "armed and dangerous" over an ornamental hatpin? 

Of cabbages and kings . . . .

For some strange reason, that stanza from Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass always pops into my head whenever I am doing research. Perhaps it is because I begin looking for one thing, which in turn leads to looking at something else, and then again at yet something totally unrelated. Or, so it would seem.

The 1890's were a time of transition. The early 1900's was a time of lightning-fast changes. And all of this was much more evident in a place like the Territory of New Mexico than one could imagine. Especially in southern New Mexico.

Anyway, I digress. My adventure in researching this afternoon and evening led to more than a few fascinating discoveries.

Did you know that the lowly file folder has been around for over 130 years? Go to the Early Office Museum and look at the 1876 Centennial Expo page.

Did you know that during the 1890's Americans went bananas for board games? Go to this charming website and discover how many games we play today were being played then.

Do you know who wrote the bible of card games? Go to this link and read all about it.

I'll say it again -- research is fun!

Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid et al . . . .

Ah, one of my favorite old movies -- who could forget the rascally Paul Newman and Robert Redford playing those roles with such panache? Imagine how much fun I had yesterday when this news article appeared online.

There I was in the middle of doing some heavy research for the exact time period that those infamous outlaws roamed the West. Not that the pair ever made their way to the part of New Mexico that was involved in my research, but it was a great reminder of the sweeping changes that were occurring at that time.

Another fascinating article popped up, this one written by Delbert Trew for an Amarillo, Texas newspaper. He offered more than a few thoughts about living in the Old West, many of which rang so true for the setting of TIERRA RED.

In quoting Louis L'Amour, he wrote: "When a man or woman came West, their past became an unknown and their present became an open book. They soon became known by their actions or lack of. No one cared who your father was or what you had done. The only things that mattered were that you were honest, had courage, and that you did your job."

Hmm, sounds a bit like some of the characters in TIERRA RED, doesn't it?

Rancher Trew also wrote: "To bring the Old West into true focus, not many realize that Santa Fe, New Mexico was ten years old when people landed at Plymouth Rock. While the new folks back East were trying to clear timber, plant crops and win their independence, the Old West was being explored, being stocked with horses and cattle, learning to cope with little water, vast prairies, and the fact that no one cared if they were independent or not."

You can read the rest of Trew's article here

Doing research is not all work -- it can be a lot of fun!

Past Times Books Author Interview

Shortly after I was invited to participate in the Past Times Books web site, the eternally scary word "interview" arose. Who, me? Yep -- there was no getting out of it.

This interview turned out to be a delightful experience, mainly because the interviewer had a wonderful sense of humor. So, if you want to know more about me and TIERRA RED, just follow the internet road to http://www.pasttimesbooks.com/?page_id=1301

While you are there, you just might want to peruse the catalog of books and authors for some great reading.

TIERRA RED + BOOK LOVER'S DAY . . . .

It's becoming a habit. Albeit a good one, though. For the second year in a row, we will be privileged to have a book signing at COAS Bookstore in the Downtown Mall in Las Cruces, New Mexico very close to the national holiday.

What national holiday, you well may ask? BOOK LOVER'S DAY! Every August 9th is Book Lover's Day. Don't feel bad -- most bookstore owners and librarians don't know about this holiday either. But we do!

So, once again, we will be visiting this wonderful bookstore which just happens to be located in the heart of the original plat of land that became the town of Las Cruces in 1849. It is here that Lily's story begins in 1898.

Come to COAS Bookstore on Friday evening, August 5th from 5to 7pm. I will have a big supply of National Book Lover's Day bookmarks on hand . . . .

Exciting News!

Tierra Red has been invited to participate in a new web site, Past Times Books, which launched this evening. This web site is devoted to historical fiction and covers a wide variety of time periods. Tierra Red is represented in the 19th Century category.


The invitation began with a wonderful reader comment:

"I've been reading Tierra Red and am quite enjoying the ride. You've done a deft job of combining a plucky protagonist with plenty of action and suspense in a vivid atmosphere unique to New Mexico . . . ."


I am so delighted to be a part of this effort. When you visit the web site be sure to sign up for the newsletter so that you can be apprised of new additions to the catalog. If you love reading historical fiction (and I know you do), this web site promises to bring new authors into your life.

Happy reading!