2009 December | Life in the Old West

Archive for December, 2009

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One woman found creative profits in Old West mining camp

Women who traveled to the gold fields often found creative ways to profit in the mining camps of the Old West. In many cases, these were practical, hardworking wives and mothers who brought order to the chaos of the camps and turned hardship into gold of their own.

Mining claims lay at the heart of prospectors’ dreams, schemes

Mining claims lay at the heart of the prospectors’ dreams and schemes in the days of Old West gold rushes. Fundamentals of organizing the gold fields (and regions rich in other precious metals) were pretty much the same. Prospectors wisely knew that mining claims were fundamental, but organizing into recognized districts run by elected officials and even lawmen chosen and empowered by voters (usually) were crucial to everyone’s well-being and success.

Pony Express adventure began at Patee House Hotel

Our Pony Express “adventure” anniversary trip began at the Patee House Hotel-Museum in St. Joseph, Missouri, after a morning’s travel in trusty Old Blue (our ’89 Ford station wagon) from Springfield, Missouri.

Our adventures on the Pony Express trail were great fun

Our adventures on the Pony Express trail, done a number of years ago for our 25th wedding anniversary, were great fun and very enlightening.

What else would you do to celebrate 25 years of marriage but try to trace some of the history and historic sites of the Old West? In our case, the year was 1992, we had just bought a new-to-us station wagon, and we had some vacation time to combine with a long weekend. At the time, I had been reading about Buffalo Bill Cody (William F. Cody, that is) and happened to read about his early years as one of the original Pony Express riders. Mrs. Hoppy and I immediately knew we had a fun trip to organize for our anniversary celebration.

Old Hoppy, Mrs. Hoppy wish you Merry Christmas!

Nothing much to say here, except a very, very Merry Christmas wish to all of you who choose to spend any of your time hanging out here. If you take a good look around and read our “About” page, you’ll understand that life in the Old West, both all the fables and true tales about real people, are a lifelong interest of mine. (You’ll also find a brief explanation of why I use the name “Old Hoppy” here.)

Horses, gold prospectors altered Great Plains, historian says

Widespread use of horses by Native American tribal groups and the rampant rush of people hungry for gold in the Rockies ultimately altered the nature of the Great Plains region as much as railroads and farmers may have during America’s westward expansion.

Westernisms or ‘cowboy talk’ enriched language of Old West

As a writer, I enjoy words, their meanings and their origin. As someone who enjoys reading and writing about life in the Old West, I really enjoy the various Westernisms or “cowboy talk” that enriched the language of the Old West.

Hard times of 1830s launched first wagon trains westward

The first wagon trains headed westward along the overland trails — the most famous was the Oregon Trail — from Missouri in 1841, and a major motivation for those making the long, often tortuous journey was economic: Following the Panic of 1837 (a fearsome Depression by even today’s standards), wages throughout America had fallen by 30-50 percent. There were no unemployment figures kept at the time, of course, but had there been, they would have been horrific. Major public demonstrations by out of work residents of Philadelphia and New York City brought out hundreds of thousands of people in 1839 and 1840.

Book looks at Westward settlement through women’s eyes

I ran onto a wonderful little book in my library which I had forgotten, and wonderful it truly is: It looks at America’s Westward settlement through women’s eyes, by giving excerpts from their diaries of their westward emigration.

Today’s horse riding boots differ greatly from Old West footwear

Today’s horse riding boots differ greatly from footwear in the Old West. Boot making and shoe making technology and materials are radically different today than they were on the Plains or prairies of the 1800s. Today’s boots offer comfort and fit unknown back then.

Ghost towns of America abound throughout the West

Tiny abandoned or nearly abandoned villages are everywhere, but the ghost towns of America abound throughout the West. History of the Old West often focuses on the country’s westward expansion; but many who are most interested in the West are more interested in ghost towns than growing Western towns and cities.

Horse rugs make great gifts for the holidays

Horse rugs make great gifts for the holidays, both for horse lovers and horses. When we speak of “horse rugs,” we are using the term in two distinct ways.

1. Horse rugs are part of the tack used to keep horses warm while housed in their barn or stable. A horse rug is the term given to a variety of heavy weight blankets put on horses in stables for added warmth in cool and cold weather. They perform a valuable service by keeping the animal’s own body heat close by for winter warmth. They generally are shaped like a regular horse blanket that drapes over the horse’s back from neck to tail, but they have a double buckle in front to secure them to the horse, along with various snaps to snug them into place. Some even add a cozy touch with fur lining to cover the horse’s withers.

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