by Kelly, Carla
A journey of discovery had brought her to Henry, and a beautiful path lay before them, together.
“I’ll kiss to that, too.” So she did.
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A Note from the Author
Dear Reader,
Thank you for visiting Wyoming Territory with me as citizens celebrate the accomplishment of statehood! Many tidbits within this 1890 story come straight from the annals of history.
I’ve provided links to many sources on the Internet, including my own articles, should you like to explore the background and setting.
First—Victorian snow cones? Come on! History confirms this treat’s availability, decades prior to 1890. A full twenty years earlier than this book is set, theaters sold flavored “snowballs” during summer months (and urged patrons to finish consuming the treat during intermission). Folks expected cold drinks in July.
Second—Running water? Indoor bathrooms? In southwest Wyoming Territory? Yep. 100 percent accurate (after all, it’s a hub for the great east–west railroad).
Before I fell in love with history, I wasn’t aware that “professional women” (in “men’s educated” work, not prostitutes) were frowned upon, nationwide. Women weren’t welcome in dentistry. Lucy Hobbs Taylor, the first woman to graduate from a dental college wrote, “People were amazed when they learned that a young girl had so far forgotten her womanhood as to want to study dentistry.”
A female’s delicate constitution couldn’t possibly withstand the rigors of the man’s sphere, nor did women possess the brain power to succeed. Words attributed to Dr. Henry Merritt, DDS (the DDS degree had been around a good long while by 1890), and highly embellished by newspaperman Thomas Fisher, came from an article published in 1889 by dentist W. R. Spencer. Yes! (Many, but not all) men in professions and trades detested the encroachment of women on their private domain. (Read: Boy’s Club. Girls Stay Out.)
How could I resist writing professional women who sought education and the right to work in their chosen field, despite cultural demands that women must be nurturing mothers and make a comfortable home for their husbands?
How things have changed in the short one hundred–plus intervening years.
Consider science! The conversation between Henry and Isabella, about the germ theory in human mouths, came straight from science of the day. Willoughby Miller, an American dentist in Germany, noted the microbial basis of dental decay in his book Micro-Organisms of the Human Mouth. This generated an unprecedented interest in oral hygiene and started a worldwide movement to promote regular toothbrushing and flossing (in German, in 1889; English in 1890).
In many ways, things haven’t changed all that much. As mentioned briefly in the historical note before this novella, dentistry was surprisingly advanced for 1890. The use of laughing gas (nitrous oxide), amalgam (white) fillings, gold foil fillings, a power drill/dental engine (foot treadle), injections to manage pain (even though needles and syringes were not sterile). And quite modern dentures for those whose teeth had required extraction. (Frontier dentistry was something else altogether.) Toothbrushes and toothpaste were mass-produced in factories and readily available.
Would dentists have given away their work (a “dental dispensary”)? In the nineteenth century, medical dispensaries gave medical care and medicine to those who couldn’t afford to pay.
Enough dentistry. Let’s talk calico balls!
Calico balls were popular in nineteenth-century United States communities. When I stumbled across references to a “calico ball” in a vintage newspaper, I was intrigued and scoured more until I was able to gather a picture of the phenomenon. Just as people had leap-year Balls (Sophia’s Leap-Year Courtship), debutante balls, Independence Day balls, and mask balls (Mardi Gras), they often selected calico balls. Common elements included new dresses (or neckties or men’s suits) constructed of calico fabric (not always a small floral print), to then be (sometimes) donated to the needy after worn—once—at the occasion and the price of tickets collected for similar good-will purposes.
Yes, they used speaking trumpets, and cities had civil engineers and builders, marching bands, and Coca-Cola at soda fountains.
Come see the wardrobe of Dr. Isabella Pattison, DDS, on Pinterest—part of a Pinterest board exclusively for this novella. The images inspired my writing and will provide a crisp image of the history (in different categories—easy to find!) within this story.
You’re invited to check out more true-to-history details: sled runners for farm wagons, men’s proper suits of clothes, collars and cuffs, ladies costumes (or dresses—which is it?), reasons why men lift their hat (don’t pinch the brim!), Old West races, and why men must never call on a woman without her invitation to do so.
Evanston, Wyoming, is a real place, as is the historic mining town (now a ghost town) named Almy. I’ve included as much accurate history as possible in Uinta County (significantly larger in 1890 than now). As none of Almy’s mining calamities coincided with the timing of this novella, I made one up. William Crompton and his two-story brick residence in Almy are real historical characters used fictitiously.
Winters in the 1880s were uncommonly severe compared to decades both before and after. Some blizzards, like the Schoolhouse Blizzard, Great White Blizzard (NYC), and the Snow Winter (Laura Ingalls Wilder), are familiar to many. My use of the severe Wyoming winters, from 1887 to 1890, including the “Cow Killing Winter” of 1889 to 1890 (in the Bear River Valley of Wyoming) is accurate. Wyomingites are wonderfully resilient.
Do you wonder about other historical attitudes, elements, or events I’ve not mentioned here? You’re welcome to contact me through my website or email me directly (Kristin AT KristinHolt DOT com). (Note: Kristin is e-free; spelled without an ‘e’). I enjoy hearing from readers and reply to all (reasonable) messages.
I’d enjoy connecting with you on social media. See easy links to Facebook and more on my website.
Books by Kristin Holt
You may have recognized Dr. Joseph Chandler, MD, and his mail-order bride, Dr. Naomi Thornton, MD, from WANTED: Midwife Bride (Mail Order Bride Collection: A Timeless Romance Anthology) or, perhaps, Chadwick Hughes and his not-quite-mail-order bride, Sophia Sorenson (attorney), from Sophia’s Leap-Year Courtship. Isabella’s Calico Groom, contained within Calico Ball: A Timeless Western Collection, rounds out my set of three novellas, each with a “professional woman”: a doctor, a lawyer, and a dentist.
All three titles are available from Mirror Press and Timeless Romance Anthologies, USA Today bestselling indie publisher of Clean & Wholesome Romance anthologies and collections.
www.KristinHolt.com
Hi! I’m Kristin Holt, USA Today bestselling author of Sweet Romances (G- and mild PG-rated stories) set in the Victorian American West.
While secular in nature, my titles are appropriate for all audiences and appeal to selective readers and fans of Christian historical romance.
I write frequent articles about the nineteenth-century American West on every subject of possible interest to readers, amateur historians, and authors, as these tidbits surfaced while researching for my books. I also blog monthly at Sweet Americana Sweethearts.
I love to hear from readers! Please drop me a note or find me on Facebook.
You’re invited to join a fantastic Facebook group for authors and readers of Western historical romances, Pioneer Hearts.
Meanwhile, please stop by www.KristinHolt.com and say hello.
Dear Reader,
Thank you for reading Calico Ball. We hope you loved the sweet romance novellas! Eac
h collection in the Timeless Western Collection contains three novellas. Sign up for our Timeless Romance newsletter and receive a free book! Your email will not be shared and you may unsubscribe at any time. We always appreciate reviews but there is no obligation. Reviews and word-of-mouth are what help us continue this fun project.
If you’re interested in becoming a regular reviewer of these collections and would like access to advance copies, please email Heather Moore: [email protected]. We also have a blog where we post announcements as well as a Facebook page.
Thank you!
The Timeless Romance Authors
More Timeless Regency Collections:
Don’t miss our Timeless Romance Anthologies: