Authors continue to research aspects of their plots throughout the drafting and revising of their novels. For my current work-in-progress, I’ve had to revisit old research topics, and today’s post discusses a new line of research. (I hope no one ever researches my web search history. It is full of […]
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The History of Married Women’s Property Rights in Oregon
Under traditional English and American property law, married women had no rights to own property—real property or personal property. Their husbands controlled their property. But the 19th century was a time of change for women’s property rights, and Oregon was at the forefront of some of these changes. As I’ve […]
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Researching an Early Oregon Murder (Again)
My current work-in-progress has a murder in it. I won’t say any more than that in this post. As I have been writing this murder into my draft, however, I have gone back to research my ancestor’s murder in 1852 Oregon again. I’ve learned some facts that cast doubt on […]
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Liveries in the Mid-19th Century United States
Writers of historical fiction often chase down rabbit holes of research they do not anticipate. In my current work-in-progress, I need my male protagonist to have a business. He is interested in caring for animals, but veterinarians schooled in how to treat animals were not common in 1867. So, my […]
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Albany, Oregon, and Abigail Duniway — Setting for My Work-in-Progress
I posted last year about Abigail Duniway, a historical figure I found while researching Safe Thus Far. Abigail played a very minor role in that novel, but she will feature more prominently in my current work-in-progress. In fact, I have set part of the book in Albany, Oregon, because Abigail […]
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SAFE THUS FAR Is Coming Soon!
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote that I had sent my novel to beta readers. Their feedback is now in (thank you, betas!), and I am busy polishing the text in response to their comments. In general, their feedback was positive, so I am on track to finish up […]
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Thoughts on Story and History and an Update on My Work-in-Progress
Longtime readers of this blog know that it started as a WordPress.com blog called “Story and History: One Writer’s Journey Through Life and Time.” I’ve kept the title “Story and History” even after I integrated the blog into my author website in 2017. And I also use the full title […]
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HISTORY OF OREGON: Hubert Howe Bancroft and Frances Fuller Victor
As I research my historical novels, I often refer to Hubert Howe Bancroft’s History of Oregon and History of California. They are not the most readable of reference books, but they are encyclopedic on their coverage of issues related to 19th-century settlement of these Western states. A couple of months […]
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Summer of 1864 and the Overland Campaign
In 1864, after three bloody years of frequent battles and stalemates, the Civil War slowly turned in favor of the North. President Lincoln gave General Grant command of all the Union armies, and Grant assumed the role of general in chief in Washington, D.C., in March 1864. Only after Grant’s […]
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Fort Boise
In my current work-in-progress, which takes place in 1864, some of my characters are traveling toward Fort Boise. In 1864, Fort Boise was in its second location, where the current city of Boise, Idaho, is located. In 1834, the original Fort Boise began as a fur trading post on the […]
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