Updated: Mar 12
It is always exciting to discover childhood memories, but the process of unearthing them takes an advance pep talk. However, once those treasures are uncovered, I forget all about the rummaging, lifting, and dusty part.
This is a post filled with old, scratchy images, and every one of them shows a glimpse of Rocky Mountain beauty, from Colorado to Montana, taken between the mid-1980s to 2000.
The first one should be easy; bison roaming with a stunning backdrop of the Tetons.
See the train peeking through the green?
I don't remember this, but "Sand Mountain Pass - Sawtooths" is written on the back. Goodness, I haven't been in the Sawtooth Range since, well, too long.
A bison munching on grass outside Jackson, WY.
Somewhere in Wyoming. It was taken too long ago for me to remember exactly where. I should have been better about writing on the backs.
The next few have trees, water, and are beautiful settings . . . in Colorado or Idaho.
Now we're back in Montana.
Lesson: Never throw away memories. Preserve them, cherish them, and share them with others to hopefully brighten someone's day.
Updated: Mar 12
Missionary work, freedom from gender oppression, business, and pleasure were among the reasons women traveled, and while not as common as such travel is today among the fairer sex, many (primarily those of some wealth) went about their explorations alone.
It seems that the further we move away from a period, the greater the misconceptions about how advanced those time periods were. The nineteenth century was a revolutionary period of momentous change across multiple realms, including human and civil rights, nationalism, voting, and industry. Batteries, telephones, sewing machines, matches, domestic gas lighting, steam locomotives and so much more were all advancements during this period.
With such great forward movement, is it any wonder that the mere act of a woman traveling alone in the late 1800s would not be outside the realm of possibility? And yet, there are still too many who believe this happening close to an impossibility simply because it does not fit with a standard practice of the time.
From world explorers and business-wise entrepreneurs to women doctors, battlefield nurses, herbalists, and savvy investors (Oh yes, and queens!), women have been pushing boundaries since the beginning of time. Now, this is not a women's lib post because honestly, I am old-fashioned enough to enjoy the concept of a woman overseeing the home provided for by the loving, chivalrous husband (cue romance books). However, I have always believed women can have it all, and guess what? Many of them did!
While it would be nice to use historical romance novels as a basis for how life truly was, it is not usually the case. Writers often (not always) embellish or leave out the harsher aspects of period life (because no one really wants to read a lot of books about female oppression, bad teeth, and outhouses). A woman in 1880 who sits by the hearth all day to sew and make calls or tend to children can be as historically accurate (and respectable) as a woman traveling on behalf of her father's business or exploring the world to take photographs.
The American Civil War and the expansion of railways gave women more freedom to travel on their own without the protection of a man or another chaperone. And though the dangers and difficulties remained for women journeying alone, it happened increasingly during the post-war years. The courageous women who embarked on such adventures opened the United States (and the world) to the idea of a stronger and more independent woman capable of great intelligence and ability.
The battle for equality was hard won and took far too long, but one should never capitulate to the premise that women of bravery and daring were without tremendous accomplishment and freedom long before a piece of paper "officially" gave them equal rights. Their historical feats are even more impressive considering the resistance they faced for ages on multiple fronts. Unfortunately, they rarely received the proper recognition.
This post, of course, is a simplified overview of a history that could fill a warehouse with documents. However, I have no interest in writing out a long historical essay on all things women accomplished and carried out independently in the nineteenth century, and the centuries before, for I have another such independently minded female waiting for me to return to her story in Crooked Creek.
Goodness, without all these daring women, the writing of historical romantic fiction would be quite dull.
Suffice to say that YES, women traveled alone, fought, spied, owned reputable businesses, and much more besides throughout history. The next time you read a book with a strong-minded woman who does something seemingly out of character for the period, do not assume there is not some basis for such behavior in reality.
Four courageous women, an untamed land, and the daring to embark on an unforgettable adventure.
Meet the remarkable women willing to forge new lives in post-Civil War Montana Territory.
Linda Broday has a new Lone Star Legends book! Her immensely entertaining historical western romance novels are a pure delight, and I hope you check out A Man of Legend.
A Man of Legend
Bestselling author Linda Broday sweeps readers back to the wild and untamed West, where men became the stuff of legend, with:
Two young lovers ripped apart
A family feud turned deadly
A secret waiting to be unearthed
And a passion no one could ever deny
Crockett Legend has always loved Paisley Mahone, but a family feud sure can ruin a romance. When her father turned against the powerful Legend clan, she took her family's side and broke Crockett's heart into pieces. Now her father's dead and Paisley and her last remaining brother are convinced the Legends are to blame.
If only he can find a way to prove his innocence...
A chance meeting throws the two warring hearts together, and when their train is held up by outlaws, Crockett and Paisley have to team up to save a young boy from dying. A tenuous truce is born. Together they may have a chance of bringing the truth to light...if they can get to the bottom of who's been trying to turn the two powerful families against each other. With so many secrets to unbury, it isn't long before Paisley finds herself in the crosshairs, but Crockett vows there'll be hell to pay if anyone hurts the woman he loves—or stands in the way of a Legend in the making.
Content Rating: Sensual with some graphic scenes.
About Linda
I'm a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over 30 full length western romance novels and short stories. Watching TV westerns during my youth fed a love of cowboys and the old West and they still do. Here in the Texas Panhandle I can often hear the voices of American Indians, Comancheros, and early cowboys whispering in the breeze. My stories focus on family life and you’ll find children in almost all of my books.
You can find me at:
And if you’re looking for a complete (printable) list of my books, come to: https://lindabroday.com/books/booklist
