Amanda Cabot's Blog, page 7

Wednesday in Wyoming - October 9, 2024

 

The JC Penney Mother Store that I featured in last week's post isn't a full-fledged museum, but the Fossil Country Frontier Museum, also located in Kemmerer, is.

It's a small but intriguing museum with exhibits ranging from a replica coal mine and a lamb with one head but two bodies to this button attaching machine. 

You'll note that it's only a pair of short boots that has buttons. I can't imagine how long it would have taken to put on those women's shoes if they'd had buttons rather than laces....

Wednesday in Wyoming - October 2, 2024

 

Where do you find a store that's half store/ half museum? In Kemmerer, Wyoming, that's where. The JC Penney "mother store" still sells the merchandise you'd expect from Penney's, but it also has a number of historic items on display including old cash registers, sewing machines, lunch pails, and -- my favorite -- the pulley system that moved money from the main floor to the cashiers on the mezzanine.

 Definitely a fun place to visit!

Wednesday in Wyoming - September 25, 2024

 

Can you guess which fort this is? If you guessed Fort Laramie, you were correct. That's the fort that intrigued me so much when I first visited it that I knew it had to be the setting for a book. And it was.

A major stop on the Oregon Trail, Fort Laramie was far different from my mental image of a western fort. No stockade. No buildings constructed of logs. Instead, during its later years it resembled a New England village with sidewalks, birdbaths, and ladies carrying parasols. Not quite the Ho...

One Special Christmas - The Making of a Cover

 Do you ever wonder what's involved in creating a book cover? The answer is, it depends. My own experience has varied from having no involvement to being asked to choose costumes for the model, but rarely have I had the pleasure of watching the artist develop the cover and providing feedback each step of the way.

That's what happened with the cover for One Special Christmas. I was extremely fortunate to have gifted artist L.A. Sartor creating my cover.

It started with a brainstorming session in wh...

Wednesday in Wyoming - September 18, 2024

 

If you've read my books, you know that a number of my characters -- heroes, heroines, and even villains -- are involved in the medical profession. That's one of the reasons I was drawn to this exhibit at Fort Fetterman. 

I was a little surprised that there wasn't a saw. After all, doctors were often referred to as Saw Bones, even though they did much more than that. What else would you have expected to see here?

Wednesday in Wyoming - September 11, 2024

 

Before I moved to Wyoming, if you'd asked me to describe a western fort, this  would have been my answer: buildings made of logs, all surrounded by a stockade fence.

I soon discovered that not all forts were like that, but some were, including this one. Fort Caspar near the town of Casper -- notice the different spellings -- is a reconstructed 1865 military post. 

In addition to the buildings, which include barracks, officers' quarters, a stable, and much more, there's a small museum, all of whic...

Wednesday in Wyoming - September 4, 2024

Since forts were essential parts of the Old West, or what some might call the Wild West, this month's Wednesday in Wyoming blog posts will highlight some of the state's most interesting forts.

Located in the western part of the state, Fort Bridger includes a wide variety of buildings ranging from a reconstruction of trapper Jim Bridger's cabin to the commanding officer's Victorian home to "auto camping" cabins developed during the early years of auto travel. 

Their website provides more informatio...

Wednesday in Wyoming - August 28, 2024

 

Can you imagine being able to carry all your personal belongings in a handcart and then pulling it along the Oregon Trail? I can't, but that's what thousands of Mormon emigrants did.

Their journey is commemorated at the Mormon Handcart Visitors at Martin's Cove, site of a deadly blizzard in 1856.

For more information, click here.

Wednesday in Wyoming - August 21, 2024

 

If you've seen one rock, you've seen them all. Some might say that, but that wasn't  the pioneers' sentiment. They celebrated reaching this milestone on the Oregon Trail by carving or painting their names on the side of the granite outcropping.

Were they thinking about the rest of the journey, knowing that it was the most difficult?  I imagine they were, but at least for a few hours, they could relax and enjoy being here.

If you'd like more information about Independence Rock, you might enjoy thi...

Wednesday in Wyoming - August 14, 2024

 

This month marks twenty years since I first saw these ruts carved into the limestone by the thousands of covered wagons that traveled the Oregon Trail. I was impressed then, and I still am. 

What courageous people those pioneers were, to leave their homes and everything familiar in search of a better life.