Kristin Holt's Blog, page 25

Pioneer Day: Utah’s Victorian History

July 24th is Pioneer Day in the state of Utah, commemorating the arrival of the Mormon pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley (the first permanent Euro-American settlers) in 1847. This state-wide celebration includes everything from parades to rodeos, fireworks to pageants, Pioneer/Frontier clothing to Native American Inter-Tribal Pow-Wows, to covered wagon reenactments and picnics. Pioneer Day is inherent to Utah's Victorian-Era, Old West history.

Victorians at the Seashore

You're likely familiar with Victorian-era "bathing costumes"--puffy dresses with pantaloons that still leave much to the imagination, thereby protecting the  Victorian sense of propriety and decency. Inside this article, I share images of men's bathing suits, attitudes (about bathing suits) expressed in United States newspapers of the day, and informative glimpses into a man's view of a woman's reasons for bathing in the sea before an audience...or not. A romantic tragedy on Coney Island in 1875 illustrates the dangers of the Victorian's passion with immersing themselves in the sea.

The Spinster Book: 1901 (And Men Are Like Cats…)

"A cross between guidebook and social commentary, The Spinster Book gives clever and humorous insights on topics such as courting, handling men and women, love letters, marriage and spinsterhood." I share one of the book's vignettes on men; how they compare to cats...and a most successful way (for a Victorian lady, at least) to win a man's heart, an invitation to a live theater or opera production, and his undying adoration. The book was published in 1901. The author (Myrtle Reed)'s sense of humor shines through, and sheds more than a little light on Victorian attitudes about courtship.

Silver City, Idaho’s Ghost Town Cemetery

Historic Silver City, Idaho, was once a bustling boom town with 2500 residents. The conjoined cemeteries tell many tales of the families who lived there. Many of the headstones (and footstones) are very legible and show a slice of Victorian American West life. I share images taken on a sunny day in June and provide the inscriptions from many of the markers. Come, walk through this historic cemetery with me and learn a little about the families who lived.

Silver City, Idaho’s Historic Church 1898

While visiting historic Silver City, Idaho in June of 2016 with Jacquie Rogers's Much Ado About Silver City (#JacquieRogersAdo16), we had the privilege of touring the inside of the 120+ year-old church: Our Lady of Tears Catholic Church. This article shares a bit of the history, images taken inside the church, and links to the church's site with much information, including summer schedule when mass is celebrated.

Calamity Jane, Guest Post by Heather Blanton

Guest Post by Heather Blanton, author of Bestselling Romance in the Rockies Series:

Martha Jane Cannary. Name doesn’t ring a bell?
Then you might know her by her legendary moniker “Calamity” Jane.
Ever wonder how she got the name?

USA TODAY Bestseller List!

Thank you, readers, for purchasing, recommending, promoting, reviewing, and helping Mail Order Bride Collection: A Timeless Romance Anthology succeed! Because of the support of so many, this title debuted today on the USA Today Best-selling Books List!

Victorian America Celebrates Independence Day

Victorian Americans celebrated Independence Day much like we do today...with some notable differences. Many historic occasions coincided with Independence Day (intentionally, I imagine), and patriotism swelled from small western towns to historic cities like Philadelphia. This review of Victorian-era Fourths of July may spark your patriotism while it enlightens your view of America's past.

Marriages in the West (1867)

Auguste Carlier published MARRIAGE IN THE UNITED STATES in 1867. (Translated from the French by Benjamin Joy Jeffries, A.M., M.D.) Section VI is titled “Marriages in the West”. This sheds light on the attitudes and perspective of Victorian Americans toward marriage, setting the west, mail-order brides, correspondence courtships, and courtship in general. This small section, […]

Historic Idaho Hotel in Silver City

The Idaho Hotel was built in 1863--and is still open for business (in the summer months). Jacquie's Much Ado About Silver City was held at this historic hotel. This article contains many images taken in June 2016 (and some historic images). Lots of amazing history and preserved elements of the past in this hotel!