The Girls of Silver Spur Ranch

by Grace MacGowan Cooke, Anne McQueen

The Girls of Silver Spur Ranch "", has been considered a very important part of the human history, but is currently not available in printed formats. Hence so that this work is never forgotten we have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format so that it is never forgotten and always remembered by the present and future generations. These books are not made of scanned copies of their original work and hence the text is clear and readable. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed.

94 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1913

Reviews

[Werner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grace MacGowan Cooke (1863-1944), the first-listed and probably principal responsible author of this 1913 book, was a prolific writer in her prime, producing at least two dozen novels, as well as a substantial output of short fiction and poetry. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_M... .) Born in Ohio, she was raised in Chatanooga, Tennessee (her father, a Union officer in the Civil War, had moved there after the war --not as a "carpetbagger," but as someone who honestly wanted to settle there and contribute to the community-- and would edit a newspaper there for over 30 years), and began her career there as a schoolteacher and journalist. (In later years, she would move to New Jersey and then to California; though this novel is set in Texas, she doesn't appear to have had much of a Texas connection, but she traveled extensively in the Southwest in 1910, and her few but clearly firsthand references to the visual effect of the Texas prairie probably come from that experience.) She began writing fiction in 1901, often collaborating with her sister, Anne MacGowan. (There isn't much extant information on her collaborator here, Anne McQueen, who doesn't appear to have written anything else.)

The Girls of Silver Spur Ranch (the title appears that way on the title page, though the cover and Goodreads description drop the initial article) isn't Cooke's best-known work, and indeed seems to be a relatively obscure part of her corpus. Of course, her work as a whole isn't well known today, though she was popular in her own time. When I first read this, I'd never heard of her; but my grandmother had a copy, so it was ready to hand. A few years ago, I bought a copy of my own secondhand; and since I remembered liking it after a lapse of over 6o years, and knew I needed a reread in order to review it properly, I recently suggested that Barb and I read it together, being sure she'd like it too. (She did!) Initially, I approached it as a children's book; but although I was a pre-teen kid when I first read it, on reflection, I don't think there's actually any indication that it wasn't meant for readers of all ages, and marketed to adults.

Our chronological setting (for the main storyline) here is the Spanish-American War, waged from April-August, 1898. (The book gives the impression of more time lapse, at least a year or more; that's an anomaly I didn't catch on either reading, but did as I was researching this review.) Geographically, we're in the Panhandle region, the northernmost part of Texas, bordered on the north and east by Oklahoma. As our story opens Mary, the oldest of our titular "girls," is in fact preparing for her wedding to a rancher from Oklahoma. John and Jennie Spooner, proprietors of the small and struggling Silver Spur Ranch, have four daughters, and no sons. He's in Cuba, having volunteered for the army at the outset of the conflict. Though strong-willed, Jennie's a semi-invalid, and their one ranch hand, Jonah Bean, is an elderly veteran of the Civil War. We focus mostly on the three sisters left at home, after Mary's departure early on. There's 10-year-old tomboy Harvie, "the Babe," avid reader of Ivanhoe, and cheerful Ruth, aged 14 and skillful in the kitchen. But our real protagonist is smart and sensitive 16-year-old Elizabeth, gifted with a good head for managing and a love of beauty in all its forms. Quite physically unlike the rest of the family in build and coloring, she often daydreams about being an adopted scion of more noble stock. (But is she? Hmmm....) These girls are going to have to take on a lot of responsibility, because there's an unpaid mortgage on the ranch. John Spooner is buying it from Jennie's brother, Harvey Grannis, one of the richest ranchers in the area, and a hard man with a dictatorial personality, spoiled as a kid and used to his own way. He's fond of Jennie and her girls, in his own possessive way; but he's never thought John could provide for them, and he thinks it's in their best interests to give up Silver Spur and move in with him --by force, if necessary. (And did I mention that he owns the one unfailing water source in the vicinity? He and John made a verbal agreement that the Silver Spur cattle can use it, but that's not in writing....)

This isn't a "Western" as such; a couple of cowboys wear guns (there are rattlesnakes on the prairie), but they stay in the holsters. Rather, it's general fiction dealing with ordinary, peaceful ranch and town life in that day. Cooke's a Realist, simple and straightforward in her style and plotting. She's not afraid of big words, doesn't hesitate to throw in ornamental quotations from poems and other writings readers of that time would know, and prefers "upon" rather than "on," as well as some other old-fashioned diction; but her prose is clear and this is actually a quick read. All of the characters named above, and others like Roy Lambert and Cousin Hannah Pratt and her family, are well-drawn and lifelike. I wouldn't class Cooke with the regionalist school, but the setting is evoked successfully; and the book is a marvelous window into the simpler and less spoiled lifestyle and mindset of the world of 1898. The author purposefully cultivates suspense in places, though some developments of the somewhat episodic tale are predictable, and not entirely because I'd read it before. (In truth, I'd actually forgotten much of the plot, though I was struck by how many exact words I remembered in places, and could recall a good deal of the characterizations.) Above all, it's a story with worthwhile messaging, delivered by an author who's not one whit ashamed to have messages; and they include the value of family loyalty, hard work, a can-do attitude, and consideration for one's fellow humans, among others. Barb and I both solidly liked it and would recommend it, to readers of all ages. (Not all modern-day readers would look at the plain cover and be attracted to read it; but most of them could benefit by reading it, if they entered into its world!)

[Debbie Zapata · Rating 3 out of 5]

We arrive at the Silver Spur ranch just a few days before the wedding of oldest daughter Mary. She leaves right away, so the story revolves around the other girls of the family: Elizabeth, Ruth and Harvie. Yes, Harvie. She was named after her uncle Harvey, mother's brother who owns the neighboring ranch (and also the mortgage to the Silver Spur). Dad is away fighting in Cuba so the girls, Mom, and hired hand Jonah are all responsible for keeping the ranch going.

The girls also have a lot of growing up to do, with Elizabeth facing the biggest hurdles as she learns certain shocking secrets about her own beginnings and how to deal with them. Ruth has her own obstacles to face, and does so energetically, but my favorite was Harvie, called Babe. She is ten years old and although she has never been to school (the family lives too far from town for her old horse to make the trip) Babe loves books, especially Ivanhoe, which powers her dreams day and night.

I got a kick out of her response to Ruth's complaint that Babe reads too much:
"People can't read too much, Ruth," said the Babe severely. "Some time, when I go to school I'm going to learn to read well enough to read all the books in the round world. Jonah says there ain't nothin' like eddication!"
Ain't that the truth?!

Dad writes letters and sends packages from Cuba every so often, but when a few months go by and nothing arrives, the family begins to worry. Will he ever come home safely?! Uncle Harvey gets in on the fretting too, and here is something I could never really understand. Mom's brother seems to hate the family, even though he claims to love them all. But he turns out to be the main source of problems and drama for the Silver Spur gang. Not exactly brotherly love here, but the rancor is never really explained, other than the idea that he wants to control them all. Come to think of it, brothers can be that way at times, can't they.

This 1913 story was surely aimed at young people, and felt a tiny bit preachy here and there but nothing too overbearing. I think perhaps the author was hoping for a Little Women type of feeling?

Many thanks to GR friend Werner, who told me about The Girls Of Silver Spur Ranch longer ago than I want to admit. Took me awhile to get to it, but I am glad I finally did!

[Stephanie]

I want to re-read this childhood favourite after pulling it out of a box while decluttering to move. I remember it as a “Little Women in the American West” — I wonder how it will read now?)

[Elisabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't so much a straight Western as a family story that happens to take place on a ranch—the story of three sisters and their mother dealing with little family struggles and trying to make ends meet, with the help of an orphan boy and an elderly ranch hand, while the father is away fighting in the Spanish-American War. Some of their challenges are familiar Western elements, as in the stubborn uncle who holds the rights to their waterhole. The simplicity of the way the story is told makes me think it may have been aimed for younger readers in its day—it's rather like a Louisa May Alcott or Kate Douglas Wiggin type of story set in Texas, though neither the writing nor character developement is quite as high-quality as you'd find with those authors. But it's a cute, pleasant little story with some good moments—I got a kick out of the youngest sister, the ten-year-old "Babe," and her fascination with knights and Ivanhoe.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart really bonded with these girls. They are very sympathetic characters and have a delightful mother. They are hearty, honest, self-reliant young ladies, trying to watch out for their mother and the ranch until their father returns from war. They are brave and willing to work.
This is a delightful, wholesome story, which provides an excellent picture of what family life ought to be. Highly recommended for teen girls and older women alike. It would be enjoyable for any conservative family.