Chances are you don't think "dude ranch" when you think of Halloween. Some ranches didn't do much to celebrate the day, because the end of October was the end of the season for Rocky Mountain operations, and the start for ranches in the warmer climates of the Southwest. In other words, it's a busy time … Continue reading Dude Ranch Halloween Fun
Author: Lynn Downey
Louisiana Foster: Not Your Usual Debutante
Everybody loves a rebel. Well, I do, anyway. Especially female ones. One of my favorite rebel girls was Louisiana Foster, whose life was as unusual as her name. She was born on July 18, 1887 in San Rafael, in Marin County, north of San Francisco. Her family was both wealthy and philanthropic, and she seemed … Continue reading Louisiana Foster: Not Your Usual Debutante
A Visit to Wickenburg in 1867….that didn’t go well.
In May of 1866 the Rev. Charles Morris Blake, his wife and two children moved from Pennsylvania to Fort Whipple, in Prescott, Arizona Territory. Rev. Blake had a spotty record as an Army chaplain in the Civil War, but he stayed in the service and was assigned to minister to the troops at Whipple and … Continue reading A Visit to Wickenburg in 1867….that didn’t go well.
95 Years With the Dudes
When he was a teenager, New York native Larry Larom saw Buffalo Bill's Wild West during one of its appearances in the city between 1907 and 1909. (By the way, if you want to show your Western authenticity credentials, never call the Wild West a show, because Buffalo Bill didn't either.) Larom actually got to … Continue reading 95 Years With the Dudes
When worlds collide…with clowns
Anyone who studies or writes about history will tell you that people, stories, facts, and weirdness will often intersect. I found that out when I was writing my book Arequipa Sanatorium: Life in California's Lung Resort for Women back in 2018. I discovered that the work of one of the sanatorium's doctors spilled over into … Continue reading When worlds collide…with clowns
Tumblereads: A New Twist on the Old West 