Regina Scott here, celebrating the release of the second
book in my Frontier Bachelors series, Would-Be
Wilderness Wife. As I was writing
it, the musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers kept coming to mind. I love how the quiet Milly finds her voice
and her determination in helping Adam Pontipee and his brothers learn a thing
or two about women.
When I was researching the story, I went looking for some
place to use as a model. There are
plenty of books, from history tales for children to reminiscences of the
pioneers themselves, that speak of the trials and tribulations of living in the
wilderness. But I’m a hands-on kind of
gal. I need to touch, taste, smell, and
hear beside just seeing.
That’s why I was thrilled to tour Pioneer Farm Museum outside
Eatonville, Washington. Pioneer Farm is
one of those wonderful museums geared toward children, so everything is very
hands on. I gleefully followed our tour
guides around from the general store to the school house to the three cabins,
barn, and blacksmith’s shop, peppering them with questions and poking my nose
into everything. Without such a
treasure, I might not have learned the following:
A lady in a full-belled hoop skirt would never be able to
climb the ladder to the loft for bed.
Everything you need to live has to fit in a one-room house
smaller than my bedroom. Easily.
And it does.
Oil lamps aren't really bright enough to read by, but they
do warm up a curling iron nicely.
It takes a lot of time and work to grate enough cinnamon for
one pie.
I know some of you have been to great museums in your
area. Any recommendations to share?
~
Regina Scott loves history, whether learning about it or
writing about it. The author of more than two dozen historical Christian romances, she’s
currently working on a series set in Seattle’s early years: Frontier Bachelors, bold, rugged, and bound
to be grooms. Sign up here for a free e-mail alert with exclusive bonus
material when her next book comes out, or visit her online at her website or
Facebook.
