A Stormy Night

No one said…

our good-byes would be so difficult and have to last forever.

our journey crossing the Atlantic would be so long.

trains rides lasting days would take us across vast America.

so many hardships and crisis could be experienced on the plains.

prairie grasses waved in the wind and beauty was found as far as the eyes could see.

the family would flourish and great bounty be realized.

the snows ran deep and a pioneer Christmas could be so perfect.

how important owning land would be for Papa.

nor how I would rejoice to be a prairie girl.

…But I did and I am.

A Stormy Night

I have a healthy respect for weather--especially tornadoes. I don’t live where I can hear a warning siren, so during stormy weather I watch the clouds and listen to the weather bulletins on the television or radio. If the weatherman says there is a funnel cloud headed in my direction, or if I see one coming toward me, I go to the cellar. Otherwise, I do not go down there with the snakes, scorpions and spiders. I don’t want them barging in on me every time they feel a little nervous about the weather, so I do not do it to them. Along with snakes and spiders, the cellar usually has four or five inches of water in it each spring. In order to get to the cellar, I have to go outside in the wind and rain. Did I mention it is dark in the cellar, and there might be snakes, scorpions and spiders in it? Oh no, I do not go to the cellar often.

Once, when the children were young, our family did go to the cellar. The sky, dusty green earlier in the evening, had turned pitch black. The temperature was close to 80 degrees, much too hot for so early in the year. The air was very still, and the dog paced nervously. Suddenly, our television show was interrupted. A tornado had been spotted near town. My family rushed to the cellar. My husband and I grabbed flashlights, radios, pillows, blankets, baby pictures, and, of course, the kids themselves. The baby, gently lifted from his crib, did not wake.

"Gee, Mom, I should have brought my homework," my older daughter said as we settled in.

"Hey, do you think it'll blow my school away?" my other daughter asked. My older son hugged his pillow and watched imaginary monsters in the musty recesses of the cellar. The baby continued to sleep. We waited. It did not rain. The wind did not blow. The dog continued to pace, and the kids asked more questions.

“Mom, do we have to pay the fine if our library books blow away?”

"Mom, can I get my doll from my room?" my younger daughter asked.

"Mom, I need to go to the bathroom."

“Mom, my gym suit is in the washing machine. What if it blows away?” my older daughter asked.

"Mom, we’re missing my favorite television show.”

"Mom, something moved in that corner. I think it is a spider."

My older son tightened the grip on his pillow. The baby slept peacefully in his father's arms. Amidst the radio static, I heard it: "all clear. The immediate danger has passed. The storm is lessening in intensity. We missed the severe weather. We now return you to your regularly scheduled programing." I reassured my son. "See, we're all right. There was not a tornado--no monsters either."

“Oh, Mom, I knew God would take care of us. I wasn't scared. Can I put one of those neat spiders from the cellar in a jar for show and tell tomorrow?  Please, Mom?" my son asked.

Oh yes, little boys and weather are hard to predict.

Prairie Girls

 
No one said…

our good-byes would be so difficult and have to last forever.

our journey crossing the Atlantic would be so long.

trains rides lasting days would take us across vast America.

so many hardships and crisis could be experienced on the plains.

prairie grasses waved in the wind and beauty was found as far as the eyes could see.

the family would flourish and great bounty be realized.

the snows ran deep and a pioneer Christmas could be so perfect.

how important owning land would be for Papa.

nor how I would rejoice to be a prairie girl.

…But I did and I am.

 

Richelle

It’s Richelle again from the writers’ project. I was a prairie girl and had not been in America homesteading very long when I discovered serious problems could occur unlike anything I had ever experienced. I knew about droughts and floods which could hurt crops in the fields. On the Great Plains weather could totally destroy crops leaving the family with nothing.

In 1874, something happened I had only heard about from the Bible. A plague of locusts destroyed our garden and most of our neighbors’ crops. The grasshoppers came in a huge, black cloud and descended upon our home. We didn’t know how we would survive, but once again I am telling too much. I will continue this story later.

Grasshoppers

 

“Hoptykiller, hoptykiller,” my three-year old shouted as she jumped up and down. She was clearly scared of the “hoptykiller,” whatever it was. I ran outside to rescue her. I feared she had stepped on a snake, but did not see one. “Help, help, it’s a hoptykiller,” my daughter continued to shout. Finally, I caught her and held her still.

 

“Where?” I asked. “Where is the hoptykiller?”

 

“There,” she answered and pointed to her leg. On it was a large yellow and brown grasshopper clinging on for dear life, no doubt wondering what he had landed on that screeched so loudly and moved around so much.

 

Like Richelle, I grew up on a farm. Some years grasshoppers stripped most of the growing plants. They covered fence posts and even telephone poles in a bad year. Occasionally on a hot summer afternoon, my grandmother asked me to catch grasshoppers to use for fish bait if she wanted fish for supper. I don’t remember Grandma catching many fish. I do remember getting a brown, liquid substance I called “tobacco juice” on my hands from the grasshoppers.

 

I’m not sure either my daughter or I could have saved Richelle’s family’s seed wheat from grasshoppers…especially if we had to touch one.

 

 

 

Farmer's Wife

 
 
No one said…

our good-byes would be so difficult and have to last forever.

our journey crossing the Atlantic would be so long.

trains rides lasting days would take us across vast America.

so many hardships and crisis could be experienced on the plains.

prairie grasses waved in the wind and beauty was found as far as the eyes could see.

the family would flourish and great bounty be realized.

the snows ran deep and a pioneer Christmas could be so perfect.

how important owning land would be for Papa.

nor how I would rejoice to be a prairie girl.

…But I did and I am.

 

 

 

The Storytellers

I have been married for 43 years to a farmer. I promised myself when I went away to college I would never marry a farmer nor move back to my hometown. I grew up on a farm and knew how hard that life could be. Well, I no longer say “I will never…” because I did them both. Honesty prompts me to tell you it was a good choice for both of us, and we raised two boys who have chosen to work with the family operation.

Like Richelle we experienced floods, drought, straight winds, and even grasshoppers. I remember one year we planted a field of soybeans three times, and each time the crop came up, it was eaten by a new batch of the insects. They ate them to the ground, and then we replanted. Tenacity is so a part of the farmer’s life. With the fifth generation coming on, we have each improved the operation, expanded it and stayed the fight to keep it going. I empathize with Richelle’s family’s struggle to make a life on the prairies.

Prairie Girls

No one said…

our good-byes would be so difficult and have to last forever.

our journey crossing the Atlantic would be so long.

trains rides lasting days would take us across vast America.

so many hardships and crisis could be experienced on the plains.

prairie grasses waved in the wind and beauty was found as far as the eyes could see.

the family would flourish and great bounty be realized.

the snows ran deep and a pioneer Christmas could be so perfect.

how important owning land would be for Papa.

nor how I would rejoice to be a prairie girl.

…But I did and I am.

Richelle

I am Richelle, and I am one of the characters in the authors’ writing project. I arrived on the Great Plains in the 1870’s. My family left Germany, traveled by train, and then boarded an ocean liner headed for America. We did not journey in first class, but at least could afford a stateroom and didn’t have stay in steerage because it was overcrowded, smelly and frightening to me. We could go up on top and get fresh air. The days were long, so going up on deck was a highlight.

My twin brothers and I made friends with a lady who had a dog we walked each day. She spoke German, but offered to teach me to read and write English. I was excited and learned much from her. Although we were traveling on one of the fastest steamboats made, it seemed we would never get to America. We were so lucky not to get seasick, but our luck ended when a North Atlantic storm drove everyone to bed except Papa and me. We took care of the others, but were glad we had eaten all of the sausages and cheeses we brought along because the smell of food made everyone ill.

Reaching New York couldn’t happen fast enough, but that’s telling too much of the story for now. I will share more later.

Travel     

Richelle and her family’s journey to America in the 1870’s was quite different from the travel of today. Several years ago my son, his wife, and three young children traveled abroad. I accompanied them on the non-stop thirteen hour flight. It was my first trip overseas, and I was concerned my luggage either might be the wrong size or too heavy. I might not have my liquids in the proper sized clear bag. Also there might be a problem with my passport or worse yet, I might accidently wear socks with holes for all of the security people to see.

The youngest child was 16 months old, and the other two were three and six. I was concerned about my luggage, but I was worried, very, very worried about the long flight with the children. How many trips to the restroom would there be? Would the airplane food taste good? What if I had a leg cramp and needed to stretch when one of the children was sleeping on my shoulder?

Turns out, my passport was in order, my luggage was not too heavy, my liquids were in the right sized bags, and I remembered to wear new socks. The children did not throw tantrums, and while the food was not wonderful, they did eat some of it. They also enjoyed the cartoons and games on both their electronic devices and the small screen television on the back of the seat in front of them. The trip was good, although we did lose count of the number of trips to the restroom.

Wouldn’t Richelle be surprised to learn her trip could now be made in a matter of hours?

Life on the Prairie

My name is Richelle Thomsen, and I am a ten-year-old girl from Bavaria (Germany) as it is now called in 1874. Mama, Papa, my twin brothers Willy and Andy crossed the Atlantic on a ship, and then traveled across America to the Great Plains by train. We experienced all of the problems most immigrants endured getting here and staying here. My great-uncle Verne helped us get to our homestead and start our new life here in America.

My family faced life and death situations and several times, especially with my brothers, I saved them using my wise ideas and experiences. My story will be appearing soon so you can read about my adventures. Watch this site for more information.

The Box Supper

Richelle, one of the girls we are writing about in our historical narration series, goes to a box supper in the 1870’s at her one-room school. I, too, attended a one-room school and box suppers, but in the 1950’s. This is a picture of an invitation I mailed to my grandma inviting her to a “good program” when I was in the third grade. There was also a box supper combined with the program.



I had volunteered to play a piano solo at the program, and my family was much more concerned about my upcoming performance than what food should go into the box. Unlike my teacher, my family knew I didn’t play the piano. My mother and grandmother quickly taught me to play Jesus Loves Me. I have a vague memory of decorating a shoe box with crepe paper and paste made from flour and water. I suspect the meal was a roast beef sandwich with sandwich spread, homemade bread and butter pickles, an apple, and a piece of chocolate cake. Nor do I remember if there was vigorous bidding for the box. I do know my Grandpa bought my box, and I thought I was so lucky Grandma had received my invitation and brought Grandpa with her.

And…one of my favorite things to do still

Plague of Locusts

No one said…

our good-byes would be so difficult and have to last forever.

our journey crossing the Atlantic would be so long.

trains rides lasting days would take us across vast America.

so many hardships and crisis could be experienced on the plains.

prairie grasses waved in the wind and beauty was found as far as the eyes could see.

the family would flourish and great bounty be realized.

the snows ran deep and a pioneer Christmas could be so perfect.

how important owning land would be for Papa.

nor how I would rejoice to be a prairie girl.

…But I did and I am.

Plague of Locusts

Life for the immigrant on the prairie was fraught with dangers beyond the understanding of the new arrivals. They were often mislead by pamphlets extolling the glories of life on the Great Plains. These broadsides or advertisements were sent all over Europe. Ocean liner companies could be just as misleading. No mention was made about the role of Mother Nature on their lives. There could be severe flooding in the spring followed by extreme droughts in the hot summers and then followed by wildfires caused by lightning. Blizzards could blanket the prairies for weeks at a time making it hard on the livestock and crops. The freaks of nature, tornados, created havoc as well.

The one danger no one knew about was what insects, specifically grasshoppers, could do. One such event occurred in 1874 from the Dakotas all of the way to Texas. They arrived as a black cloud looking like a much needed rain storm. They left nothing green anywhere when they finally evacuated an area. Farmers lost everything. Sadly, there were places where the insects returned for many years costing famers and states vast amounts of money.

To read more about this phenomenon check out some of these sites:

www.kshs.org/kansapedia/grasshopper-plague-of-1874/12070

www.historynet.com/1874-the-year-of-the-locust.htm

www.lyndonirwin.com/hopper1.htm

Trans-Atlantic Travel

The 1870’s marked a time of great European immigration to the United States. It was the gradual end of Western European immigration and the beginning of Eastern European migration to America. Many of the newcomers entered and headed straight to the heartland to claim homesteads for themselves and even tended to settle in similar ethnic groups. This afforded them the opportunity to keep their culture and values intent. These immigrants cherished education and brought these beliefs with them. Affordable travel and recruiting by the ocean liner companies made America attractive to people who could not own land in Europe.

Not all Americans accepted these foreigners as well as they had in the past. Part of this was due to different religious and cultural practices. On the whole these were simply land hungry farmers, and they would settle the Midwest and Great Plains leaving their mark everywhere.

Resources abound with information about ocean travel, immigration, assimilation, and pioneer lives. The following are just a few about ocean travel:

www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ocean_liner

www.albany.edu/history/HIS530/Immigrationsincethe1870s/index.html.

www.bing.com/images/search?q=german+immigrants

   The Homestead Act

The journey to America was endured by immigrants from Europe because they wanted to own land. Land was made available by a law passed during Abraham Lincoln’s administration.  Possession of land was given to the eldest son throughout the world;  unless other sons wanted to work for the oldest brother, they had to make a living in another way.

The Homestead Act of 1862 required a citizen to file an application for the land. Next, improvements needed to be made, and these included a 12x14 dwelling. Crops had to be produced for five years on 160 acres. Then the homesteader could file for a title deed at the land office showing proof he had complied with the provisions of the act. Another frequently used method was to live on the land for six months, make a few improvements and then pay the government $1.25 per acre. This was attractive to new as well as native-born Americans and helped to get the land west of the Mississippi populated.

For further information check out the following websites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homestead_act
www.legendsofamerica.com/ah-homestead.html
www.archives.gov/education/lessons/homestead-act

Prairie Recipes

No one said…

our good-byes would be so difficult and have to last forever.

our journey crossing the Atlantic would be so long.

trains rides lasting days would take us across vast America.

so many hardships and crisis could be experienced on the plains.

prairie grasses waved in the wind and beauty was found as far as the eyes could see.

the family would flourish and great bounty be realized.

the snows ran deep and a pioneer Christmas could be so perfect.

how important owning land would be for Papa.

nor how I would rejoice to be a prairie girl.

…But I did and I am.

Prairie Recipes

 

 

One of the favorite recipes from pioneer days was one for making pickles. The following is an old one for sweet pickles:

75 cucumbers, 3-4 inches long                        9 cups of sugar

2 cups salt                                                       ½ ounce celery seed

1 tablespoon alum                                           1 ounce cinnamon sticks

5 pints strong vinegar

Wash cucumbers; cut into slices ¾ inches thick. Place in stone jar; pour one gallon boiling water over the cucumbers. Let stand one week, skimming every day, if necessary. Drain cucumbers well on the 8^th day; pour one gallon boiling water and alum over cucumbers. Let stand for 24 hours; drain. Mix vinegar, six cups sugar, celery seed, and cinnamon sticks; bring to a boil. Pour over cucumbers. On each succeeding day for the next three days drain off liquid. Each time reheat liquid, pouring over pickles and adding one cup of sugar. Cover the lid of the crock tightly. Yield about 2 gallons

Nearly 40 years ago, I was given this recipe for bread and butter pickles. Because I did not want  to use a water bath, I liked this version because it is kept in the refrigerator.

12 cucumbers                                                  1 teaspoon whole mustard seed

6 onions                                                           ½ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 pint vinegar                                                  1 teaspoon celery seed

1 cup sugar

Slice cucumbers and onions and sprinkle with salt. Let stand one hour. Mix other ingredients and bring to a boil. Drain the cucumbers and boil 5-10 minutes. Seal and store in refrigerator.

So many versions of recipes abound for marinated salads and vegetables because pickling was a way to preserve summer abundance to be enjoyed in winter. This recipe was a favorite of my catering group.

9 Day Slaw

3 pounds cabbage                                                       1 cup vinegar

1 large green pepper                                                    2 tablespoon celery seed

1 large onion                                                               2 tablespoon sugar

1 cup vegetable oil                                                      2 tablespoon salt

Use a blender, food processor or chop cabbage, green pepper and onion finely. (I use a couple of packages of prepared cabbage to save time.)  If you added water to the blender or food processor, drain.                    

Next, mix in 2 cups of sugar. Blend the remaining ingredients and bring to a full boil, stirring over high heat. Pour this immediately over the cabbage mixture. Let it cool; cover and refrigerate. Keeps well for 9 days.                    

Most German communities had recipes for the making of sausages and cheeses with many variations and flavors depending on what spices or herbs were preferred. Below is a typical example.

Old Time Homemade Sausage

After butchering hogs in the fall, chunks of pork are put through a meat grinder. Add enough pork fat or lard to make it bind together. Season with salt, sage, cumin, thyme, pepper, several cloves of garlic and optional white wine or vermouth to taste. May need to fry some sausage to check for seasoning. Using a tin sausage gun fill casings or pig intestines with sausage. Twist the casings around several times to break the sausage into desired lengths. Store in a cool place to fry up as needed.

Over 40 years ago my mother-in-law gave me a recipe which became a family favorite. 


Super Summer Sausage 

2 #’s extra lean hamburger                  1and 1/2 t. liquid smoke

2 T. Morton’s Tender Quick Salt        1 c. water
¼ t. onion powder                               ½ T. whole pepper corns
½ t. garlic powder

Mix and form into two or three logs. Wrap in plastic wrap and leave in refrigerator for 24 hours. Unwrap and place on a rack in a pan and bake at 300 degrees for one and a half hours. Cool and slice as thickly as you desire. Keeps a couple of weeks in the refrigerator.

My son makes jerky out of the deer he gets each year. This is a generic recipe which allows you to control the taste and marinade.

 Chad’s Deer Jerky

Using a sharp fileting knife slice meat into ¼ inch slices. Using your favorite marinade place deer in mixture overnight. Place meat on the grill heated to 180 degrees. Slowly cook for two and a half to four hours until dried to your specifications. Store in sealed bags.

Wood's Kitten (Skunk) Over the Coals

 My husband and children have always loved to hunt, but when the boys were younger did not like the gamey taste of wild birds.  One of the ten-year-old heroines in our writing project emigrates from Germany to the Great Plains in the 1870’s.  One of her first meals was roasted wood’s kitten for supper, and she planned on never eating it again.

1-skunk                    Salt to taste

Remove the scent bags located on each side at the base of the tail of the skunk.  Be careful to remove entirely without breaking or cutting into the gland.  Trim off excess fat.* Tie the carcass to a green stick or place on a roasting spit.  Roast over hot coals until done.  Salt and eat with bread cooked over the coals.

*Take rendered skunk fat and mix equal parts of goose grease to rub on the chest under a flannel shirt to break up a cold.

Smothered Wild Bird

 I never had anything as challenging as skunk, but did discover some ways to disguise the gamey taste of wild birds.  The standard method was freezing in salt water until ready to use.  Instead I froze the breasts (the only part the boys liked) in plastic bags, and when I planned to serve them I let them thaw in the refrigerator in Sprite or beer.  Then I was ready to cook them.

several bird breasts                              salt and pepper                        
corn meal                                             1/3 cup vegetable oil
seasoned flour                                      milk or chicken broth
                                                              as needed
2 eggs beaten with a                             fork                                                                     

Filet breasts from the bone and slice into small pieces.  In a skillet, heat oil until hot.  Dredge meat in seasoned flour, beaten egg, and then corn meal.  Cook until browned, turning often.  Add soup and simmer until soup penetrates the meat.* (Add chicken broth as needed to thin out sauce.) Serve over rice, mashed potatoes or noodles.

*At this point, wine, beer or apple juice can be added to taste.

Turtle Dove Poppers

One of my favorite recipes I call Turtle Dove Poppers using the grill:

12 turtle dove breasts                          

softened cream cheese

6 jalapenos                                         
bacon

assorted chopped veggies

Slice the tops off the jalapeno and remove seeds.  (They may be kept in for added heat.) Slice peppers in half and fill with cream cheese.* Place pepper against the ribs on the underside of the pepper.  Wrap with ½ slice of bacon and secure with toothpicks.  Grill over medium coals until done.  Serves four and makes and excellent appetizer.

*One can add chopped onion, pimiento, mushrooms, chopped black olives or whatever you prefer to add more flavors.