Petticoats & Pistols » Legends of the West http://petticoatsandpistols.com Romancing The West Thu, 24 May 2012 07:00:15 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Pearl Hart – The Arizona Bandit http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/21/pearl-hart-the-arizona-bandit/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/21/pearl-hart-the-arizona-bandit/#comments Mon, 21 May 2012 05:17:05 +0000 Winnie Griggs http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=32600 Hi! Winnie Griggs here. (pssst - look for giveaway info at the bottom of this post) I was thumbing through one of those 'infamous women of the old west' type books the other day and  came across a listing for a woman named Pearl Hart. The heading of First Female Captured Stagecoach Robber caught my eye. And the more I read about this woman, the more fascinated I became with her story. I did some additional research and found a number of different, sometimes contradictory, accounts of her life. I’ll stitch together my favorites here. While there is very little know about her early life, we do know that she was born Pearl Taylor in 1871 and lived the early part of her life in Ontario, Canada. She was one of several children born into an upper middle-class, church going family. At age sixteen she was sent to a boarding school, but she had an adventurous spirit that couldn’t be contained. That, combined with her attractiveness and wit made her quite popular with the men of her acquaintance. While at school Pearl became infatuated with a young man named Hart and eloped at about age 17. Hart has variously been described as a rake, a drunk and a gambler. Far from this being the romantic adventure Pearl had hoped for, it turned out Hart was also abusive. She left him and then returned to him several times and it is reported they had two children together. During their last reconciliation, the couple worked odd jobs the Chicago World’s Fair. There Pearl saw Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show and developed a fascination for the cowboy life that would stay with her her entire life. She also visited the Women’s Pavilion where she heard speeches by prominent women’s activists such as Julia Ward Howe. Finally leaving Hart for good, Pearl placed the children in the care of her mother and took up with a man named Dan Bandman, a gambler and dance-hall musician. The two eventually moved to Colorado. Later, when Dan left to fight in the Spanish-American War, Pearl moved to Globe Arizona, a mining town. There are various reports that she may have worked as a cook, a singer, a laundress and/or opened a tent brothel. It is also said that she developed a fondness for cigar and liquor at this time. Pearl described her life at this time in these words: "I was only twenty-two years old. I was good-looking, desperate, discouraged, and ready for anything that might come. I do not care to dwell on this period of my life. It is sufficient to say that I went from one city to another..." Whatever her employment, Pearl’s finances hit bottom when the mine closed. Trying to find a way to earn money, she took up with a man named Joe Boot and together they tried to work an old mine claim he owned. But by 1899 the pair found themselves short on cash and decided to rob a stage, though it appears neither had done anything like this before. One account claims they took this desperate measure because Pearl had gotten word that her mother was ill and needed money, though there is little to substantiate this claim. Pearl cut her hair and dressed up like a man. Both armed with revolvers, they stopped a stage running between Florence and Globe at the Cane Springs Canyon watering point. They collected 1 from the three passengers on board. Pearl then reportedly took pity on them and gave them back each .00 so they could buy a meal at the next stop. But their lack of experience did them in. They did a poor job of covering their tracks and within six days the law had caught up with them. One account states that they were sleeping when the posses caught up with them and that while Joe surrendered quickly but Pearl tried, unsuccessfully, to fight her way out. Joe and Pearl were locked in the local jail. But the notoriety and attention Pearl received as a female bandit, coupled with the lack of proper facilities, caused the sheriff to throw up his hands and send her to the jail in Tucson. Pearl’s notoriety grew, and she did all she could to fuel it. Her story about her reason for the robbery (her ailing mother) gained her sympathy, and her avowal that she "would never consent to be tried under a law she or her sex had no voice in making, or to which a woman had no power under the law to give her consent" gained her a whole new level of attention. Never one to give up on her options, within a matter of days Pearl had charmed some of the men at the Tucson prison and managed to escape. Unfortunately for her, a New Mexico lawman recognized her and sent her back to the Tucson prison.   Joe Boot was eventually sentenced to 30 years in jail and Pearl to five. Pearl was given the dubious honor of being the first woman incarcerated into the Yuma Territorial Prison. But neither Pearl nor Joe served their full terms. Joe, apparently due to a show of good behavior, was given trustee status. He walked off while working outside the gates less than two years into his term and was never heard from again. Pearl, on the other hand, gained her freedom legitimately, well, sort of. The warden of the jail where Pearl was imprisoned like all the attention she was attracting from the public and the media. He provided her with a roomy 8 x10 cell as well as a small yard which gave her a space to entertain reporters, photographers and other guests. Pearl, who was the only female incarcerated in the facility, was not above using her wiles to play guards and trustees off of each other to improve her situation. In December of 1902, Pearl received a pardon from the governor and was released free and clear. The official reason for the pardon remains unclear, but it was given on condition that she leave the Arizona territory. Pearl herself claimed that she had been invited to play the lead in a play her sister had penned based on her life and this had played into her release. However, a later rumor emerged that she had became pregnant. The governor, wanting to spare the Arizona Territory the embarrassment of explaining how this could possibly have happened while she was imprisoned, pardoned her and set her free. While there is no proof that Pearl ever bore a third child, this doesn’t mean the wily woman didn’t use this as a ploy to secure her freedom. There are varying accounts of what happened to Pearl after she was released. Some say she parlayed her notoriety into a show business career, billing herself as “The Arizona Bandit.” One account says she traveled for a while with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. A less colorful theory is that she married a rancher named Calvin Bywater and settled down into a quite but happier life. If that last is true, then perhaps Pearl got her “happily ever after” after all. Folks who knew Mrs. Bywater described her as “soft spoken, kind, and a good citizen in all respects.” Mrs. Calvin Bywater lived well into her 80s. As I said earlier, there are a number of different accounts of Pearl’s life and this is only one of them. Her exploits have been featured in theater, film and pulp fiction. There was even a musical called The Legend Of Pearl Hart. And while we may never know the full true story of her life, there is no doubt that she lived it on her own terms.   And, as promised I'm doing a giveaway today.  In honor of my upcoming June release, A Baby Between Them, I'm giving away an advanced copy to one person who leaves a comment today.  Here's a little about this book: For two months, Nora Murphy has cared for the abandoned infant she found on their Boston-bound ship.  Settled now in Faith Glen, Nora tells herself she’s happy.  She has little Grace, and a good job as housekeeper to Sheriff Cameron Long.  She doesn’t need anything more - not the big family she always wanted, or Cam’s love...  A traumatic childhood closed Cam off  to any dreams of family life.  Yet somehow his lovely housekeeper and her child have opened his heart again.  When the unthinkable occurs, it will take all their faith to reach a new future together. Now avaiable for pre-order HERE]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/21/pearl-hart-the-arizona-bandit/feed/ 31 The Cheyenne Club – Luxury on the Wild Frontier http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/02/09/the-cheyenne-club-luxury-on-the-wild-frontier/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/02/09/the-cheyenne-club-luxury-on-the-wild-frontier/#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:00:30 +0000 Pam Crooks http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=29627 In 1880, when the cattle kings of the West reigned like, well, royalty, their wealth and desire for comradeship led to the formation of the only male-dominated social club west of Denver.  Formed by members of the Wyoming Stockgrowers Association, the club was initially named The Cactus Club, then later changed to The Cheyenne Club.  The founding members claimed degrees from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, and Columbia, and all were frequently seen on the Riviera, in London, Paris and Mexico City. I have to tell you.  I had no idea.  I stumbled upon The Cheyenne Club while researching WYOMING WILDFLOWER, my first book with Dorchester, now re-released as an ebook and currently my best-selling self-published title.  Once I discovered this fascinating piece of Western history, I fell in love with the place.  I centered my storyline around the historic icon and the men that once walked upon its thick carpets.  The Cheyenne Club shattered my illusion of weather-bitten cattlemen who lived on remote ranches and lived simple lives, enduring each day only for the precious cattle that grazed across acres as far as the eye could see.  These men knew what comforts their money could bring, and they didn't hesitate to spend whatever it took to wallow in that comfort. Let me tell you a bit about it. The three story brick building was built on the corner of what is now 17th and Warren in Cheyenne.   A skylight towered over the main hall.  The Main Floor boasted rooms for smoking, billiards, reading, games, as well as the prominent dining room.  All had hardwood floors.   Copies of the Atlantic Monthly, Harper's, the Boston Sunday Herald, and the New York Graphic laid on the library's tables, alongside the Drover's Journal of Chicago. The kitchen and wine cellar were located in the basement, and three elevators hoisted hot cuisine prepared by a Canadian chef up to the dining room.  Champagne was served at breakfast, lunch and dinner.   Rugs graced fireplaces with attractives grates and marble-topped mantels.  Shakespearan quotations were inscribed in the blue-and-white, and brown-and-white tiles to "supply cheerfulness" to the guests.   Six sleeping rooms comprised the upper level.  Each room had thick carpets and were furnished with ceiling-high walnut wardrobes and hand-carved walnut beds.  Marbled covered the dressers and commodes.  Brocade satin and velvet drapes hung at the tall windows.  A lavish bath added to the guests' comforts. Another opulent feature of The Cheyenne Club was the piazza, flanked by Victorian French Windows.  Up to 26 arm rockers lined the area, large enough to be used as a dance floor.  Often on sunny days, chess tables were set-up for those wishing to enjoy an afternoon's game.  Photographs of members' horses and racing trophies adorned the walls of the Club.  A tennis court was located to the west of the club house, and a brick servants cottage was located to the north of it.  Club functions required dress suits and evening gowns.  Perfectly trained staff served liquors and delicacies shipped from New York City and San Francisco, as well as providing cigars and cheroots for those with a discriminating taste for fine tobacco.   All this opulence from a club house that towered on a corner lined with dirt streets.  Alas, the blizzards of 1886 and 1887 wiped out the herds of many of these cattle kings, and The Cheyenne Club slumped, never again to regain its glory.  In 1936, the club house was razed, and in its place, the present Chamber of Commerce and Frontier Days Committee building stands.   Just makes you want to sigh, doesn't it?  You can read more about The Cheyenne Club in WYOMING WILDFLOWER.  Here's a little blurb about the book: One of her father’s daughters . . . All Sonnie Mancuso wants is to be needed by her father. Unfortunately, he already has a daughter–six, to be exact–and all he needs is a son. One of her father’s men . . . Orphaned in the slums of New York, fifteen-year-old Lance Harmon needs a home. Sonnie’s father gives him one, on the cattle-rich Rocking M ranch. Through the years, Lance learns to love the land, the work . . . and Sonnie. And their legacy . . . But Vince Mancuso’s health is failing, and there’s trouble on the Wyoming range. Sonnie returns home to claim the legacy that’s rightfully hers . . . but learns Lance has already claimed it.

Buy Wyoming Wildflower for your Kindle!

 Although wives and female guests were allowed at The Cheyenne Club, membership was strictly male.  Do you know of any female-only clubs?  How do you feel about allowing women onto a male-dominated turf?  Or vice-versa? 

]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/02/09/the-cheyenne-club-luxury-on-the-wild-frontier/feed/ 23 Another Cross on a Hill… http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/31/another-cross-on-a-hill/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/31/another-cross-on-a-hill/#comments Wed, 31 Aug 2011 06:10:20 +0000 Tanya Hanson http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=26179 During our recent vacation to Lake Tahoe, hubby and I took a DUKW tour of the Lake…both on land and in water. You see, “duck” vehicles are the refurbished amphibious vehicles used on D-Day now used as tourist transport on major waterways. Interestingly, the acronym isn’t any military jargon at all. “D” indicates a vehicle designed in 1942. “U” means utility, “K” indicates all-wheel drive, and “W” stands for two powered rear axles.  Since we’ve already taken road/water rides around Boston and into the Charles River, and throughout the hills of San Francisco with a drive straight into the bay, we couldn’t wait. Well, Lake Tahoe fascinates just about everybody, from Ponderosa fans to skiers, hikers, boaters, photographers, residents and tourists of all ages. It’s one of my favorite places on earth. But the first folks to love this place were the Washoe Indians. The tribe lent its term “tahlah-act” meaning “great mountain” to the tallest peak at the lake, today’s Mt. Tallac at 9,735 feet. Some say the pronunciation is “tayak.” The Washoe considered the mountain to be sacred, and their legends live on today. Particularly about the cross. The cross on Mt. Tallac’s northeastern face is visible when the snow begins to melt in the spring. Well, it was a warm summer day when we saw it, but the mountains were still clumped with snow. Folks skied at the surrounding resorts on the Fourth of July. That’s because the winter just past was Tahoe’s fourth-snowiest on record. The minute I saw the cross on August 9, I knew I needed to post here about it. But the subject mirrors the topic of my filly sister Winnie Griggs’s post of August 22. I didn’t want her to think I was “biting off her” (This was a term my kids always used when one of them copied the other LOL). Should I wait and post my cross blog later on? Then I realized: it’s sacred, marvelous, symbolic, magnificent to know that there are two such hallowed crosses in the West. I decided not to postpone this post. So. When you check out the cross, it’s actually a “couloir” or series of deep gorges just to the left of the summit. This beautiful watercolor is by artist Lois Wooldridge. Many legends abound about the cross. One Washoe belief held that if all the snow melted away, the world would end. Others forecast a season of drought. Still another said the cross disappearing meant the lake would dry up. The tale our DUCK guide shared was if the cross melted, Tahoe would experience a record winter of snow. And was he ever right! After the "cross" melted last year, the winter of 2010-2011 saw 643 inches of  snow. Annual expectation is 300-500. The deepest June snowpack on record was this year’s 71.25 inches on the 13th. As a tribute to Mt. Tallac and the cross, the opening sequence of the seventh through eleventh and final season of the classic Western TV show Bonanza was filmed from the north section of Nevada Beach (across the lake on the east shore) so that Mount Tallac and its snow cross appeared prominently in the background. As the Ponderosa map burned, you could see the Cartwright men riding up to the cameras with the mountain and cross in the back ground. This beautiful site draws you in no matter where you are in the area. The next day after the DUCK tour, we rode the Heavenly Valley ski gondola and saw Tallac’s breathtaking beauty from the observation deck at an elevation of 9,123. The 360 degree views, of the Lake, the mountains, Desolation Wilderness and Carson Valley are beyond breathtaking. Has anybody else seen Mt. Tallac and the snow cross?        ]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/31/another-cross-on-a-hill/feed/ 28 Code of the American Cowboy … John Wayne Style http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/02/code-of-the-american-cowboy-john-wayne-style/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/02/code-of-the-american-cowboy-john-wayne-style/#comments Tue, 02 Aug 2011 07:40:41 +0000 Phyliss http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=25538 Give Me A Texas Outlaw Bundle with Give Me A Cowboy Fellow Filly, Linda Broday, and I just finished up a month’s booksigning tour for our newest anthology, “Give Me a Texas Outlaw”.  We spent a lot of time up in the Liberal, Kansas area. We were the hottest act in town. Thanks Liberal! One of our visits was to the famous Dalton Gang Hideout in Meade, Kansas, where we were met and welcomed by none other than the charming Doc Holliday.  I’m adding a picture as proof of our adventure which was very interesting. Seeing Doc Holliday through the eyes of the curator Marc Ferguson was most mesmerizing, but I’ll save the Doc and the Dalton Gang Hideout for another blog. A few months ago, I blogged on the Code of the West, using a fairly common interpretation of the code. One of the most interesting things Doc Holliday showed us was the best known cowboy in America John Wayne’s eulogy spoken at his funeral by his son, Patrick Wayne.  One thing that most people recognize about the heroic cowboy was that no matter how famous he became, he lived by his own Code of the West. It's  my pleasure to share the eulogy and John Wayne’s Code of the American Cowboy.
  1. A cowboy does not judge color of skin, but by character within.
  2. A cowboy always respects a lady and tips his hat to all that pass him.
  3. A cowboy stands strong for what the American Frontier is all about.  Freedom, truth, justice and the American way.
  4. A cowboy will not be wronged, nor wrong another. The justice he deems out depends on that.
  5. A cowboy is loyal and hard working and maintains a high ethic.
  6. A cowboy loves his country, and will fight for its principals and sovereignty.
  7. A cowboy respects his animals and the earth they roam upon.
  8. A cowboy is faithful to what is entrusted to him.
  9. A cowboy is bound by duty, honor and gratitude for what God has given him, which includes his family and friends.
10.  A cowboy maintains a hidden code in his heart, for all to see. I found a few facts on John Wayne that I didn’t know. His birth name was Marion Morrison. Although his father was a pharmacist Wayne’s parents moved from Iowa to the Mojave Desert and tried their hand at ranching. That’s where he and his little brother, Robert swam in irrigation ditches and rode horses to school.  After failure at ranching, his family moved to Glendale, California, where Wayne delivered medicines for his father, sold newspapers and had an Airedale dog named “Duke” ... where he got his nickname. John Wayne was bright, did well in school both academically and in football.  He narrowly missed acceptance to Annapolis, so he went to USC on a football scholarship from 1925-27.  Tom Mix got him a summer job as a prop man in exchange for football tickets. (Bet, he couldn’t get by with that today.) On the set he became friends with director John Ford for whom, among others, he began doing bit parts, thus the birth of John Wayne.  His first featured film was in 1930 “Men Without Women”, where he went on to make about 70 low-budget westerns while his career basically bogged down in the mud.  In 1939, Ford cast Wayne in “Stagecoach” the movie that made him a star.  He appeared in over 250 movies, many of epic proportion. His conservative stance was reflected in his producing, directing and staring in “The Alamo” in 1960; while his patriotic stand was enshrined in “The Green Berets” in 1968, which he co-directed and also stared in. John Wayne won an Oscar for his role as one-eyed Rooster Cogburn in “True Grit” in 1969; and in 1979 he received a Congressional Gold Medal  But, he is best remember for his parts in Ford’s cavalry trilogy, “Fort Apache”, “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon”, and “Rio Grande”. A true cowboy spirit, won’t back up for nothing. What is your favorite John Wayne movie?]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/02/code-of-the-american-cowboy-john-wayne-style/feed/ 25 The Outlaw Josey Wales http://petticoatsandpistols.com Romancing The West Thu, 24 May 2012 07:00:15 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Petticoats & Pistols » Legends of the West http://petticoatsandpistols.com Romancing The West Thu, 24 May 2012 07:00:15 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Pearl Hart – The Arizona Bandit http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/21/pearl-hart-the-arizona-bandit/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/21/pearl-hart-the-arizona-bandit/#comments Mon, 21 May 2012 05:17:05 +0000 Winnie Griggs http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=32600 Hi! Winnie Griggs here. (pssst - look for giveaway info at the bottom of this post) I was thumbing through one of those 'infamous women of the old west' type books the other day and  came across a listing for a woman named Pearl Hart. The heading of First Female Captured Stagecoach Robber caught my eye. And the more I read about this woman, the more fascinated I became with her story. I did some additional research and found a number of different, sometimes contradictory, accounts of her life. I’ll stitch together my favorites here. While there is very little know about her early life, we do know that she was born Pearl Taylor in 1871 and lived the early part of her life in Ontario, Canada. She was one of several children born into an upper middle-class, church going family. At age sixteen she was sent to a boarding school, but she had an adventurous spirit that couldn’t be contained. That, combined with her attractiveness and wit made her quite popular with the men of her acquaintance. While at school Pearl became infatuated with a young man named Hart and eloped at about age 17. Hart has variously been described as a rake, a drunk and a gambler. Far from this being the romantic adventure Pearl had hoped for, it turned out Hart was also abusive. She left him and then returned to him several times and it is reported they had two children together. During their last reconciliation, the couple worked odd jobs the Chicago World’s Fair. There Pearl saw Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show and developed a fascination for the cowboy life that would stay with her her entire life. She also visited the Women’s Pavilion where she heard speeches by prominent women’s activists such as Julia Ward Howe. Finally leaving Hart for good, Pearl placed the children in the care of her mother and took up with a man named Dan Bandman, a gambler and dance-hall musician. The two eventually moved to Colorado. Later, when Dan left to fight in the Spanish-American War, Pearl moved to Globe Arizona, a mining town. There are various reports that she may have worked as a cook, a singer, a laundress and/or opened a tent brothel. It is also said that she developed a fondness for cigar and liquor at this time. Pearl described her life at this time in these words: "I was only twenty-two years old. I was good-looking, desperate, discouraged, and ready for anything that might come. I do not care to dwell on this period of my life. It is sufficient to say that I went from one city to another..." Whatever her employment, Pearl’s finances hit bottom when the mine closed. Trying to find a way to earn money, she took up with a man named Joe Boot and together they tried to work an old mine claim he owned. But by 1899 the pair found themselves short on cash and decided to rob a stage, though it appears neither had done anything like this before. One account claims they took this desperate measure because Pearl had gotten word that her mother was ill and needed money, though there is little to substantiate this claim. Pearl cut her hair and dressed up like a man. Both armed with revolvers, they stopped a stage running between Florence and Globe at the Cane Springs Canyon watering point. They collected 1 from the three passengers on board. Pearl then reportedly took pity on them and gave them back each .00 so they could buy a meal at the next stop. But their lack of experience did them in. They did a poor job of covering their tracks and within six days the law had caught up with them. One account states that they were sleeping when the posses caught up with them and that while Joe surrendered quickly but Pearl tried, unsuccessfully, to fight her way out. Joe and Pearl were locked in the local jail. But the notoriety and attention Pearl received as a female bandit, coupled with the lack of proper facilities, caused the sheriff to throw up his hands and send her to the jail in Tucson. Pearl’s notoriety grew, and she did all she could to fuel it. Her story about her reason for the robbery (her ailing mother) gained her sympathy, and her avowal that she "would never consent to be tried under a law she or her sex had no voice in making, or to which a woman had no power under the law to give her consent" gained her a whole new level of attention. Never one to give up on her options, within a matter of days Pearl had charmed some of the men at the Tucson prison and managed to escape. Unfortunately for her, a New Mexico lawman recognized her and sent her back to the Tucson prison.   Joe Boot was eventually sentenced to 30 years in jail and Pearl to five. Pearl was given the dubious honor of being the first woman incarcerated into the Yuma Territorial Prison. But neither Pearl nor Joe served their full terms. Joe, apparently due to a show of good behavior, was given trustee status. He walked off while working outside the gates less than two years into his term and was never heard from again. Pearl, on the other hand, gained her freedom legitimately, well, sort of. The warden of the jail where Pearl was imprisoned like all the attention she was attracting from the public and the media. He provided her with a roomy 8 x10 cell as well as a small yard which gave her a space to entertain reporters, photographers and other guests. Pearl, who was the only female incarcerated in the facility, was not above using her wiles to play guards and trustees off of each other to improve her situation. In December of 1902, Pearl received a pardon from the governor and was released free and clear. The official reason for the pardon remains unclear, but it was given on condition that she leave the Arizona territory. Pearl herself claimed that she had been invited to play the lead in a play her sister had penned based on her life and this had played into her release. However, a later rumor emerged that she had became pregnant. The governor, wanting to spare the Arizona Territory the embarrassment of explaining how this could possibly have happened while she was imprisoned, pardoned her and set her free. While there is no proof that Pearl ever bore a third child, this doesn’t mean the wily woman didn’t use this as a ploy to secure her freedom. There are varying accounts of what happened to Pearl after she was released. Some say she parlayed her notoriety into a show business career, billing herself as “The Arizona Bandit.” One account says she traveled for a while with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. A less colorful theory is that she married a rancher named Calvin Bywater and settled down into a quite but happier life. If that last is true, then perhaps Pearl got her “happily ever after” after all. Folks who knew Mrs. Bywater described her as “soft spoken, kind, and a good citizen in all respects.” Mrs. Calvin Bywater lived well into her 80s. As I said earlier, there are a number of different accounts of Pearl’s life and this is only one of them. Her exploits have been featured in theater, film and pulp fiction. There was even a musical called The Legend Of Pearl Hart. And while we may never know the full true story of her life, there is no doubt that she lived it on her own terms.   And, as promised I'm doing a giveaway today.  In honor of my upcoming June release, A Baby Between Them, I'm giving away an advanced copy to one person who leaves a comment today.  Here's a little about this book: For two months, Nora Murphy has cared for the abandoned infant she found on their Boston-bound ship.  Settled now in Faith Glen, Nora tells herself she’s happy.  She has little Grace, and a good job as housekeeper to Sheriff Cameron Long.  She doesn’t need anything more - not the big family she always wanted, or Cam’s love...  A traumatic childhood closed Cam off  to any dreams of family life.  Yet somehow his lovely housekeeper and her child have opened his heart again.  When the unthinkable occurs, it will take all their faith to reach a new future together. Now avaiable for pre-order HERE]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/21/pearl-hart-the-arizona-bandit/feed/ 31 The Cheyenne Club – Luxury on the Wild Frontier http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/02/09/the-cheyenne-club-luxury-on-the-wild-frontier/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/02/09/the-cheyenne-club-luxury-on-the-wild-frontier/#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:00:30 +0000 Pam Crooks http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=29627 In 1880, when the cattle kings of the West reigned like, well, royalty, their wealth and desire for comradeship led to the formation of the only male-dominated social club west of Denver.  Formed by members of the Wyoming Stockgrowers Association, the club was initially named The Cactus Club, then later changed to The Cheyenne Club.  The founding members claimed degrees from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, and Columbia, and all were frequently seen on the Riviera, in London, Paris and Mexico City. I have to tell you.  I had no idea.  I stumbled upon The Cheyenne Club while researching WYOMING WILDFLOWER, my first book with Dorchester, now re-released as an ebook and currently my best-selling self-published title.  Once I discovered this fascinating piece of Western history, I fell in love with the place.  I centered my storyline around the historic icon and the men that once walked upon its thick carpets.  The Cheyenne Club shattered my illusion of weather-bitten cattlemen who lived on remote ranches and lived simple lives, enduring each day only for the precious cattle that grazed across acres as far as the eye could see.  These men knew what comforts their money could bring, and they didn't hesitate to spend whatever it took to wallow in that comfort. Let me tell you a bit about it. The three story brick building was built on the corner of what is now 17th and Warren in Cheyenne.   A skylight towered over the main hall.  The Main Floor boasted rooms for smoking, billiards, reading, games, as well as the prominent dining room.  All had hardwood floors.   Copies of the Atlantic Monthly, Harper's, the Boston Sunday Herald, and the New York Graphic laid on the library's tables, alongside the Drover's Journal of Chicago. The kitchen and wine cellar were located in the basement, and three elevators hoisted hot cuisine prepared by a Canadian chef up to the dining room.  Champagne was served at breakfast, lunch and dinner.   Rugs graced fireplaces with attractives grates and marble-topped mantels.  Shakespearan quotations were inscribed in the blue-and-white, and brown-and-white tiles to "supply cheerfulness" to the guests.   Six sleeping rooms comprised the upper level.  Each room had thick carpets and were furnished with ceiling-high walnut wardrobes and hand-carved walnut beds.  Marbled covered the dressers and commodes.  Brocade satin and velvet drapes hung at the tall windows.  A lavish bath added to the guests' comforts. Another opulent feature of The Cheyenne Club was the piazza, flanked by Victorian French Windows.  Up to 26 arm rockers lined the area, large enough to be used as a dance floor.  Often on sunny days, chess tables were set-up for those wishing to enjoy an afternoon's game.  Photographs of members' horses and racing trophies adorned the walls of the Club.  A tennis court was located to the west of the club house, and a brick servants cottage was located to the north of it.  Club functions required dress suits and evening gowns.  Perfectly trained staff served liquors and delicacies shipped from New York City and San Francisco, as well as providing cigars and cheroots for those with a discriminating taste for fine tobacco.   All this opulence from a club house that towered on a corner lined with dirt streets.  Alas, the blizzards of 1886 and 1887 wiped out the herds of many of these cattle kings, and The Cheyenne Club slumped, never again to regain its glory.  In 1936, the club house was razed, and in its place, the present Chamber of Commerce and Frontier Days Committee building stands.   Just makes you want to sigh, doesn't it?  You can read more about The Cheyenne Club in WYOMING WILDFLOWER.  Here's a little blurb about the book: One of her father’s daughters . . . All Sonnie Mancuso wants is to be needed by her father. Unfortunately, he already has a daughter–six, to be exact–and all he needs is a son. One of her father’s men . . . Orphaned in the slums of New York, fifteen-year-old Lance Harmon needs a home. Sonnie’s father gives him one, on the cattle-rich Rocking M ranch. Through the years, Lance learns to love the land, the work . . . and Sonnie. And their legacy . . . But Vince Mancuso’s health is failing, and there’s trouble on the Wyoming range. Sonnie returns home to claim the legacy that’s rightfully hers . . . but learns Lance has already claimed it.

Buy Wyoming Wildflower for your Kindle!

 Although wives and female guests were allowed at The Cheyenne Club, membership was strictly male.  Do you know of any female-only clubs?  How do you feel about allowing women onto a male-dominated turf?  Or vice-versa? 

]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/02/09/the-cheyenne-club-luxury-on-the-wild-frontier/feed/ 23 Another Cross on a Hill… http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/31/another-cross-on-a-hill/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/31/another-cross-on-a-hill/#comments Wed, 31 Aug 2011 06:10:20 +0000 Tanya Hanson http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=26179 During our recent vacation to Lake Tahoe, hubby and I took a DUKW tour of the Lake…both on land and in water. You see, “duck” vehicles are the refurbished amphibious vehicles used on D-Day now used as tourist transport on major waterways. Interestingly, the acronym isn’t any military jargon at all. “D” indicates a vehicle designed in 1942. “U” means utility, “K” indicates all-wheel drive, and “W” stands for two powered rear axles.  Since we’ve already taken road/water rides around Boston and into the Charles River, and throughout the hills of San Francisco with a drive straight into the bay, we couldn’t wait. Well, Lake Tahoe fascinates just about everybody, from Ponderosa fans to skiers, hikers, boaters, photographers, residents and tourists of all ages. It’s one of my favorite places on earth. But the first folks to love this place were the Washoe Indians. The tribe lent its term “tahlah-act” meaning “great mountain” to the tallest peak at the lake, today’s Mt. Tallac at 9,735 feet. Some say the pronunciation is “tayak.” The Washoe considered the mountain to be sacred, and their legends live on today. Particularly about the cross. The cross on Mt. Tallac’s northeastern face is visible when the snow begins to melt in the spring. Well, it was a warm summer day when we saw it, but the mountains were still clumped with snow. Folks skied at the surrounding resorts on the Fourth of July. That’s because the winter just past was Tahoe’s fourth-snowiest on record. The minute I saw the cross on August 9, I knew I needed to post here about it. But the subject mirrors the topic of my filly sister Winnie Griggs’s post of August 22. I didn’t want her to think I was “biting off her” (This was a term my kids always used when one of them copied the other LOL). Should I wait and post my cross blog later on? Then I realized: it’s sacred, marvelous, symbolic, magnificent to know that there are two such hallowed crosses in the West. I decided not to postpone this post. So. When you check out the cross, it’s actually a “couloir” or series of deep gorges just to the left of the summit. This beautiful watercolor is by artist Lois Wooldridge. Many legends abound about the cross. One Washoe belief held that if all the snow melted away, the world would end. Others forecast a season of drought. Still another said the cross disappearing meant the lake would dry up. The tale our DUCK guide shared was if the cross melted, Tahoe would experience a record winter of snow. And was he ever right! After the "cross" melted last year, the winter of 2010-2011 saw 643 inches of  snow. Annual expectation is 300-500. The deepest June snowpack on record was this year’s 71.25 inches on the 13th. As a tribute to Mt. Tallac and the cross, the opening sequence of the seventh through eleventh and final season of the classic Western TV show Bonanza was filmed from the north section of Nevada Beach (across the lake on the east shore) so that Mount Tallac and its snow cross appeared prominently in the background. As the Ponderosa map burned, you could see the Cartwright men riding up to the cameras with the mountain and cross in the back ground. This beautiful site draws you in no matter where you are in the area. The next day after the DUCK tour, we rode the Heavenly Valley ski gondola and saw Tallac’s breathtaking beauty from the observation deck at an elevation of 9,123. The 360 degree views, of the Lake, the mountains, Desolation Wilderness and Carson Valley are beyond breathtaking. Has anybody else seen Mt. Tallac and the snow cross?        ]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/31/another-cross-on-a-hill/feed/ 28 Code of the American Cowboy … John Wayne Style http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/02/code-of-the-american-cowboy-john-wayne-style/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/02/code-of-the-american-cowboy-john-wayne-style/#comments Tue, 02 Aug 2011 07:40:41 +0000 Phyliss http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=25538 Give Me A Texas Outlaw Bundle with Give Me A Cowboy Fellow Filly, Linda Broday, and I just finished up a month’s booksigning tour for our newest anthology, “Give Me a Texas Outlaw”.  We spent a lot of time up in the Liberal, Kansas area. We were the hottest act in town. Thanks Liberal! One of our visits was to the famous Dalton Gang Hideout in Meade, Kansas, where we were met and welcomed by none other than the charming Doc Holliday.  I’m adding a picture as proof of our adventure which was very interesting. Seeing Doc Holliday through the eyes of the curator Marc Ferguson was most mesmerizing, but I’ll save the Doc and the Dalton Gang Hideout for another blog. A few months ago, I blogged on the Code of the West, using a fairly common interpretation of the code. One of the most interesting things Doc Holliday showed us was the best known cowboy in America John Wayne’s eulogy spoken at his funeral by his son, Patrick Wayne.  One thing that most people recognize about the heroic cowboy was that no matter how famous he became, he lived by his own Code of the West. It's  my pleasure to share the eulogy and John Wayne’s Code of the American Cowboy.
  1. A cowboy does not judge color of skin, but by character within.
  2. A cowboy always respects a lady and tips his hat to all that pass him.
  3. A cowboy stands strong for what the American Frontier is all about.  Freedom, truth, justice and the American way.
  4. A cowboy will not be wronged, nor wrong another. The justice he deems out depends on that.
  5. A cowboy is loyal and hard working and maintains a high ethic.
  6. A cowboy loves his country, and will fight for its principals and sovereignty.
  7. A cowboy respects his animals and the earth they roam upon.
  8. A cowboy is faithful to what is entrusted to him.
  9. A cowboy is bound by duty, honor and gratitude for what God has given him, which includes his family and friends.
10.  A cowboy maintains a hidden code in his heart, for all to see. I found a few facts on John Wayne that I didn’t know. His birth name was Marion Morrison. Although his father was a pharmacist Wayne’s parents moved from Iowa to the Mojave Desert and tried their hand at ranching. That’s where he and his little brother, Robert swam in irrigation ditches and rode horses to school.  After failure at ranching, his family moved to Glendale, California, where Wayne delivered medicines for his father, sold newspapers and had an Airedale dog named “Duke” ... where he got his nickname. John Wayne was bright, did well in school both academically and in football.  He narrowly missed acceptance to Annapolis, so he went to USC on a football scholarship from 1925-27.  Tom Mix got him a summer job as a prop man in exchange for football tickets. (Bet, he couldn’t get by with that today.) On the set he became friends with director John Ford for whom, among others, he began doing bit parts, thus the birth of John Wayne.  His first featured film was in 1930 “Men Without Women”, where he went on to make about 70 low-budget westerns while his career basically bogged down in the mud.  In 1939, Ford cast Wayne in “Stagecoach” the movie that made him a star.  He appeared in over 250 movies, many of epic proportion. His conservative stance was reflected in his producing, directing and staring in “The Alamo” in 1960; while his patriotic stand was enshrined in “The Green Berets” in 1968, which he co-directed and also stared in. John Wayne won an Oscar for his role as one-eyed Rooster Cogburn in “True Grit” in 1969; and in 1979 he received a Congressional Gold Medal  But, he is best remember for his parts in Ford’s cavalry trilogy, “Fort Apache”, “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon”, and “Rio Grande”. A true cowboy spirit, won’t back up for nothing. What is your favorite John Wayne movie?]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/02/code-of-the-american-cowboy-john-wayne-style/feed/ 25 The Outlaw Josey Wales http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/21/pearl-hart-the-arizona-bandit/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/21/pearl-hart-the-arizona-bandit/#comments Mon, 21 May 2012 05:17:05 +0000 Winnie Griggs http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=32600 Hi! Winnie Griggs here. (pssst - look for giveaway info at the bottom of this post) I was thumbing through one of those 'infamous women of the old west' type books the other day and  came across a listing for a woman named Pearl Hart. The heading of First Female Captured Stagecoach Robber caught my eye. And the more I read about this woman, the more fascinated I became with her story. I did some additional research and found a number of different, sometimes contradictory, accounts of her life. I’ll stitch together my favorites here. While there is very little know about her early life, we do know that she was born Pearl Taylor in 1871 and lived the early part of her life in Ontario, Canada. She was one of several children born into an upper middle-class, church going family. At age sixteen she was sent to a boarding school, but she had an adventurous spirit that couldn’t be contained. That, combined with her attractiveness and wit made her quite popular with the men of her acquaintance. While at school Pearl became infatuated with a young man named Hart and eloped at about age 17. Hart has variously been described as a rake, a drunk and a gambler. Far from this being the romantic adventure Pearl had hoped for, it turned out Hart was also abusive. She left him and then returned to him several times and it is reported they had two children together. During their last reconciliation, the couple worked odd jobs the Chicago World’s Fair. There Pearl saw Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show and developed a fascination for the cowboy life that would stay with her her entire life. She also visited the Women’s Pavilion where she heard speeches by prominent women’s activists such as Julia Ward Howe. Finally leaving Hart for good, Pearl placed the children in the care of her mother and took up with a man named Dan Bandman, a gambler and dance-hall musician. The two eventually moved to Colorado. Later, when Dan left to fight in the Spanish-American War, Pearl moved to Globe Arizona, a mining town. There are various reports that she may have worked as a cook, a singer, a laundress and/or opened a tent brothel. It is also said that she developed a fondness for cigar and liquor at this time. Pearl described her life at this time in these words: "I was only twenty-two years old. I was good-looking, desperate, discouraged, and ready for anything that might come. I do not care to dwell on this period of my life. It is sufficient to say that I went from one city to another..." Whatever her employment, Pearl’s finances hit bottom when the mine closed. Trying to find a way to earn money, she took up with a man named Joe Boot and together they tried to work an old mine claim he owned. But by 1899 the pair found themselves short on cash and decided to rob a stage, though it appears neither had done anything like this before. One account claims they took this desperate measure because Pearl had gotten word that her mother was ill and needed money, though there is little to substantiate this claim. Pearl cut her hair and dressed up like a man. Both armed with revolvers, they stopped a stage running between Florence and Globe at the Cane Springs Canyon watering point. They collected $421 from the three passengers on board. Pearl then reportedly took pity on them and gave them back each $1.00 so they could buy a meal at the next stop. But their lack of experience did them in. They did a poor job of covering their tracks and within six days the law had caught up with them. One account states that they were sleeping when the posses caught up with them and that while Joe surrendered quickly but Pearl tried, unsuccessfully, to fight her way out. Joe and Pearl were locked in the local jail. But the notoriety and attention Pearl received as a female bandit, coupled with the lack of proper facilities, caused the sheriff to throw up his hands and send her to the jail in Tucson. Pearl’s notoriety grew, and she did all she could to fuel it. Her story about her reason for the robbery (her ailing mother) gained her sympathy, and her avowal that she "would never consent to be tried under a law she or her sex had no voice in making, or to which a woman had no power under the law to give her consent" gained her a whole new level of attention. Never one to give up on her options, within a matter of days Pearl had charmed some of the men at the Tucson prison and managed to escape. Unfortunately for her, a New Mexico lawman recognized her and sent her back to the Tucson prison.   Joe Boot was eventually sentenced to 30 years in jail and Pearl to five. Pearl was given the dubious honor of being the first woman incarcerated into the Yuma Territorial Prison. But neither Pearl nor Joe served their full terms. Joe, apparently due to a show of good behavior, was given trustee status. He walked off while working outside the gates less than two years into his term and was never heard from again. Pearl, on the other hand, gained her freedom legitimately, well, sort of. The warden of the jail where Pearl was imprisoned like all the attention she was attracting from the public and the media. He provided her with a roomy 8 x10 cell as well as a small yard which gave her a space to entertain reporters, photographers and other guests. Pearl, who was the only female incarcerated in the facility, was not above using her wiles to play guards and trustees off of each other to improve her situation. In December of 1902, Pearl received a pardon from the governor and was released free and clear. The official reason for the pardon remains unclear, but it was given on condition that she leave the Arizona territory. Pearl herself claimed that she had been invited to play the lead in a play her sister had penned based on her life and this had played into her release. However, a later rumor emerged that she had became pregnant. The governor, wanting to spare the Arizona Territory the embarrassment of explaining how this could possibly have happened while she was imprisoned, pardoned her and set her free. While there is no proof that Pearl ever bore a third child, this doesn’t mean the wily woman didn’t use this as a ploy to secure her freedom. There are varying accounts of what happened to Pearl after she was released. Some say she parlayed her notoriety into a show business career, billing herself as “The Arizona Bandit.” One account says she traveled for a while with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. A less colorful theory is that she married a rancher named Calvin Bywater and settled down into a quite but happier life. If that last is true, then perhaps Pearl got her “happily ever after” after all. Folks who knew Mrs. Bywater described her as “soft spoken, kind, and a good citizen in all respects.” Mrs. Calvin Bywater lived well into her 80s. As I said earlier, there are a number of different accounts of Pearl’s life and this is only one of them. Her exploits have been featured in theater, film and pulp fiction. There was even a musical called The Legend Of Pearl Hart. And while we may never know the full true story of her life, there is no doubt that she lived it on her own terms.   And, as promised I'm doing a giveaway today.  In honor of my upcoming June release, A Baby Between Them, I'm giving away an advanced copy to one person who leaves a comment today.  Here's a little about this book: For two months, Nora Murphy has cared for the abandoned infant she found on their Boston-bound ship.  Settled now in Faith Glen, Nora tells herself she’s happy.  She has little Grace, and a good job as housekeeper to Sheriff Cameron Long.  She doesn’t need anything more - not the big family she always wanted, or Cam’s love...  A traumatic childhood closed Cam off  to any dreams of family life.  Yet somehow his lovely housekeeper and her child have opened his heart again.  When the unthinkable occurs, it will take all their faith to reach a new future together. Now avaiable for pre-order HERE]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/21/pearl-hart-the-arizona-bandit/feed/ 31 Petticoats & Pistols » Legends of the West http://petticoatsandpistols.com Romancing The West Thu, 24 May 2012 07:00:15 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Pearl Hart – The Arizona Bandit http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/21/pearl-hart-the-arizona-bandit/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/21/pearl-hart-the-arizona-bandit/#comments Mon, 21 May 2012 05:17:05 +0000 Winnie Griggs http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=32600 Hi! Winnie Griggs here. (pssst - look for giveaway info at the bottom of this post) I was thumbing through one of those 'infamous women of the old west' type books the other day and  came across a listing for a woman named Pearl Hart. The heading of First Female Captured Stagecoach Robber caught my eye. And the more I read about this woman, the more fascinated I became with her story. I did some additional research and found a number of different, sometimes contradictory, accounts of her life. I’ll stitch together my favorites here. While there is very little know about her early life, we do know that she was born Pearl Taylor in 1871 and lived the early part of her life in Ontario, Canada. She was one of several children born into an upper middle-class, church going family. At age sixteen she was sent to a boarding school, but she had an adventurous spirit that couldn’t be contained. That, combined with her attractiveness and wit made her quite popular with the men of her acquaintance. While at school Pearl became infatuated with a young man named Hart and eloped at about age 17. Hart has variously been described as a rake, a drunk and a gambler. Far from this being the romantic adventure Pearl had hoped for, it turned out Hart was also abusive. She left him and then returned to him several times and it is reported they had two children together. During their last reconciliation, the couple worked odd jobs the Chicago World’s Fair. There Pearl saw Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show and developed a fascination for the cowboy life that would stay with her her entire life. She also visited the Women’s Pavilion where she heard speeches by prominent women’s activists such as Julia Ward Howe. Finally leaving Hart for good, Pearl placed the children in the care of her mother and took up with a man named Dan Bandman, a gambler and dance-hall musician. The two eventually moved to Colorado. Later, when Dan left to fight in the Spanish-American War, Pearl moved to Globe Arizona, a mining town. There are various reports that she may have worked as a cook, a singer, a laundress and/or opened a tent brothel. It is also said that she developed a fondness for cigar and liquor at this time. Pearl described her life at this time in these words: "I was only twenty-two years old. I was good-looking, desperate, discouraged, and ready for anything that might come. I do not care to dwell on this period of my life. It is sufficient to say that I went from one city to another..." Whatever her employment, Pearl’s finances hit bottom when the mine closed. Trying to find a way to earn money, she took up with a man named Joe Boot and together they tried to work an old mine claim he owned. But by 1899 the pair found themselves short on cash and decided to rob a stage, though it appears neither had done anything like this before. One account claims they took this desperate measure because Pearl had gotten word that her mother was ill and needed money, though there is little to substantiate this claim. Pearl cut her hair and dressed up like a man. Both armed with revolvers, they stopped a stage running between Florence and Globe at the Cane Springs Canyon watering point. They collected 1 from the three passengers on board. Pearl then reportedly took pity on them and gave them back each .00 so they could buy a meal at the next stop. But their lack of experience did them in. They did a poor job of covering their tracks and within six days the law had caught up with them. One account states that they were sleeping when the posses caught up with them and that while Joe surrendered quickly but Pearl tried, unsuccessfully, to fight her way out. Joe and Pearl were locked in the local jail. But the notoriety and attention Pearl received as a female bandit, coupled with the lack of proper facilities, caused the sheriff to throw up his hands and send her to the jail in Tucson. Pearl’s notoriety grew, and she did all she could to fuel it. Her story about her reason for the robbery (her ailing mother) gained her sympathy, and her avowal that she "would never consent to be tried under a law she or her sex had no voice in making, or to which a woman had no power under the law to give her consent" gained her a whole new level of attention. Never one to give up on her options, within a matter of days Pearl had charmed some of the men at the Tucson prison and managed to escape. Unfortunately for her, a New Mexico lawman recognized her and sent her back to the Tucson prison.   Joe Boot was eventually sentenced to 30 years in jail and Pearl to five. Pearl was given the dubious honor of being the first woman incarcerated into the Yuma Territorial Prison. But neither Pearl nor Joe served their full terms. Joe, apparently due to a show of good behavior, was given trustee status. He walked off while working outside the gates less than two years into his term and was never heard from again. Pearl, on the other hand, gained her freedom legitimately, well, sort of. The warden of the jail where Pearl was imprisoned like all the attention she was attracting from the public and the media. He provided her with a roomy 8 x10 cell as well as a small yard which gave her a space to entertain reporters, photographers and other guests. Pearl, who was the only female incarcerated in the facility, was not above using her wiles to play guards and trustees off of each other to improve her situation. In December of 1902, Pearl received a pardon from the governor and was released free and clear. The official reason for the pardon remains unclear, but it was given on condition that she leave the Arizona territory. Pearl herself claimed that she had been invited to play the lead in a play her sister had penned based on her life and this had played into her release. However, a later rumor emerged that she had became pregnant. The governor, wanting to spare the Arizona Territory the embarrassment of explaining how this could possibly have happened while she was imprisoned, pardoned her and set her free. While there is no proof that Pearl ever bore a third child, this doesn’t mean the wily woman didn’t use this as a ploy to secure her freedom. There are varying accounts of what happened to Pearl after she was released. Some say she parlayed her notoriety into a show business career, billing herself as “The Arizona Bandit.” One account says she traveled for a while with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. A less colorful theory is that she married a rancher named Calvin Bywater and settled down into a quite but happier life. If that last is true, then perhaps Pearl got her “happily ever after” after all. Folks who knew Mrs. Bywater described her as “soft spoken, kind, and a good citizen in all respects.” Mrs. Calvin Bywater lived well into her 80s. As I said earlier, there are a number of different accounts of Pearl’s life and this is only one of them. Her exploits have been featured in theater, film and pulp fiction. There was even a musical called The Legend Of Pearl Hart. And while we may never know the full true story of her life, there is no doubt that she lived it on her own terms.   And, as promised I'm doing a giveaway today.  In honor of my upcoming June release, A Baby Between Them, I'm giving away an advanced copy to one person who leaves a comment today.  Here's a little about this book: For two months, Nora Murphy has cared for the abandoned infant she found on their Boston-bound ship.  Settled now in Faith Glen, Nora tells herself she’s happy.  She has little Grace, and a good job as housekeeper to Sheriff Cameron Long.  She doesn’t need anything more - not the big family she always wanted, or Cam’s love...  A traumatic childhood closed Cam off  to any dreams of family life.  Yet somehow his lovely housekeeper and her child have opened his heart again.  When the unthinkable occurs, it will take all their faith to reach a new future together. Now avaiable for pre-order HERE]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/21/pearl-hart-the-arizona-bandit/feed/ 31 The Cheyenne Club – Luxury on the Wild Frontier http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/02/09/the-cheyenne-club-luxury-on-the-wild-frontier/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/02/09/the-cheyenne-club-luxury-on-the-wild-frontier/#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:00:30 +0000 Pam Crooks http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=29627 In 1880, when the cattle kings of the West reigned like, well, royalty, their wealth and desire for comradeship led to the formation of the only male-dominated social club west of Denver.  Formed by members of the Wyoming Stockgrowers Association, the club was initially named The Cactus Club, then later changed to The Cheyenne Club.  The founding members claimed degrees from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, and Columbia, and all were frequently seen on the Riviera, in London, Paris and Mexico City. I have to tell you.  I had no idea.  I stumbled upon The Cheyenne Club while researching WYOMING WILDFLOWER, my first book with Dorchester, now re-released as an ebook and currently my best-selling self-published title.  Once I discovered this fascinating piece of Western history, I fell in love with the place.  I centered my storyline around the historic icon and the men that once walked upon its thick carpets.  The Cheyenne Club shattered my illusion of weather-bitten cattlemen who lived on remote ranches and lived simple lives, enduring each day only for the precious cattle that grazed across acres as far as the eye could see.  These men knew what comforts their money could bring, and they didn't hesitate to spend whatever it took to wallow in that comfort. Let me tell you a bit about it. The three story brick building was built on the corner of what is now 17th and Warren in Cheyenne.   A skylight towered over the main hall.  The Main Floor boasted rooms for smoking, billiards, reading, games, as well as the prominent dining room.  All had hardwood floors.   Copies of the Atlantic Monthly, Harper's, the Boston Sunday Herald, and the New York Graphic laid on the library's tables, alongside the Drover's Journal of Chicago. The kitchen and wine cellar were located in the basement, and three elevators hoisted hot cuisine prepared by a Canadian chef up to the dining room.  Champagne was served at breakfast, lunch and dinner.   Rugs graced fireplaces with attractives grates and marble-topped mantels.  Shakespearan quotations were inscribed in the blue-and-white, and brown-and-white tiles to "supply cheerfulness" to the guests.   Six sleeping rooms comprised the upper level.  Each room had thick carpets and were furnished with ceiling-high walnut wardrobes and hand-carved walnut beds.  Marbled covered the dressers and commodes.  Brocade satin and velvet drapes hung at the tall windows.  A lavish bath added to the guests' comforts. Another opulent feature of The Cheyenne Club was the piazza, flanked by Victorian French Windows.  Up to 26 arm rockers lined the area, large enough to be used as a dance floor.  Often on sunny days, chess tables were set-up for those wishing to enjoy an afternoon's game.  Photographs of members' horses and racing trophies adorned the walls of the Club.  A tennis court was located to the west of the club house, and a brick servants cottage was located to the north of it.  Club functions required dress suits and evening gowns.  Perfectly trained staff served liquors and delicacies shipped from New York City and San Francisco, as well as providing cigars and cheroots for those with a discriminating taste for fine tobacco.   All this opulence from a club house that towered on a corner lined with dirt streets.  Alas, the blizzards of 1886 and 1887 wiped out the herds of many of these cattle kings, and The Cheyenne Club slumped, never again to regain its glory.  In 1936, the club house was razed, and in its place, the present Chamber of Commerce and Frontier Days Committee building stands.   Just makes you want to sigh, doesn't it?  You can read more about The Cheyenne Club in WYOMING WILDFLOWER.  Here's a little blurb about the book: One of her father’s daughters . . . All Sonnie Mancuso wants is to be needed by her father. Unfortunately, he already has a daughter–six, to be exact–and all he needs is a son. One of her father’s men . . . Orphaned in the slums of New York, fifteen-year-old Lance Harmon needs a home. Sonnie’s father gives him one, on the cattle-rich Rocking M ranch. Through the years, Lance learns to love the land, the work . . . and Sonnie. And their legacy . . . But Vince Mancuso’s health is failing, and there’s trouble on the Wyoming range. Sonnie returns home to claim the legacy that’s rightfully hers . . . but learns Lance has already claimed it.

Buy Wyoming Wildflower for your Kindle!

 Although wives and female guests were allowed at The Cheyenne Club, membership was strictly male.  Do you know of any female-only clubs?  How do you feel about allowing women onto a male-dominated turf?  Or vice-versa? 

]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/02/09/the-cheyenne-club-luxury-on-the-wild-frontier/feed/ 23 Another Cross on a Hill… http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/31/another-cross-on-a-hill/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/31/another-cross-on-a-hill/#comments Wed, 31 Aug 2011 06:10:20 +0000 Tanya Hanson http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=26179 During our recent vacation to Lake Tahoe, hubby and I took a DUKW tour of the Lake…both on land and in water. You see, “duck” vehicles are the refurbished amphibious vehicles used on D-Day now used as tourist transport on major waterways. Interestingly, the acronym isn’t any military jargon at all. “D” indicates a vehicle designed in 1942. “U” means utility, “K” indicates all-wheel drive, and “W” stands for two powered rear axles.  Since we’ve already taken road/water rides around Boston and into the Charles River, and throughout the hills of San Francisco with a drive straight into the bay, we couldn’t wait. Well, Lake Tahoe fascinates just about everybody, from Ponderosa fans to skiers, hikers, boaters, photographers, residents and tourists of all ages. It’s one of my favorite places on earth. But the first folks to love this place were the Washoe Indians. The tribe lent its term “tahlah-act” meaning “great mountain” to the tallest peak at the lake, today’s Mt. Tallac at 9,735 feet. Some say the pronunciation is “tayak.” The Washoe considered the mountain to be sacred, and their legends live on today. Particularly about the cross. The cross on Mt. Tallac’s northeastern face is visible when the snow begins to melt in the spring. Well, it was a warm summer day when we saw it, but the mountains were still clumped with snow. Folks skied at the surrounding resorts on the Fourth of July. That’s because the winter just past was Tahoe’s fourth-snowiest on record. The minute I saw the cross on August 9, I knew I needed to post here about it. But the subject mirrors the topic of my filly sister Winnie Griggs’s post of August 22. I didn’t want her to think I was “biting off her” (This was a term my kids always used when one of them copied the other LOL). Should I wait and post my cross blog later on? Then I realized: it’s sacred, marvelous, symbolic, magnificent to know that there are two such hallowed crosses in the West. I decided not to postpone this post. So. When you check out the cross, it’s actually a “couloir” or series of deep gorges just to the left of the summit. This beautiful watercolor is by artist Lois Wooldridge. Many legends abound about the cross. One Washoe belief held that if all the snow melted away, the world would end. Others forecast a season of drought. Still another said the cross disappearing meant the lake would dry up. The tale our DUCK guide shared was if the cross melted, Tahoe would experience a record winter of snow. And was he ever right! After the "cross" melted last year, the winter of 2010-2011 saw 643 inches of  snow. Annual expectation is 300-500. The deepest June snowpack on record was this year’s 71.25 inches on the 13th. As a tribute to Mt. Tallac and the cross, the opening sequence of the seventh through eleventh and final season of the classic Western TV show Bonanza was filmed from the north section of Nevada Beach (across the lake on the east shore) so that Mount Tallac and its snow cross appeared prominently in the background. As the Ponderosa map burned, you could see the Cartwright men riding up to the cameras with the mountain and cross in the back ground. This beautiful site draws you in no matter where you are in the area. The next day after the DUCK tour, we rode the Heavenly Valley ski gondola and saw Tallac’s breathtaking beauty from the observation deck at an elevation of 9,123. The 360 degree views, of the Lake, the mountains, Desolation Wilderness and Carson Valley are beyond breathtaking. Has anybody else seen Mt. Tallac and the snow cross?        ]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/31/another-cross-on-a-hill/feed/ 28 Code of the American Cowboy … John Wayne Style http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/02/code-of-the-american-cowboy-john-wayne-style/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/02/code-of-the-american-cowboy-john-wayne-style/#comments Tue, 02 Aug 2011 07:40:41 +0000 Phyliss http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=25538 Give Me A Texas Outlaw Bundle with Give Me A Cowboy Fellow Filly, Linda Broday, and I just finished up a month’s booksigning tour for our newest anthology, “Give Me a Texas Outlaw”.  We spent a lot of time up in the Liberal, Kansas area. We were the hottest act in town. Thanks Liberal! One of our visits was to the famous Dalton Gang Hideout in Meade, Kansas, where we were met and welcomed by none other than the charming Doc Holliday.  I’m adding a picture as proof of our adventure which was very interesting. Seeing Doc Holliday through the eyes of the curator Marc Ferguson was most mesmerizing, but I’ll save the Doc and the Dalton Gang Hideout for another blog. A few months ago, I blogged on the Code of the West, using a fairly common interpretation of the code. One of the most interesting things Doc Holliday showed us was the best known cowboy in America John Wayne’s eulogy spoken at his funeral by his son, Patrick Wayne.  One thing that most people recognize about the heroic cowboy was that no matter how famous he became, he lived by his own Code of the West. It's  my pleasure to share the eulogy and John Wayne’s Code of the American Cowboy.
  1. A cowboy does not judge color of skin, but by character within.
  2. A cowboy always respects a lady and tips his hat to all that pass him.
  3. A cowboy stands strong for what the American Frontier is all about.  Freedom, truth, justice and the American way.
  4. A cowboy will not be wronged, nor wrong another. The justice he deems out depends on that.
  5. A cowboy is loyal and hard working and maintains a high ethic.
  6. A cowboy loves his country, and will fight for its principals and sovereignty.
  7. A cowboy respects his animals and the earth they roam upon.
  8. A cowboy is faithful to what is entrusted to him.
  9. A cowboy is bound by duty, honor and gratitude for what God has given him, which includes his family and friends.
10.  A cowboy maintains a hidden code in his heart, for all to see. I found a few facts on John Wayne that I didn’t know. His birth name was Marion Morrison. Although his father was a pharmacist Wayne’s parents moved from Iowa to the Mojave Desert and tried their hand at ranching. That’s where he and his little brother, Robert swam in irrigation ditches and rode horses to school.  After failure at ranching, his family moved to Glendale, California, where Wayne delivered medicines for his father, sold newspapers and had an Airedale dog named “Duke” ... where he got his nickname. John Wayne was bright, did well in school both academically and in football.  He narrowly missed acceptance to Annapolis, so he went to USC on a football scholarship from 1925-27.  Tom Mix got him a summer job as a prop man in exchange for football tickets. (Bet, he couldn’t get by with that today.) On the set he became friends with director John Ford for whom, among others, he began doing bit parts, thus the birth of John Wayne.  His first featured film was in 1930 “Men Without Women”, where he went on to make about 70 low-budget westerns while his career basically bogged down in the mud.  In 1939, Ford cast Wayne in “Stagecoach” the movie that made him a star.  He appeared in over 250 movies, many of epic proportion. His conservative stance was reflected in his producing, directing and staring in “The Alamo” in 1960; while his patriotic stand was enshrined in “The Green Berets” in 1968, which he co-directed and also stared in. John Wayne won an Oscar for his role as one-eyed Rooster Cogburn in “True Grit” in 1969; and in 1979 he received a Congressional Gold Medal  But, he is best remember for his parts in Ford’s cavalry trilogy, “Fort Apache”, “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon”, and “Rio Grande”. A true cowboy spirit, won’t back up for nothing. What is your favorite John Wayne movie?]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/02/code-of-the-american-cowboy-john-wayne-style/feed/ 25 The Outlaw Josey Wales http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/02/09/the-cheyenne-club-luxury-on-the-wild-frontier/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/02/09/the-cheyenne-club-luxury-on-the-wild-frontier/#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:00:30 +0000 Pam Crooks http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=29627 In 1880, when the cattle kings of the West reigned like, well, royalty, their wealth and desire for comradeship led to the formation of the only male-dominated social club west of Denver.  Formed by members of the Wyoming Stockgrowers Association, the club was initially named The Cactus Club, then later changed to The Cheyenne Club.  The founding members claimed degrees from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, and Columbia, and all were frequently seen on the Riviera, in London, Paris and Mexico City. I have to tell you.  I had no idea.  I stumbled upon The Cheyenne Club while researching WYOMING WILDFLOWER, my first book with Dorchester, now re-released as an ebook and currently my best-selling self-published title.  Once I discovered this fascinating piece of Western history, I fell in love with the place.  I centered my storyline around the historic icon and the men that once walked upon its thick carpets.  The Cheyenne Club shattered my illusion of weather-bitten cattlemen who lived on remote ranches and lived simple lives, enduring each day only for the precious cattle that grazed across acres as far as the eye could see.  These men knew what comforts their money could bring, and they didn't hesitate to spend whatever it took to wallow in that comfort. Let me tell you a bit about it. The three story brick building was built on the corner of what is now 17th and Warren in Cheyenne.   A skylight towered over the main hall.  The Main Floor boasted rooms for smoking, billiards, reading, games, as well as the prominent dining room.  All had hardwood floors.   Copies of the Atlantic Monthly, Harper's, the Boston Sunday Herald, and the New York Graphic laid on the library's tables, alongside the Drover's Journal of Chicago. The kitchen and wine cellar were located in the basement, and three elevators hoisted hot cuisine prepared by a Canadian chef up to the dining room.  Champagne was served at breakfast, lunch and dinner.   Rugs graced fireplaces with attractives grates and marble-topped mantels.  Shakespearan quotations were inscribed in the blue-and-white, and brown-and-white tiles to "supply cheerfulness" to the guests.   Six sleeping rooms comprised the upper level.  Each room had thick carpets and were furnished with ceiling-high walnut wardrobes and hand-carved walnut beds.  Marbled covered the dressers and commodes.  Brocade satin and velvet drapes hung at the tall windows.  A lavish bath added to the guests' comforts. Another opulent feature of The Cheyenne Club was the piazza, flanked by Victorian French Windows.  Up to 26 arm rockers lined the area, large enough to be used as a dance floor.  Often on sunny days, chess tables were set-up for those wishing to enjoy an afternoon's game.  Photographs of members' horses and racing trophies adorned the walls of the Club.  A tennis court was located to the west of the club house, and a brick servants cottage was located to the north of it.  Club functions required dress suits and evening gowns.  Perfectly trained staff served liquors and delicacies shipped from New York City and San Francisco, as well as providing cigars and cheroots for those with a discriminating taste for fine tobacco.   All this opulence from a club house that towered on a corner lined with dirt streets.  Alas, the blizzards of 1886 and 1887 wiped out the herds of many of these cattle kings, and The Cheyenne Club slumped, never again to regain its glory.  In 1936, the club house was razed, and in its place, the present Chamber of Commerce and Frontier Days Committee building stands.   Just makes you want to sigh, doesn't it?  You can read more about The Cheyenne Club in WYOMING WILDFLOWER.  Here's a little blurb about the book: One of her father’s daughters . . . All Sonnie Mancuso wants is to be needed by her father. Unfortunately, he already has a daughter–six, to be exact–and all he needs is a son. One of her father’s men . . . Orphaned in the slums of New York, fifteen-year-old Lance Harmon needs a home. Sonnie’s father gives him one, on the cattle-rich Rocking M ranch. Through the years, Lance learns to love the land, the work . . . and Sonnie. And their legacy . . . But Vince Mancuso’s health is failing, and there’s trouble on the Wyoming range. Sonnie returns home to claim the legacy that’s rightfully hers . . . but learns Lance has already claimed it.

Buy Wyoming Wildflower for your Kindle!

 Although wives and female guests were allowed at The Cheyenne Club, membership was strictly male.  Do you know of any female-only clubs?  How do you feel about allowing women onto a male-dominated turf?  Or vice-versa? 

]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/02/09/the-cheyenne-club-luxury-on-the-wild-frontier/feed/ 23 Petticoats & Pistols » Legends of the West http://petticoatsandpistols.com Romancing The West Thu, 24 May 2012 07:00:15 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Pearl Hart – The Arizona Bandit http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/21/pearl-hart-the-arizona-bandit/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/21/pearl-hart-the-arizona-bandit/#comments Mon, 21 May 2012 05:17:05 +0000 Winnie Griggs http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=32600 Hi! Winnie Griggs here. (pssst - look for giveaway info at the bottom of this post) I was thumbing through one of those 'infamous women of the old west' type books the other day and  came across a listing for a woman named Pearl Hart. The heading of First Female Captured Stagecoach Robber caught my eye. And the more I read about this woman, the more fascinated I became with her story. I did some additional research and found a number of different, sometimes contradictory, accounts of her life. I’ll stitch together my favorites here. While there is very little know about her early life, we do know that she was born Pearl Taylor in 1871 and lived the early part of her life in Ontario, Canada. She was one of several children born into an upper middle-class, church going family. At age sixteen she was sent to a boarding school, but she had an adventurous spirit that couldn’t be contained. That, combined with her attractiveness and wit made her quite popular with the men of her acquaintance. While at school Pearl became infatuated with a young man named Hart and eloped at about age 17. Hart has variously been described as a rake, a drunk and a gambler. Far from this being the romantic adventure Pearl had hoped for, it turned out Hart was also abusive. She left him and then returned to him several times and it is reported they had two children together. During their last reconciliation, the couple worked odd jobs the Chicago World’s Fair. There Pearl saw Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show and developed a fascination for the cowboy life that would stay with her her entire life. She also visited the Women’s Pavilion where she heard speeches by prominent women’s activists such as Julia Ward Howe. Finally leaving Hart for good, Pearl placed the children in the care of her mother and took up with a man named Dan Bandman, a gambler and dance-hall musician. The two eventually moved to Colorado. Later, when Dan left to fight in the Spanish-American War, Pearl moved to Globe Arizona, a mining town. There are various reports that she may have worked as a cook, a singer, a laundress and/or opened a tent brothel. It is also said that she developed a fondness for cigar and liquor at this time. Pearl described her life at this time in these words: "I was only twenty-two years old. I was good-looking, desperate, discouraged, and ready for anything that might come. I do not care to dwell on this period of my life. It is sufficient to say that I went from one city to another..." Whatever her employment, Pearl’s finances hit bottom when the mine closed. Trying to find a way to earn money, she took up with a man named Joe Boot and together they tried to work an old mine claim he owned. But by 1899 the pair found themselves short on cash and decided to rob a stage, though it appears neither had done anything like this before. One account claims they took this desperate measure because Pearl had gotten word that her mother was ill and needed money, though there is little to substantiate this claim. Pearl cut her hair and dressed up like a man. Both armed with revolvers, they stopped a stage running between Florence and Globe at the Cane Springs Canyon watering point. They collected 1 from the three passengers on board. Pearl then reportedly took pity on them and gave them back each .00 so they could buy a meal at the next stop. But their lack of experience did them in. They did a poor job of covering their tracks and within six days the law had caught up with them. One account states that they were sleeping when the posses caught up with them and that while Joe surrendered quickly but Pearl tried, unsuccessfully, to fight her way out. Joe and Pearl were locked in the local jail. But the notoriety and attention Pearl received as a female bandit, coupled with the lack of proper facilities, caused the sheriff to throw up his hands and send her to the jail in Tucson. Pearl’s notoriety grew, and she did all she could to fuel it. Her story about her reason for the robbery (her ailing mother) gained her sympathy, and her avowal that she "would never consent to be tried under a law she or her sex had no voice in making, or to which a woman had no power under the law to give her consent" gained her a whole new level of attention. Never one to give up on her options, within a matter of days Pearl had charmed some of the men at the Tucson prison and managed to escape. Unfortunately for her, a New Mexico lawman recognized her and sent her back to the Tucson prison.   Joe Boot was eventually sentenced to 30 years in jail and Pearl to five. Pearl was given the dubious honor of being the first woman incarcerated into the Yuma Territorial Prison. But neither Pearl nor Joe served their full terms. Joe, apparently due to a show of good behavior, was given trustee status. He walked off while working outside the gates less than two years into his term and was never heard from again. Pearl, on the other hand, gained her freedom legitimately, well, sort of. The warden of the jail where Pearl was imprisoned like all the attention she was attracting from the public and the media. He provided her with a roomy 8 x10 cell as well as a small yard which gave her a space to entertain reporters, photographers and other guests. Pearl, who was the only female incarcerated in the facility, was not above using her wiles to play guards and trustees off of each other to improve her situation. In December of 1902, Pearl received a pardon from the governor and was released free and clear. The official reason for the pardon remains unclear, but it was given on condition that she leave the Arizona territory. Pearl herself claimed that she had been invited to play the lead in a play her sister had penned based on her life and this had played into her release. However, a later rumor emerged that she had became pregnant. The governor, wanting to spare the Arizona Territory the embarrassment of explaining how this could possibly have happened while she was imprisoned, pardoned her and set her free. While there is no proof that Pearl ever bore a third child, this doesn’t mean the wily woman didn’t use this as a ploy to secure her freedom. There are varying accounts of what happened to Pearl after she was released. Some say she parlayed her notoriety into a show business career, billing herself as “The Arizona Bandit.” One account says she traveled for a while with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. A less colorful theory is that she married a rancher named Calvin Bywater and settled down into a quite but happier life. If that last is true, then perhaps Pearl got her “happily ever after” after all. Folks who knew Mrs. Bywater described her as “soft spoken, kind, and a good citizen in all respects.” Mrs. Calvin Bywater lived well into her 80s. As I said earlier, there are a number of different accounts of Pearl’s life and this is only one of them. Her exploits have been featured in theater, film and pulp fiction. There was even a musical called The Legend Of Pearl Hart. And while we may never know the full true story of her life, there is no doubt that she lived it on her own terms.   And, as promised I'm doing a giveaway today.  In honor of my upcoming June release, A Baby Between Them, I'm giving away an advanced copy to one person who leaves a comment today.  Here's a little about this book: For two months, Nora Murphy has cared for the abandoned infant she found on their Boston-bound ship.  Settled now in Faith Glen, Nora tells herself she’s happy.  She has little Grace, and a good job as housekeeper to Sheriff Cameron Long.  She doesn’t need anything more - not the big family she always wanted, or Cam’s love...  A traumatic childhood closed Cam off  to any dreams of family life.  Yet somehow his lovely housekeeper and her child have opened his heart again.  When the unthinkable occurs, it will take all their faith to reach a new future together. Now avaiable for pre-order HERE]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/21/pearl-hart-the-arizona-bandit/feed/ 31 The Cheyenne Club – Luxury on the Wild Frontier http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/02/09/the-cheyenne-club-luxury-on-the-wild-frontier/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/02/09/the-cheyenne-club-luxury-on-the-wild-frontier/#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:00:30 +0000 Pam Crooks http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=29627 In 1880, when the cattle kings of the West reigned like, well, royalty, their wealth and desire for comradeship led to the formation of the only male-dominated social club west of Denver.  Formed by members of the Wyoming Stockgrowers Association, the club was initially named The Cactus Club, then later changed to The Cheyenne Club.  The founding members claimed degrees from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, and Columbia, and all were frequently seen on the Riviera, in London, Paris and Mexico City. I have to tell you.  I had no idea.  I stumbled upon The Cheyenne Club while researching WYOMING WILDFLOWER, my first book with Dorchester, now re-released as an ebook and currently my best-selling self-published title.  Once I discovered this fascinating piece of Western history, I fell in love with the place.  I centered my storyline around the historic icon and the men that once walked upon its thick carpets.  The Cheyenne Club shattered my illusion of weather-bitten cattlemen who lived on remote ranches and lived simple lives, enduring each day only for the precious cattle that grazed across acres as far as the eye could see.  These men knew what comforts their money could bring, and they didn't hesitate to spend whatever it took to wallow in that comfort. Let me tell you a bit about it. The three story brick building was built on the corner of what is now 17th and Warren in Cheyenne.   A skylight towered over the main hall.  The Main Floor boasted rooms for smoking, billiards, reading, games, as well as the prominent dining room.  All had hardwood floors.   Copies of the Atlantic Monthly, Harper's, the Boston Sunday Herald, and the New York Graphic laid on the library's tables, alongside the Drover's Journal of Chicago. The kitchen and wine cellar were located in the basement, and three elevators hoisted hot cuisine prepared by a Canadian chef up to the dining room.  Champagne was served at breakfast, lunch and dinner.   Rugs graced fireplaces with attractives grates and marble-topped mantels.  Shakespearan quotations were inscribed in the blue-and-white, and brown-and-white tiles to "supply cheerfulness" to the guests.   Six sleeping rooms comprised the upper level.  Each room had thick carpets and were furnished with ceiling-high walnut wardrobes and hand-carved walnut beds.  Marbled covered the dressers and commodes.  Brocade satin and velvet drapes hung at the tall windows.  A lavish bath added to the guests' comforts. Another opulent feature of The Cheyenne Club was the piazza, flanked by Victorian French Windows.  Up to 26 arm rockers lined the area, large enough to be used as a dance floor.  Often on sunny days, chess tables were set-up for those wishing to enjoy an afternoon's game.  Photographs of members' horses and racing trophies adorned the walls of the Club.  A tennis court was located to the west of the club house, and a brick servants cottage was located to the north of it.  Club functions required dress suits and evening gowns.  Perfectly trained staff served liquors and delicacies shipped from New York City and San Francisco, as well as providing cigars and cheroots for those with a discriminating taste for fine tobacco.   All this opulence from a club house that towered on a corner lined with dirt streets.  Alas, the blizzards of 1886 and 1887 wiped out the herds of many of these cattle kings, and The Cheyenne Club slumped, never again to regain its glory.  In 1936, the club house was razed, and in its place, the present Chamber of Commerce and Frontier Days Committee building stands.   Just makes you want to sigh, doesn't it?  You can read more about The Cheyenne Club in WYOMING WILDFLOWER.  Here's a little blurb about the book: One of her father’s daughters . . . All Sonnie Mancuso wants is to be needed by her father. Unfortunately, he already has a daughter–six, to be exact–and all he needs is a son. One of her father’s men . . . Orphaned in the slums of New York, fifteen-year-old Lance Harmon needs a home. Sonnie’s father gives him one, on the cattle-rich Rocking M ranch. Through the years, Lance learns to love the land, the work . . . and Sonnie. And their legacy . . . But Vince Mancuso’s health is failing, and there’s trouble on the Wyoming range. Sonnie returns home to claim the legacy that’s rightfully hers . . . but learns Lance has already claimed it.

Buy Wyoming Wildflower for your Kindle!

 Although wives and female guests were allowed at The Cheyenne Club, membership was strictly male.  Do you know of any female-only clubs?  How do you feel about allowing women onto a male-dominated turf?  Or vice-versa? 

]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/02/09/the-cheyenne-club-luxury-on-the-wild-frontier/feed/ 23 Another Cross on a Hill… http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/31/another-cross-on-a-hill/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/31/another-cross-on-a-hill/#comments Wed, 31 Aug 2011 06:10:20 +0000 Tanya Hanson http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=26179 During our recent vacation to Lake Tahoe, hubby and I took a DUKW tour of the Lake…both on land and in water. You see, “duck” vehicles are the refurbished amphibious vehicles used on D-Day now used as tourist transport on major waterways. Interestingly, the acronym isn’t any military jargon at all. “D” indicates a vehicle designed in 1942. “U” means utility, “K” indicates all-wheel drive, and “W” stands for two powered rear axles.  Since we’ve already taken road/water rides around Boston and into the Charles River, and throughout the hills of San Francisco with a drive straight into the bay, we couldn’t wait. Well, Lake Tahoe fascinates just about everybody, from Ponderosa fans to skiers, hikers, boaters, photographers, residents and tourists of all ages. It’s one of my favorite places on earth. But the first folks to love this place were the Washoe Indians. The tribe lent its term “tahlah-act” meaning “great mountain” to the tallest peak at the lake, today’s Mt. Tallac at 9,735 feet. Some say the pronunciation is “tayak.” The Washoe considered the mountain to be sacred, and their legends live on today. Particularly about the cross. The cross on Mt. Tallac’s northeastern face is visible when the snow begins to melt in the spring. Well, it was a warm summer day when we saw it, but the mountains were still clumped with snow. Folks skied at the surrounding resorts on the Fourth of July. That’s because the winter just past was Tahoe’s fourth-snowiest on record. The minute I saw the cross on August 9, I knew I needed to post here about it. But the subject mirrors the topic of my filly sister Winnie Griggs’s post of August 22. I didn’t want her to think I was “biting off her” (This was a term my kids always used when one of them copied the other LOL). Should I wait and post my cross blog later on? Then I realized: it’s sacred, marvelous, symbolic, magnificent to know that there are two such hallowed crosses in the West. I decided not to postpone this post. So. When you check out the cross, it’s actually a “couloir” or series of deep gorges just to the left of the summit. This beautiful watercolor is by artist Lois Wooldridge. Many legends abound about the cross. One Washoe belief held that if all the snow melted away, the world would end. Others forecast a season of drought. Still another said the cross disappearing meant the lake would dry up. The tale our DUCK guide shared was if the cross melted, Tahoe would experience a record winter of snow. And was he ever right! After the "cross" melted last year, the winter of 2010-2011 saw 643 inches of  snow. Annual expectation is 300-500. The deepest June snowpack on record was this year’s 71.25 inches on the 13th. As a tribute to Mt. Tallac and the cross, the opening sequence of the seventh through eleventh and final season of the classic Western TV show Bonanza was filmed from the north section of Nevada Beach (across the lake on the east shore) so that Mount Tallac and its snow cross appeared prominently in the background. As the Ponderosa map burned, you could see the Cartwright men riding up to the cameras with the mountain and cross in the back ground. This beautiful site draws you in no matter where you are in the area. The next day after the DUCK tour, we rode the Heavenly Valley ski gondola and saw Tallac’s breathtaking beauty from the observation deck at an elevation of 9,123. The 360 degree views, of the Lake, the mountains, Desolation Wilderness and Carson Valley are beyond breathtaking. Has anybody else seen Mt. Tallac and the snow cross?        ]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/31/another-cross-on-a-hill/feed/ 28 Code of the American Cowboy … John Wayne Style http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/02/code-of-the-american-cowboy-john-wayne-style/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/02/code-of-the-american-cowboy-john-wayne-style/#comments Tue, 02 Aug 2011 07:40:41 +0000 Phyliss http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=25538 Give Me A Texas Outlaw Bundle with Give Me A Cowboy Fellow Filly, Linda Broday, and I just finished up a month’s booksigning tour for our newest anthology, “Give Me a Texas Outlaw”.  We spent a lot of time up in the Liberal, Kansas area. We were the hottest act in town. Thanks Liberal! One of our visits was to the famous Dalton Gang Hideout in Meade, Kansas, where we were met and welcomed by none other than the charming Doc Holliday.  I’m adding a picture as proof of our adventure which was very interesting. Seeing Doc Holliday through the eyes of the curator Marc Ferguson was most mesmerizing, but I’ll save the Doc and the Dalton Gang Hideout for another blog. A few months ago, I blogged on the Code of the West, using a fairly common interpretation of the code. One of the most interesting things Doc Holliday showed us was the best known cowboy in America John Wayne’s eulogy spoken at his funeral by his son, Patrick Wayne.  One thing that most people recognize about the heroic cowboy was that no matter how famous he became, he lived by his own Code of the West. It's  my pleasure to share the eulogy and John Wayne’s Code of the American Cowboy.
  1. A cowboy does not judge color of skin, but by character within.
  2. A cowboy always respects a lady and tips his hat to all that pass him.
  3. A cowboy stands strong for what the American Frontier is all about.  Freedom, truth, justice and the American way.
  4. A cowboy will not be wronged, nor wrong another. The justice he deems out depends on that.
  5. A cowboy is loyal and hard working and maintains a high ethic.
  6. A cowboy loves his country, and will fight for its principals and sovereignty.
  7. A cowboy respects his animals and the earth they roam upon.
  8. A cowboy is faithful to what is entrusted to him.
  9. A cowboy is bound by duty, honor and gratitude for what God has given him, which includes his family and friends.
10.  A cowboy maintains a hidden code in his heart, for all to see. I found a few facts on John Wayne that I didn’t know. His birth name was Marion Morrison. Although his father was a pharmacist Wayne’s parents moved from Iowa to the Mojave Desert and tried their hand at ranching. That’s where he and his little brother, Robert swam in irrigation ditches and rode horses to school.  After failure at ranching, his family moved to Glendale, California, where Wayne delivered medicines for his father, sold newspapers and had an Airedale dog named “Duke” ... where he got his nickname. John Wayne was bright, did well in school both academically and in football.  He narrowly missed acceptance to Annapolis, so he went to USC on a football scholarship from 1925-27.  Tom Mix got him a summer job as a prop man in exchange for football tickets. (Bet, he couldn’t get by with that today.) On the set he became friends with director John Ford for whom, among others, he began doing bit parts, thus the birth of John Wayne.  His first featured film was in 1930 “Men Without Women”, where he went on to make about 70 low-budget westerns while his career basically bogged down in the mud.  In 1939, Ford cast Wayne in “Stagecoach” the movie that made him a star.  He appeared in over 250 movies, many of epic proportion. His conservative stance was reflected in his producing, directing and staring in “The Alamo” in 1960; while his patriotic stand was enshrined in “The Green Berets” in 1968, which he co-directed and also stared in. John Wayne won an Oscar for his role as one-eyed Rooster Cogburn in “True Grit” in 1969; and in 1979 he received a Congressional Gold Medal  But, he is best remember for his parts in Ford’s cavalry trilogy, “Fort Apache”, “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon”, and “Rio Grande”. A true cowboy spirit, won’t back up for nothing. What is your favorite John Wayne movie?]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/02/code-of-the-american-cowboy-john-wayne-style/feed/ 25 The Outlaw Josey Wales http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/31/another-cross-on-a-hill/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/31/another-cross-on-a-hill/#comments Wed, 31 Aug 2011 06:10:20 +0000 Tanya Hanson http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=26179 During our recent vacation to Lake Tahoe, hubby and I took a DUKW tour of the Lake…both on land and in water. You see, “duck” vehicles are the refurbished amphibious vehicles used on D-Day now used as tourist transport on major waterways. Interestingly, the acronym isn’t any military jargon at all. “D” indicates a vehicle designed in 1942. “U” means utility, “K” indicates all-wheel drive, and “W” stands for two powered rear axles.  Since we’ve already taken road/water rides around Boston and into the Charles River, and throughout the hills of San Francisco with a drive straight into the bay, we couldn’t wait. Well, Lake Tahoe fascinates just about everybody, from Ponderosa fans to skiers, hikers, boaters, photographers, residents and tourists of all ages. It’s one of my favorite places on earth. But the first folks to love this place were the Washoe Indians. The tribe lent its term “tahlah-act” meaning “great mountain” to the tallest peak at the lake, today’s Mt. Tallac at 9,735 feet. Some say the pronunciation is “tayak.” The Washoe considered the mountain to be sacred, and their legends live on today. Particularly about the cross. The cross on Mt. Tallac’s northeastern face is visible when the snow begins to melt in the spring. Well, it was a warm summer day when we saw it, but the mountains were still clumped with snow. Folks skied at the surrounding resorts on the Fourth of July. That’s because the winter just past was Tahoe’s fourth-snowiest on record. The minute I saw the cross on August 9, I knew I needed to post here about it. But the subject mirrors the topic of my filly sister Winnie Griggs’s post of August 22. I didn’t want her to think I was “biting off her” (This was a term my kids always used when one of them copied the other LOL). Should I wait and post my cross blog later on? Then I realized: it’s sacred, marvelous, symbolic, magnificent to know that there are two such hallowed crosses in the West. I decided not to postpone this post. So. When you check out the cross, it’s actually a “couloir” or series of deep gorges just to the left of the summit. This beautiful watercolor is by artist Lois Wooldridge. Many legends abound about the cross. One Washoe belief held that if all the snow melted away, the world would end. Others forecast a season of drought. Still another said the cross disappearing meant the lake would dry up. The tale our DUCK guide shared was if the cross melted, Tahoe would experience a record winter of snow. And was he ever right! After the "cross" melted last year, the winter of 2010-2011 saw 643 inches of  snow. Annual expectation is 300-500. The deepest June snowpack on record was this year’s 71.25 inches on the 13th. As a tribute to Mt. Tallac and the cross, the opening sequence of the seventh through eleventh and final season of the classic Western TV show Bonanza was filmed from the north section of Nevada Beach (across the lake on the east shore) so that Mount Tallac and its snow cross appeared prominently in the background. As the Ponderosa map burned, you could see the Cartwright men riding up to the cameras with the mountain and cross in the back ground. This beautiful site draws you in no matter where you are in the area. The next day after the DUCK tour, we rode the Heavenly Valley ski gondola and saw Tallac’s breathtaking beauty from the observation deck at an elevation of 9,123. The 360 degree views, of the Lake, the mountains, Desolation Wilderness and Carson Valley are beyond breathtaking. Has anybody else seen Mt. Tallac and the snow cross?        ]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/31/another-cross-on-a-hill/feed/ 28 Petticoats & Pistols » Legends of the West http://petticoatsandpistols.com Romancing The West Thu, 24 May 2012 07:00:15 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Pearl Hart – The Arizona Bandit http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/21/pearl-hart-the-arizona-bandit/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/21/pearl-hart-the-arizona-bandit/#comments Mon, 21 May 2012 05:17:05 +0000 Winnie Griggs http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=32600 Hi! Winnie Griggs here. (pssst - look for giveaway info at the bottom of this post) I was thumbing through one of those 'infamous women of the old west' type books the other day and  came across a listing for a woman named Pearl Hart. The heading of First Female Captured Stagecoach Robber caught my eye. And the more I read about this woman, the more fascinated I became with her story. I did some additional research and found a number of different, sometimes contradictory, accounts of her life. I’ll stitch together my favorites here. While there is very little know about her early life, we do know that she was born Pearl Taylor in 1871 and lived the early part of her life in Ontario, Canada. She was one of several children born into an upper middle-class, church going family. At age sixteen she was sent to a boarding school, but she had an adventurous spirit that couldn’t be contained. That, combined with her attractiveness and wit made her quite popular with the men of her acquaintance. While at school Pearl became infatuated with a young man named Hart and eloped at about age 17. Hart has variously been described as a rake, a drunk and a gambler. Far from this being the romantic adventure Pearl had hoped for, it turned out Hart was also abusive. She left him and then returned to him several times and it is reported they had two children together. During their last reconciliation, the couple worked odd jobs the Chicago World’s Fair. There Pearl saw Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show and developed a fascination for the cowboy life that would stay with her her entire life. She also visited the Women’s Pavilion where she heard speeches by prominent women’s activists such as Julia Ward Howe. Finally leaving Hart for good, Pearl placed the children in the care of her mother and took up with a man named Dan Bandman, a gambler and dance-hall musician. The two eventually moved to Colorado. Later, when Dan left to fight in the Spanish-American War, Pearl moved to Globe Arizona, a mining town. There are various reports that she may have worked as a cook, a singer, a laundress and/or opened a tent brothel. It is also said that she developed a fondness for cigar and liquor at this time. Pearl described her life at this time in these words: "I was only twenty-two years old. I was good-looking, desperate, discouraged, and ready for anything that might come. I do not care to dwell on this period of my life. It is sufficient to say that I went from one city to another..." Whatever her employment, Pearl’s finances hit bottom when the mine closed. Trying to find a way to earn money, she took up with a man named Joe Boot and together they tried to work an old mine claim he owned. But by 1899 the pair found themselves short on cash and decided to rob a stage, though it appears neither had done anything like this before. One account claims they took this desperate measure because Pearl had gotten word that her mother was ill and needed money, though there is little to substantiate this claim. Pearl cut her hair and dressed up like a man. Both armed with revolvers, they stopped a stage running between Florence and Globe at the Cane Springs Canyon watering point. They collected 1 from the three passengers on board. Pearl then reportedly took pity on them and gave them back each .00 so they could buy a meal at the next stop. But their lack of experience did them in. They did a poor job of covering their tracks and within six days the law had caught up with them. One account states that they were sleeping when the posses caught up with them and that while Joe surrendered quickly but Pearl tried, unsuccessfully, to fight her way out. Joe and Pearl were locked in the local jail. But the notoriety and attention Pearl received as a female bandit, coupled with the lack of proper facilities, caused the sheriff to throw up his hands and send her to the jail in Tucson. Pearl’s notoriety grew, and she did all she could to fuel it. Her story about her reason for the robbery (her ailing mother) gained her sympathy, and her avowal that she "would never consent to be tried under a law she or her sex had no voice in making, or to which a woman had no power under the law to give her consent" gained her a whole new level of attention. Never one to give up on her options, within a matter of days Pearl had charmed some of the men at the Tucson prison and managed to escape. Unfortunately for her, a New Mexico lawman recognized her and sent her back to the Tucson prison.   Joe Boot was eventually sentenced to 30 years in jail and Pearl to five. Pearl was given the dubious honor of being the first woman incarcerated into the Yuma Territorial Prison. But neither Pearl nor Joe served their full terms. Joe, apparently due to a show of good behavior, was given trustee status. He walked off while working outside the gates less than two years into his term and was never heard from again. Pearl, on the other hand, gained her freedom legitimately, well, sort of. The warden of the jail where Pearl was imprisoned like all the attention she was attracting from the public and the media. He provided her with a roomy 8 x10 cell as well as a small yard which gave her a space to entertain reporters, photographers and other guests. Pearl, who was the only female incarcerated in the facility, was not above using her wiles to play guards and trustees off of each other to improve her situation. In December of 1902, Pearl received a pardon from the governor and was released free and clear. The official reason for the pardon remains unclear, but it was given on condition that she leave the Arizona territory. Pearl herself claimed that she had been invited to play the lead in a play her sister had penned based on her life and this had played into her release. However, a later rumor emerged that she had became pregnant. The governor, wanting to spare the Arizona Territory the embarrassment of explaining how this could possibly have happened while she was imprisoned, pardoned her and set her free. While there is no proof that Pearl ever bore a third child, this doesn’t mean the wily woman didn’t use this as a ploy to secure her freedom. There are varying accounts of what happened to Pearl after she was released. Some say she parlayed her notoriety into a show business career, billing herself as “The Arizona Bandit.” One account says she traveled for a while with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. A less colorful theory is that she married a rancher named Calvin Bywater and settled down into a quite but happier life. If that last is true, then perhaps Pearl got her “happily ever after” after all. Folks who knew Mrs. Bywater described her as “soft spoken, kind, and a good citizen in all respects.” Mrs. Calvin Bywater lived well into her 80s. As I said earlier, there are a number of different accounts of Pearl’s life and this is only one of them. Her exploits have been featured in theater, film and pulp fiction. There was even a musical called The Legend Of Pearl Hart. And while we may never know the full true story of her life, there is no doubt that she lived it on her own terms.   And, as promised I'm doing a giveaway today.  In honor of my upcoming June release, A Baby Between Them, I'm giving away an advanced copy to one person who leaves a comment today.  Here's a little about this book: For two months, Nora Murphy has cared for the abandoned infant she found on their Boston-bound ship.  Settled now in Faith Glen, Nora tells herself she’s happy.  She has little Grace, and a good job as housekeeper to Sheriff Cameron Long.  She doesn’t need anything more - not the big family she always wanted, or Cam’s love...  A traumatic childhood closed Cam off  to any dreams of family life.  Yet somehow his lovely housekeeper and her child have opened his heart again.  When the unthinkable occurs, it will take all their faith to reach a new future together. Now avaiable for pre-order HERE]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/21/pearl-hart-the-arizona-bandit/feed/ 31 The Cheyenne Club – Luxury on the Wild Frontier http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/02/09/the-cheyenne-club-luxury-on-the-wild-frontier/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/02/09/the-cheyenne-club-luxury-on-the-wild-frontier/#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:00:30 +0000 Pam Crooks http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=29627 In 1880, when the cattle kings of the West reigned like, well, royalty, their wealth and desire for comradeship led to the formation of the only male-dominated social club west of Denver.  Formed by members of the Wyoming Stockgrowers Association, the club was initially named The Cactus Club, then later changed to The Cheyenne Club.  The founding members claimed degrees from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, and Columbia, and all were frequently seen on the Riviera, in London, Paris and Mexico City. I have to tell you.  I had no idea.  I stumbled upon The Cheyenne Club while researching WYOMING WILDFLOWER, my first book with Dorchester, now re-released as an ebook and currently my best-selling self-published title.  Once I discovered this fascinating piece of Western history, I fell in love with the place.  I centered my storyline around the historic icon and the men that once walked upon its thick carpets.  The Cheyenne Club shattered my illusion of weather-bitten cattlemen who lived on remote ranches and lived simple lives, enduring each day only for the precious cattle that grazed across acres as far as the eye could see.  These men knew what comforts their money could bring, and they didn't hesitate to spend whatever it took to wallow in that comfort. Let me tell you a bit about it. The three story brick building was built on the corner of what is now 17th and Warren in Cheyenne.   A skylight towered over the main hall.  The Main Floor boasted rooms for smoking, billiards, reading, games, as well as the prominent dining room.  All had hardwood floors.   Copies of the Atlantic Monthly, Harper's, the Boston Sunday Herald, and the New York Graphic laid on the library's tables, alongside the Drover's Journal of Chicago. The kitchen and wine cellar were located in the basement, and three elevators hoisted hot cuisine prepared by a Canadian chef up to the dining room.  Champagne was served at breakfast, lunch and dinner.   Rugs graced fireplaces with attractives grates and marble-topped mantels.  Shakespearan quotations were inscribed in the blue-and-white, and brown-and-white tiles to "supply cheerfulness" to the guests.   Six sleeping rooms comprised the upper level.  Each room had thick carpets and were furnished with ceiling-high walnut wardrobes and hand-carved walnut beds.  Marbled covered the dressers and commodes.  Brocade satin and velvet drapes hung at the tall windows.  A lavish bath added to the guests' comforts. Another opulent feature of The Cheyenne Club was the piazza, flanked by Victorian French Windows.  Up to 26 arm rockers lined the area, large enough to be used as a dance floor.  Often on sunny days, chess tables were set-up for those wishing to enjoy an afternoon's game.  Photographs of members' horses and racing trophies adorned the walls of the Club.  A tennis court was located to the west of the club house, and a brick servants cottage was located to the north of it.  Club functions required dress suits and evening gowns.  Perfectly trained staff served liquors and delicacies shipped from New York City and San Francisco, as well as providing cigars and cheroots for those with a discriminating taste for fine tobacco.   All this opulence from a club house that towered on a corner lined with dirt streets.  Alas, the blizzards of 1886 and 1887 wiped out the herds of many of these cattle kings, and The Cheyenne Club slumped, never again to regain its glory.  In 1936, the club house was razed, and in its place, the present Chamber of Commerce and Frontier Days Committee building stands.   Just makes you want to sigh, doesn't it?  You can read more about The Cheyenne Club in WYOMING WILDFLOWER.  Here's a little blurb about the book: One of her father’s daughters . . . All Sonnie Mancuso wants is to be needed by her father. Unfortunately, he already has a daughter–six, to be exact–and all he needs is a son. One of her father’s men . . . Orphaned in the slums of New York, fifteen-year-old Lance Harmon needs a home. Sonnie’s father gives him one, on the cattle-rich Rocking M ranch. Through the years, Lance learns to love the land, the work . . . and Sonnie. And their legacy . . . But Vince Mancuso’s health is failing, and there’s trouble on the Wyoming range. Sonnie returns home to claim the legacy that’s rightfully hers . . . but learns Lance has already claimed it.

Buy Wyoming Wildflower for your Kindle!

 Although wives and female guests were allowed at The Cheyenne Club, membership was strictly male.  Do you know of any female-only clubs?  How do you feel about allowing women onto a male-dominated turf?  Or vice-versa? 

]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/02/09/the-cheyenne-club-luxury-on-the-wild-frontier/feed/ 23 Another Cross on a Hill… http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/31/another-cross-on-a-hill/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/31/another-cross-on-a-hill/#comments Wed, 31 Aug 2011 06:10:20 +0000 Tanya Hanson http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=26179 During our recent vacation to Lake Tahoe, hubby and I took a DUKW tour of the Lake…both on land and in water. You see, “duck” vehicles are the refurbished amphibious vehicles used on D-Day now used as tourist transport on major waterways. Interestingly, the acronym isn’t any military jargon at all. “D” indicates a vehicle designed in 1942. “U” means utility, “K” indicates all-wheel drive, and “W” stands for two powered rear axles.  Since we’ve already taken road/water rides around Boston and into the Charles River, and throughout the hills of San Francisco with a drive straight into the bay, we couldn’t wait. Well, Lake Tahoe fascinates just about everybody, from Ponderosa fans to skiers, hikers, boaters, photographers, residents and tourists of all ages. It’s one of my favorite places on earth. But the first folks to love this place were the Washoe Indians. The tribe lent its term “tahlah-act” meaning “great mountain” to the tallest peak at the lake, today’s Mt. Tallac at 9,735 feet. Some say the pronunciation is “tayak.” The Washoe considered the mountain to be sacred, and their legends live on today. Particularly about the cross. The cross on Mt. Tallac’s northeastern face is visible when the snow begins to melt in the spring. Well, it was a warm summer day when we saw it, but the mountains were still clumped with snow. Folks skied at the surrounding resorts on the Fourth of July. That’s because the winter just past was Tahoe’s fourth-snowiest on record. The minute I saw the cross on August 9, I knew I needed to post here about it. But the subject mirrors the topic of my filly sister Winnie Griggs’s post of August 22. I didn’t want her to think I was “biting off her” (This was a term my kids always used when one of them copied the other LOL). Should I wait and post my cross blog later on? Then I realized: it’s sacred, marvelous, symbolic, magnificent to know that there are two such hallowed crosses in the West. I decided not to postpone this post. So. When you check out the cross, it’s actually a “couloir” or series of deep gorges just to the left of the summit. This beautiful watercolor is by artist Lois Wooldridge. Many legends abound about the cross. One Washoe belief held that if all the snow melted away, the world would end. Others forecast a season of drought. Still another said the cross disappearing meant the lake would dry up. The tale our DUCK guide shared was if the cross melted, Tahoe would experience a record winter of snow. And was he ever right! After the "cross" melted last year, the winter of 2010-2011 saw 643 inches of  snow. Annual expectation is 300-500. The deepest June snowpack on record was this year’s 71.25 inches on the 13th. As a tribute to Mt. Tallac and the cross, the opening sequence of the seventh through eleventh and final season of the classic Western TV show Bonanza was filmed from the north section of Nevada Beach (across the lake on the east shore) so that Mount Tallac and its snow cross appeared prominently in the background. As the Ponderosa map burned, you could see the Cartwright men riding up to the cameras with the mountain and cross in the back ground. This beautiful site draws you in no matter where you are in the area. The next day after the DUCK tour, we rode the Heavenly Valley ski gondola and saw Tallac’s breathtaking beauty from the observation deck at an elevation of 9,123. The 360 degree views, of the Lake, the mountains, Desolation Wilderness and Carson Valley are beyond breathtaking. Has anybody else seen Mt. Tallac and the snow cross?        ]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/31/another-cross-on-a-hill/feed/ 28 Code of the American Cowboy … John Wayne Style http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/02/code-of-the-american-cowboy-john-wayne-style/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/02/code-of-the-american-cowboy-john-wayne-style/#comments Tue, 02 Aug 2011 07:40:41 +0000 Phyliss http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=25538 Give Me A Texas Outlaw Bundle with Give Me A Cowboy Fellow Filly, Linda Broday, and I just finished up a month’s booksigning tour for our newest anthology, “Give Me a Texas Outlaw”.  We spent a lot of time up in the Liberal, Kansas area. We were the hottest act in town. Thanks Liberal! One of our visits was to the famous Dalton Gang Hideout in Meade, Kansas, where we were met and welcomed by none other than the charming Doc Holliday.  I’m adding a picture as proof of our adventure which was very interesting. Seeing Doc Holliday through the eyes of the curator Marc Ferguson was most mesmerizing, but I’ll save the Doc and the Dalton Gang Hideout for another blog. A few months ago, I blogged on the Code of the West, using a fairly common interpretation of the code. One of the most interesting things Doc Holliday showed us was the best known cowboy in America John Wayne’s eulogy spoken at his funeral by his son, Patrick Wayne.  One thing that most people recognize about the heroic cowboy was that no matter how famous he became, he lived by his own Code of the West. It's  my pleasure to share the eulogy and John Wayne’s Code of the American Cowboy.
  1. A cowboy does not judge color of skin, but by character within.
  2. A cowboy always respects a lady and tips his hat to all that pass him.
  3. A cowboy stands strong for what the American Frontier is all about.  Freedom, truth, justice and the American way.
  4. A cowboy will not be wronged, nor wrong another. The justice he deems out depends on that.
  5. A cowboy is loyal and hard working and maintains a high ethic.
  6. A cowboy loves his country, and will fight for its principals and sovereignty.
  7. A cowboy respects his animals and the earth they roam upon.
  8. A cowboy is faithful to what is entrusted to him.
  9. A cowboy is bound by duty, honor and gratitude for what God has given him, which includes his family and friends.
10.  A cowboy maintains a hidden code in his heart, for all to see. I found a few facts on John Wayne that I didn’t know. His birth name was Marion Morrison. Although his father was a pharmacist Wayne’s parents moved from Iowa to the Mojave Desert and tried their hand at ranching. That’s where he and his little brother, Robert swam in irrigation ditches and rode horses to school.  After failure at ranching, his family moved to Glendale, California, where Wayne delivered medicines for his father, sold newspapers and had an Airedale dog named “Duke” ... where he got his nickname. John Wayne was bright, did well in school both academically and in football.  He narrowly missed acceptance to Annapolis, so he went to USC on a football scholarship from 1925-27.  Tom Mix got him a summer job as a prop man in exchange for football tickets. (Bet, he couldn’t get by with that today.) On the set he became friends with director John Ford for whom, among others, he began doing bit parts, thus the birth of John Wayne.  His first featured film was in 1930 “Men Without Women”, where he went on to make about 70 low-budget westerns while his career basically bogged down in the mud.  In 1939, Ford cast Wayne in “Stagecoach” the movie that made him a star.  He appeared in over 250 movies, many of epic proportion. His conservative stance was reflected in his producing, directing and staring in “The Alamo” in 1960; while his patriotic stand was enshrined in “The Green Berets” in 1968, which he co-directed and also stared in. John Wayne won an Oscar for his role as one-eyed Rooster Cogburn in “True Grit” in 1969; and in 1979 he received a Congressional Gold Medal  But, he is best remember for his parts in Ford’s cavalry trilogy, “Fort Apache”, “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon”, and “Rio Grande”. A true cowboy spirit, won’t back up for nothing. What is your favorite John Wayne movie?]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/02/code-of-the-american-cowboy-john-wayne-style/feed/ 25 The Outlaw Josey Wales http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/02/code-of-the-american-cowboy-john-wayne-style/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/02/code-of-the-american-cowboy-john-wayne-style/#comments Tue, 02 Aug 2011 07:40:41 +0000 Phyliss http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=25538 Give Me A Texas Outlaw Bundle with Give Me A Cowboy Fellow Filly, Linda Broday, and I just finished up a month’s booksigning tour for our newest anthology, “Give Me a Texas Outlaw”.  We spent a lot of time up in the Liberal, Kansas area. We were the hottest act in town. Thanks Liberal! One of our visits was to the famous Dalton Gang Hideout in Meade, Kansas, where we were met and welcomed by none other than the charming Doc Holliday.  I’m adding a picture as proof of our adventure which was very interesting. Seeing Doc Holliday through the eyes of the curator Marc Ferguson was most mesmerizing, but I’ll save the Doc and the Dalton Gang Hideout for another blog. A few months ago, I blogged on the Code of the West, using a fairly common interpretation of the code. One of the most interesting things Doc Holliday showed us was the best known cowboy in America John Wayne’s eulogy spoken at his funeral by his son, Patrick Wayne.  One thing that most people recognize about the heroic cowboy was that no matter how famous he became, he lived by his own Code of the West. It's  my pleasure to share the eulogy and John Wayne’s Code of the American Cowboy.
  1. A cowboy does not judge color of skin, but by character within.
  2. A cowboy always respects a lady and tips his hat to all that pass him.
  3. A cowboy stands strong for what the American Frontier is all about.  Freedom, truth, justice and the American way.
  4. A cowboy will not be wronged, nor wrong another. The justice he deems out depends on that.
  5. A cowboy is loyal and hard working and maintains a high ethic.
  6. A cowboy loves his country, and will fight for its principals and sovereignty.
  7. A cowboy respects his animals and the earth they roam upon.
  8. A cowboy is faithful to what is entrusted to him.
  9. A cowboy is bound by duty, honor and gratitude for what God has given him, which includes his family and friends.
10.  A cowboy maintains a hidden code in his heart, for all to see. I found a few facts on John Wayne that I didn’t know. His birth name was Marion Morrison. Although his father was a pharmacist Wayne’s parents moved from Iowa to the Mojave Desert and tried their hand at ranching. That’s where he and his little brother, Robert swam in irrigation ditches and rode horses to school.  After failure at ranching, his family moved to Glendale, California, where Wayne delivered medicines for his father, sold newspapers and had an Airedale dog named “Duke” ... where he got his nickname. John Wayne was bright, did well in school both academically and in football.  He narrowly missed acceptance to Annapolis, so he went to USC on a football scholarship from 1925-27.  Tom Mix got him a summer job as a prop man in exchange for football tickets. (Bet, he couldn’t get by with that today.) On the set he became friends with director John Ford for whom, among others, he began doing bit parts, thus the birth of John Wayne.  His first featured film was in 1930 “Men Without Women”, where he went on to make about 70 low-budget westerns while his career basically bogged down in the mud.  In 1939, Ford cast Wayne in “Stagecoach” the movie that made him a star.  He appeared in over 250 movies, many of epic proportion. His conservative stance was reflected in his producing, directing and staring in “The Alamo” in 1960; while his patriotic stand was enshrined in “The Green Berets” in 1968, which he co-directed and also stared in. John Wayne won an Oscar for his role as one-eyed Rooster Cogburn in “True Grit” in 1969; and in 1979 he received a Congressional Gold Medal  But, he is best remember for his parts in Ford’s cavalry trilogy, “Fort Apache”, “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon”, and “Rio Grande”. A true cowboy spirit, won’t back up for nothing. What is your favorite John Wayne movie?]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/02/code-of-the-american-cowboy-john-wayne-style/feed/ 25 Petticoats & Pistols » Legends of the West http://petticoatsandpistols.com Romancing The West Thu, 24 May 2012 07:00:15 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Pearl Hart – The Arizona Bandit http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/21/pearl-hart-the-arizona-bandit/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/21/pearl-hart-the-arizona-bandit/#comments Mon, 21 May 2012 05:17:05 +0000 Winnie Griggs http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=32600 Hi! Winnie Griggs here. (pssst - look for giveaway info at the bottom of this post) I was thumbing through one of those 'infamous women of the old west' type books the other day and  came across a listing for a woman named Pearl Hart. The heading of First Female Captured Stagecoach Robber caught my eye. And the more I read about this woman, the more fascinated I became with her story. I did some additional research and found a number of different, sometimes contradictory, accounts of her life. I’ll stitch together my favorites here. While there is very little know about her early life, we do know that she was born Pearl Taylor in 1871 and lived the early part of her life in Ontario, Canada. She was one of several children born into an upper middle-class, church going family. At age sixteen she was sent to a boarding school, but she had an adventurous spirit that couldn’t be contained. That, combined with her attractiveness and wit made her quite popular with the men of her acquaintance. While at school Pearl became infatuated with a young man named Hart and eloped at about age 17. Hart has variously been described as a rake, a drunk and a gambler. Far from this being the romantic adventure Pearl had hoped for, it turned out Hart was also abusive. She left him and then returned to him several times and it is reported they had two children together. During their last reconciliation, the couple worked odd jobs the Chicago World’s Fair. There Pearl saw Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show and developed a fascination for the cowboy life that would stay with her her entire life. She also visited the Women’s Pavilion where she heard speeches by prominent women’s activists such as Julia Ward Howe. Finally leaving Hart for good, Pearl placed the children in the care of her mother and took up with a man named Dan Bandman, a gambler and dance-hall musician. The two eventually moved to Colorado. Later, when Dan left to fight in the Spanish-American War, Pearl moved to Globe Arizona, a mining town. There are various reports that she may have worked as a cook, a singer, a laundress and/or opened a tent brothel. It is also said that she developed a fondness for cigar and liquor at this time. Pearl described her life at this time in these words: "I was only twenty-two years old. I was good-looking, desperate, discouraged, and ready for anything that might come. I do not care to dwell on this period of my life. It is sufficient to say that I went from one city to another..." Whatever her employment, Pearl’s finances hit bottom when the mine closed. Trying to find a way to earn money, she took up with a man named Joe Boot and together they tried to work an old mine claim he owned. But by 1899 the pair found themselves short on cash and decided to rob a stage, though it appears neither had done anything like this before. One account claims they took this desperate measure because Pearl had gotten word that her mother was ill and needed money, though there is little to substantiate this claim. Pearl cut her hair and dressed up like a man. Both armed with revolvers, they stopped a stage running between Florence and Globe at the Cane Springs Canyon watering point. They collected 1 from the three passengers on board. Pearl then reportedly took pity on them and gave them back each .00 so they could buy a meal at the next stop. But their lack of experience did them in. They did a poor job of covering their tracks and within six days the law had caught up with them. One account states that they were sleeping when the posses caught up with them and that while Joe surrendered quickly but Pearl tried, unsuccessfully, to fight her way out. Joe and Pearl were locked in the local jail. But the notoriety and attention Pearl received as a female bandit, coupled with the lack of proper facilities, caused the sheriff to throw up his hands and send her to the jail in Tucson. Pearl’s notoriety grew, and she did all she could to fuel it. Her story about her reason for the robbery (her ailing mother) gained her sympathy, and her avowal that she "would never consent to be tried under a law she or her sex had no voice in making, or to which a woman had no power under the law to give her consent" gained her a whole new level of attention. Never one to give up on her options, within a matter of days Pearl had charmed some of the men at the Tucson prison and managed to escape. Unfortunately for her, a New Mexico lawman recognized her and sent her back to the Tucson prison.   Joe Boot was eventually sentenced to 30 years in jail and Pearl to five. Pearl was given the dubious honor of being the first woman incarcerated into the Yuma Territorial Prison. But neither Pearl nor Joe served their full terms. Joe, apparently due to a show of good behavior, was given trustee status. He walked off while working outside the gates less than two years into his term and was never heard from again. Pearl, on the other hand, gained her freedom legitimately, well, sort of. The warden of the jail where Pearl was imprisoned like all the attention she was attracting from the public and the media. He provided her with a roomy 8 x10 cell as well as a small yard which gave her a space to entertain reporters, photographers and other guests. Pearl, who was the only female incarcerated in the facility, was not above using her wiles to play guards and trustees off of each other to improve her situation. In December of 1902, Pearl received a pardon from the governor and was released free and clear. The official reason for the pardon remains unclear, but it was given on condition that she leave the Arizona territory. Pearl herself claimed that she had been invited to play the lead in a play her sister had penned based on her life and this had played into her release. However, a later rumor emerged that she had became pregnant. The governor, wanting to spare the Arizona Territory the embarrassment of explaining how this could possibly have happened while she was imprisoned, pardoned her and set her free. While there is no proof that Pearl ever bore a third child, this doesn’t mean the wily woman didn’t use this as a ploy to secure her freedom. There are varying accounts of what happened to Pearl after she was released. Some say she parlayed her notoriety into a show business career, billing herself as “The Arizona Bandit.” One account says she traveled for a while with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. A less colorful theory is that she married a rancher named Calvin Bywater and settled down into a quite but happier life. If that last is true, then perhaps Pearl got her “happily ever after” after all. Folks who knew Mrs. Bywater described her as “soft spoken, kind, and a good citizen in all respects.” Mrs. Calvin Bywater lived well into her 80s. As I said earlier, there are a number of different accounts of Pearl’s life and this is only one of them. Her exploits have been featured in theater, film and pulp fiction. There was even a musical called The Legend Of Pearl Hart. And while we may never know the full true story of her life, there is no doubt that she lived it on her own terms.   And, as promised I'm doing a giveaway today.  In honor of my upcoming June release, A Baby Between Them, I'm giving away an advanced copy to one person who leaves a comment today.  Here's a little about this book: For two months, Nora Murphy has cared for the abandoned infant she found on their Boston-bound ship.  Settled now in Faith Glen, Nora tells herself she’s happy.  She has little Grace, and a good job as housekeeper to Sheriff Cameron Long.  She doesn’t need anything more - not the big family she always wanted, or Cam’s love...  A traumatic childhood closed Cam off  to any dreams of family life.  Yet somehow his lovely housekeeper and her child have opened his heart again.  When the unthinkable occurs, it will take all their faith to reach a new future together. Now avaiable for pre-order HERE]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/21/pearl-hart-the-arizona-bandit/feed/ 31 The Cheyenne Club – Luxury on the Wild Frontier http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/02/09/the-cheyenne-club-luxury-on-the-wild-frontier/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/02/09/the-cheyenne-club-luxury-on-the-wild-frontier/#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:00:30 +0000 Pam Crooks http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=29627 In 1880, when the cattle kings of the West reigned like, well, royalty, their wealth and desire for comradeship led to the formation of the only male-dominated social club west of Denver.  Formed by members of the Wyoming Stockgrowers Association, the club was initially named The Cactus Club, then later changed to The Cheyenne Club.  The founding members claimed degrees from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, and Columbia, and all were frequently seen on the Riviera, in London, Paris and Mexico City. I have to tell you.  I had no idea.  I stumbled upon The Cheyenne Club while researching WYOMING WILDFLOWER, my first book with Dorchester, now re-released as an ebook and currently my best-selling self-published title.  Once I discovered this fascinating piece of Western history, I fell in love with the place.  I centered my storyline around the historic icon and the men that once walked upon its thick carpets.  The Cheyenne Club shattered my illusion of weather-bitten cattlemen who lived on remote ranches and lived simple lives, enduring each day only for the precious cattle that grazed across acres as far as the eye could see.  These men knew what comforts their money could bring, and they didn't hesitate to spend whatever it took to wallow in that comfort. Let me tell you a bit about it. The three story brick building was built on the corner of what is now 17th and Warren in Cheyenne.   A skylight towered over the main hall.  The Main Floor boasted rooms for smoking, billiards, reading, games, as well as the prominent dining room.  All had hardwood floors.   Copies of the Atlantic Monthly, Harper's, the Boston Sunday Herald, and the New York Graphic laid on the library's tables, alongside the Drover's Journal of Chicago. The kitchen and wine cellar were located in the basement, and three elevators hoisted hot cuisine prepared by a Canadian chef up to the dining room.  Champagne was served at breakfast, lunch and dinner.   Rugs graced fireplaces with attractives grates and marble-topped mantels.  Shakespearan quotations were inscribed in the blue-and-white, and brown-and-white tiles to "supply cheerfulness" to the guests.   Six sleeping rooms comprised the upper level.  Each room had thick carpets and were furnished with ceiling-high walnut wardrobes and hand-carved walnut beds.  Marbled covered the dressers and commodes.  Brocade satin and velvet drapes hung at the tall windows.  A lavish bath added to the guests' comforts. Another opulent feature of The Cheyenne Club was the piazza, flanked by Victorian French Windows.  Up to 26 arm rockers lined the area, large enough to be used as a dance floor.  Often on sunny days, chess tables were set-up for those wishing to enjoy an afternoon's game.  Photographs of members' horses and racing trophies adorned the walls of the Club.  A tennis court was located to the west of the club house, and a brick servants cottage was located to the north of it.  Club functions required dress suits and evening gowns.  Perfectly trained staff served liquors and delicacies shipped from New York City and San Francisco, as well as providing cigars and cheroots for those with a discriminating taste for fine tobacco.   All this opulence from a club house that towered on a corner lined with dirt streets.  Alas, the blizzards of 1886 and 1887 wiped out the herds of many of these cattle kings, and The Cheyenne Club slumped, never again to regain its glory.  In 1936, the club house was razed, and in its place, the present Chamber of Commerce and Frontier Days Committee building stands.   Just makes you want to sigh, doesn't it?  You can read more about The Cheyenne Club in WYOMING WILDFLOWER.  Here's a little blurb about the book: One of her father’s daughters . . . All Sonnie Mancuso wants is to be needed by her father. Unfortunately, he already has a daughter–six, to be exact–and all he needs is a son. One of her father’s men . . . Orphaned in the slums of New York, fifteen-year-old Lance Harmon needs a home. Sonnie’s father gives him one, on the cattle-rich Rocking M ranch. Through the years, Lance learns to love the land, the work . . . and Sonnie. And their legacy . . . But Vince Mancuso’s health is failing, and there’s trouble on the Wyoming range. Sonnie returns home to claim the legacy that’s rightfully hers . . . but learns Lance has already claimed it.

Buy Wyoming Wildflower for your Kindle!

 Although wives and female guests were allowed at The Cheyenne Club, membership was strictly male.  Do you know of any female-only clubs?  How do you feel about allowing women onto a male-dominated turf?  Or vice-versa? 

]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/02/09/the-cheyenne-club-luxury-on-the-wild-frontier/feed/ 23 Another Cross on a Hill… http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/31/another-cross-on-a-hill/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/31/another-cross-on-a-hill/#comments Wed, 31 Aug 2011 06:10:20 +0000 Tanya Hanson http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=26179 During our recent vacation to Lake Tahoe, hubby and I took a DUKW tour of the Lake…both on land and in water. You see, “duck” vehicles are the refurbished amphibious vehicles used on D-Day now used as tourist transport on major waterways. Interestingly, the acronym isn’t any military jargon at all. “D” indicates a vehicle designed in 1942. “U” means utility, “K” indicates all-wheel drive, and “W” stands for two powered rear axles.  Since we’ve already taken road/water rides around Boston and into the Charles River, and throughout the hills of San Francisco with a drive straight into the bay, we couldn’t wait. Well, Lake Tahoe fascinates just about everybody, from Ponderosa fans to skiers, hikers, boaters, photographers, residents and tourists of all ages. It’s one of my favorite places on earth. But the first folks to love this place were the Washoe Indians. The tribe lent its term “tahlah-act” meaning “great mountain” to the tallest peak at the lake, today’s Mt. Tallac at 9,735 feet. Some say the pronunciation is “tayak.” The Washoe considered the mountain to be sacred, and their legends live on today. Particularly about the cross. The cross on Mt. Tallac’s northeastern face is visible when the snow begins to melt in the spring. Well, it was a warm summer day when we saw it, but the mountains were still clumped with snow. Folks skied at the surrounding resorts on the Fourth of July. That’s because the winter just past was Tahoe’s fourth-snowiest on record. The minute I saw the cross on August 9, I knew I needed to post here about it. But the subject mirrors the topic of my filly sister Winnie Griggs’s post of August 22. I didn’t want her to think I was “biting off her” (This was a term my kids always used when one of them copied the other LOL). Should I wait and post my cross blog later on? Then I realized: it’s sacred, marvelous, symbolic, magnificent to know that there are two such hallowed crosses in the West. I decided not to postpone this post. So. When you check out the cross, it’s actually a “couloir” or series of deep gorges just to the left of the summit. This beautiful watercolor is by artist Lois Wooldridge. Many legends abound about the cross. One Washoe belief held that if all the snow melted away, the world would end. Others forecast a season of drought. Still another said the cross disappearing meant the lake would dry up. The tale our DUCK guide shared was if the cross melted, Tahoe would experience a record winter of snow. And was he ever right! After the "cross" melted last year, the winter of 2010-2011 saw 643 inches of  snow. Annual expectation is 300-500. The deepest June snowpack on record was this year’s 71.25 inches on the 13th. As a tribute to Mt. Tallac and the cross, the opening sequence of the seventh through eleventh and final season of the classic Western TV show Bonanza was filmed from the north section of Nevada Beach (across the lake on the east shore) so that Mount Tallac and its snow cross appeared prominently in the background. As the Ponderosa map burned, you could see the Cartwright men riding up to the cameras with the mountain and cross in the back ground. This beautiful site draws you in no matter where you are in the area. The next day after the DUCK tour, we rode the Heavenly Valley ski gondola and saw Tallac’s breathtaking beauty from the observation deck at an elevation of 9,123. The 360 degree views, of the Lake, the mountains, Desolation Wilderness and Carson Valley are beyond breathtaking. Has anybody else seen Mt. Tallac and the snow cross?        ]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/31/another-cross-on-a-hill/feed/ 28 Code of the American Cowboy … John Wayne Style http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/02/code-of-the-american-cowboy-john-wayne-style/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/02/code-of-the-american-cowboy-john-wayne-style/#comments Tue, 02 Aug 2011 07:40:41 +0000 Phyliss http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=25538 Give Me A Texas Outlaw Bundle with Give Me A Cowboy Fellow Filly, Linda Broday, and I just finished up a month’s booksigning tour for our newest anthology, “Give Me a Texas Outlaw”.  We spent a lot of time up in the Liberal, Kansas area. We were the hottest act in town. Thanks Liberal! One of our visits was to the famous Dalton Gang Hideout in Meade, Kansas, where we were met and welcomed by none other than the charming Doc Holliday.  I’m adding a picture as proof of our adventure which was very interesting. Seeing Doc Holliday through the eyes of the curator Marc Ferguson was most mesmerizing, but I’ll save the Doc and the Dalton Gang Hideout for another blog. A few months ago, I blogged on the Code of the West, using a fairly common interpretation of the code. One of the most interesting things Doc Holliday showed us was the best known cowboy in America John Wayne’s eulogy spoken at his funeral by his son, Patrick Wayne.  One thing that most people recognize about the heroic cowboy was that no matter how famous he became, he lived by his own Code of the West. It's  my pleasure to share the eulogy and John Wayne’s Code of the American Cowboy.
  1. A cowboy does not judge color of skin, but by character within.
  2. A cowboy always respects a lady and tips his hat to all that pass him.
  3. A cowboy stands strong for what the American Frontier is all about.  Freedom, truth, justice and the American way.
  4. A cowboy will not be wronged, nor wrong another. The justice he deems out depends on that.
  5. A cowboy is loyal and hard working and maintains a high ethic.
  6. A cowboy loves his country, and will fight for its principals and sovereignty.
  7. A cowboy respects his animals and the earth they roam upon.
  8. A cowboy is faithful to what is entrusted to him.
  9. A cowboy is bound by duty, honor and gratitude for what God has given him, which includes his family and friends.
10.  A cowboy maintains a hidden code in his heart, for all to see. I found a few facts on John Wayne that I didn’t know. His birth name was Marion Morrison. Although his father was a pharmacist Wayne’s parents moved from Iowa to the Mojave Desert and tried their hand at ranching. That’s where he and his little brother, Robert swam in irrigation ditches and rode horses to school.  After failure at ranching, his family moved to Glendale, California, where Wayne delivered medicines for his father, sold newspapers and had an Airedale dog named “Duke” ... where he got his nickname. John Wayne was bright, did well in school both academically and in football.  He narrowly missed acceptance to Annapolis, so he went to USC on a football scholarship from 1925-27.  Tom Mix got him a summer job as a prop man in exchange for football tickets. (Bet, he couldn’t get by with that today.) On the set he became friends with director John Ford for whom, among others, he began doing bit parts, thus the birth of John Wayne.  His first featured film was in 1930 “Men Without Women”, where he went on to make about 70 low-budget westerns while his career basically bogged down in the mud.  In 1939, Ford cast Wayne in “Stagecoach” the movie that made him a star.  He appeared in over 250 movies, many of epic proportion. His conservative stance was reflected in his producing, directing and staring in “The Alamo” in 1960; while his patriotic stand was enshrined in “The Green Berets” in 1968, which he co-directed and also stared in. John Wayne won an Oscar for his role as one-eyed Rooster Cogburn in “True Grit” in 1969; and in 1979 he received a Congressional Gold Medal  But, he is best remember for his parts in Ford’s cavalry trilogy, “Fort Apache”, “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon”, and “Rio Grande”. A true cowboy spirit, won’t back up for nothing. What is your favorite John Wayne movie?]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/08/02/code-of-the-american-cowboy-john-wayne-style/feed/ 25 The Outlaw Josey Wales http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/07/01/the-outlaw-josey-wales/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2011/07/01/the-outlaw-josey-wales/#comments Fri, 01 Jul 2011 10:31:09 +0000 Stacey Kayne http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=24830   The Outlaw Josey Wales is my favorite western movie classic, and certainly a favorite western read. A gritty western with touches of humor and a slight splash of romance, what I like most about this story is the detail to history and the stark portrayal of good and bad in EVERYONE. At the start Josey Wales is a peaceful Missouri farmer. He's driven to revenge by the brutal murder of his wife and son by a band of pro-Union Jayhawkers — Senator James H. Lane's Redlegs from Kansas. Wales joins a group of pro-Confederate Missouri guerrillas/bushwhackers led by William T. Anderson. At the conclusion of the war, Captain Fletcher persuades the guerrillas to surrender, saying they have been granted amnesty. Josey Wales, still holding a grudge, refuses to surrender. As a result, he survives the massacre of the men by Captain Terrill's Redlegs, who've now joined the Union Army. Wales intervenes and guns down several Redlegs with a Gatling gun. Senator Lane puts up a $5,000 bounty on Wales. Wales begins a life on the run from Union militia and bounty hunters while still seeking vengeance and a chance for a new beginning in Texas. Along the way, he unwillingly accumulates a diverse group of traveling companions despite all indications that he would rather be left alone. His companions include a wily old Cherokee named Lone Watie, a young Navajo woman, and an elderly Yankee woman from Kansas and her granddaughter rescued from a band of Comancheros. In the final showdown, Josey and his companions are cornered in a ranch house which is fortified to withstand Indian raids. The film  was inspired by a 1972 novel by Forrest Carter, originally titled Gone to Texas and later retitled The Rebel Outlaw: Josey Wales.  I'm much more inclined to curl up with a book than turn on the tube--but as far as movies go, this is one that can hold me captive from the first scene to the last. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it! I watched it again last summer on the History Channel. The script was worked on by Sonia Chernus and producer Bob Daley, and Eastwood himself paid some of the money to obtain the screen rights. Michael Cimino and Philip Kaufman later oversaw the writing of the script. Kaufman wanted the film to stay as close to the novel as possible and retained many of the mannerisms in Wales's character which Eastwood would display on screen, such as his distinctive lingo with words like "reckon", "hoss" (instead of "horse") and "ye" (instead of "you") and spitting tobacco juice on animals and victims. The characters of Wales, the Cherokee chief, Navajo squaw and the old settler woman and her daughter all appeared in the novel In 1996, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. Here's an original movie trailer:   I found a site with favorite quotes from the movie. Here's a few of my favorite:
Josey Wales: Now remember, when things look bad and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb, mad-dog mean. 'Cause if you lose your head and you give up then you neither live nor win. That's just the way it is. ** Laura Lee: Kansas was all golden and smelled like sunshine. Josey Wales: Yeah, well, I always heard there were three kinds of suns in Kansas, sunshine, sunflowers, and sons-of-bitches. ** Josey Wales: When I get to likin' someone, they ain't around long. Lone Watie: I notice when you get to DISlikin' someone they ain't around for long neither. ** Carpetbagger: Your young friend could use some help. [holds up a bottle of patent medicine]  This is it... one dollar a bottle. It works wonders on wounds. Josey Wales: Works wonders on just about everything, eh? Carpetbagger: It can do most anything. Josey Wales: [spits tobacco juice on the carpetbagger's coat] How is it with stains? *** Josie Wales: You be Ten Bears? Ten Bears: I am Ten Bears. Josie Wales: I'm Josey Wales. Ten Bears: I have heard. You are the grey rider. You would not make peace with the Bluecoats. You may go in peace. Josie Wales: I reckon not. I got no place else to go. Ten Bears: Then you will die. Josie Wales: I came here to die with you. Or to live with you...I ain't promising you nothing extra. I'm just giving you life and you're giving me life. And I'm saying that men can live together without butchering one another. Ten Bears: It's sad that governments are chiefed by the double tongues. There is iron in your words of death for all Comanche to see, and so there is iron in your words of life. No signed paper can hold the iron. It must come from men. The words of Ten Bears carries the same iron of life and death. It is good that warriors such as we meet in the struggle of life... or death. It shall be life. Eastwood has called The Outlaw Josey Wales an anti-war film. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, he said:
"As for Josey Wales, I saw the parallels to the modern day at that time. Everybody gets tired of it, but it never ends. A war is a horrible thing, but it's also a unifier of countries. . . . Man becomes his most creative during war. Look at the amount of weaponry that was made in four short years of World War II—the amount of ships and guns and tanks and inventions and planes and P-38s and P-51s, and just the urgency and the camaraderie, and the unifying. But that's kind of a sad statement on mankind, if that's what it takes."  
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