Blue Sky Brides
By Regina Scott
“The bluest skies you’ve ever seen are in Seattle. And the hills the greenest green, in Seattle.”
If you remember when that song was first introduced, you likely remember the late 1960s television show, Here Come the Brides. In it, timber baron Jason Bolt and his two brothers bring one hundred brides from the East Coast to marry lonely loggers in frontier Seattle. It’s based on the true story of Asa Mercer, who traveled East in two trips to bring back Civil War widows and single ladies to “civilize” the frontier. The total of the two trips was far less than one hundred, but all except one ended up married. Go figure!
The legend of the Mercer Belles had intrigued me since I was a child, so I was delighted to pen a series of books for the Love Inspired Historical line with some of the heroines who had come with Mercer to Seattle. And now I’m continuing the series with The Perfect Mail-Order Bride, Her Frontier Sweethearts, and, most recently, Frontier Cinderella.
But I kept wondering. What did Asa Mercer say to convince women he’d never met to journey with him and start new lives in the wilderness? The barriers to acceptance were many.
These ladies were from the Boston area (most from Lowell, Massachusetts), and they’d had some education. Many had been trained as teachers. In contrast, many of the loggers, miners, and farmers in Seattle had little to no education, and they’d been living among men long enough that they sometimes forgot the social niceties.
Then there was the distance. In the 1860s, there were no trains and only a few trails linked the East Coast and the West Coast. The Mercer Belles had to sail for months. The first group went by way of crossing the isthmus in Panama; the second sailed down the coast of North and South America, through the Strait of Magellan, and up the other coasts. Chances were, if these women left for Seattle, they were never going to see family or friends again.
Finally, there was Mr. Mercer. He claimed to have been appointed Commissioner of Immigration by the governor of Washington Territory and to have been made the first president of the Territorial University (both true), but he was only 25 at the time of his first trip, and a bachelor at that. Could he be trusted? The papers in the area thought not. They labeled him a swindler and predicted any lady who traveled with him would end up in a brothel.
So, what did he say? I found part of one of his speeches, courtesy of Lynn Bragg’s More Than Petticoats: Remarkable Washington Women:
“The climate of Washington Territory is marked by two seasons only, winter and summer. From the first day of April until the middle of November no other spot on this green earth boasts such a mild, equitable and delightful climate as does the valley of Puget Sound.”
It seems the bluest skies you’ve ever seen are in Seattle! Here’s to the women brave enough to take him at his word. Many a Northwest family owes them a debt of gratitude!
In honor of the Mercer Belles, I’m giving away two print copies of The Perfect Mail-Order Bride, U.S. only. Answer this question in the comments to be entered in the drawing: Would you have agreed to go with Asa Mercer and settle the frontier?
Series link to The Perfect Mail Order Bride
Regina Scott started writing novels in the third grade. Thankfully for literature as we know it, she didn’t sell her first novel until she learned a bit more about writing. Since her first book was published, her stories have traveled the globe, with translations in many languages including Dutch, German, Italian, and Portuguese. She now has more than sixty-five published works of warm, witty romance, and more than 1 million copies of her books are in reader hands. She currently lives forty-five minutes from the gates of Mount Rainier with her husband of thirty years. Regina Scott has dressed as a Regency dandy, driven four-in-hand, learned to fence, and sailed on a tall ship, all in the name of research, of course. Learn more about her at her website at http://www.reginascott.com
Yes, I am somewhat adventurous so the excitement and romance of it all would entice me to go.
Good or you, Julie! It must have been so exciting for those ladies to be sailing off into what was for them the unknonw.
Yes I would have.
Very brave of you!
It would depend on the family ties I would be leaving behind. Family is hugely important to me and even though I am adventurous, I would find it difficult to leave my family behind forever.
I think that might have been my sticking point too, Rhonda. But some of these women had few family left after the Civil War. And a couple brought their entire family with them!
I would want to think my answer would be yes. But, leaving family behind would no doubt weigh heavy on my mind. Beautiful book cover.
Thank you, Kathy! That’s a picture of Port Townsend, a little north and across Puget Sound from Seattle. It is a historical seaport, so it made the perfect background for the book. Mount Rainier doesn’t appear that large on the horizon there, of course!
It would depend on my circumstances at the time! But the sailing part alone and for that long I would say no way!
It was a very long trip, lasting months! Diaries from some of the girls as well as the reporter who accompanied them on the second voyage show that they were seasick, a lot! They shared ginger root to help.
I’m not sure if I would have or not. I’m very family oriented, it probably would have depended upon my circumstances at the time.
Some of the historians point out that many women in the Northeast did a lot of work usually reserved for men at that time because the men were fighting in the Civil War. Once the men returned, they were out of work. So, for some, a place with lots of jobs would hold appeal. Personally, I’m not sure many of these women were farmers or factory workers. They mostly became teachers when they arrived.
I’m like others. It depends on what my circumstances were. I believe I do have an adventurous soul. If I had nothing holding me in the east(which I am born and raised in Florida), I think I would have took it on! And pray I wouldn’t get sea sick! LOL
The seasickness was real! Mercer’s first venture made him such a hero in Washington Territory that he went back for a second trip. Those ladies left diaries, as did the reporter who sailed with them. They talk of seasickness, shoddy meals, and bad weather. But they also talk about how the ladies were courted at every stop along the way! Mercer had to fight off to keep them on the boat until they reached Seattle, and he still lost a few to better offers, particularly in San Francisco.
Maybe, but it depends on the circumstances.
Definitely. If I was waiting for a sweetheart to return from war, no way would I leave!
Yes, I would.
Good for you, Joye! It was certainly an adventure, and one they could tell their children about.
I can see his appeal to women who have seen such destruction of their previous life. Even without the destruction of war, life was uncertain.
I personally doubt if I would have gone as I’m not an adventurous person.
Good point, Kate. It must have sounded like such a haven.
I have moved around a lot. Obviously not for such a thing.
I’ve moved a few times, but always within my state. The biggest move was 250 miles, and that was a lot to me! 🙂
Good morning, wow, this is a good question , if I was in dire need I would go, it sure would be that I really really had to go for some reason or another. I think the women that did this were very gutsy and very adventures and had nothing holding them back. I think if I was comfortable where I was I wouldn’t go, but I would go if I was not comfortable where I was. Your book sounds and looks very enraging ! I love your book cover, it looks very adventurous! Thank you for the chance. Have a great weekend.
Thank you, Alicia! You make some good points–how much were you in need and how comfortable were you? All these women must have been hoping for something better than what they had.
I don’t think I would have. My husband and I did a road trip where we saw some areas along the Oregon Trail and I am convinced I would not have survived. Although that is the 2023 version of me. If I lived in the 1800s and I was desperate I may have been brave enough to do it.
It’s hard to imagine sometimes what they did versus what we’re used to today. Even little things, like trying to negotiate a ship’s ladder in a hoop skirt!
That is a difficult question to reply to as we now know so much of other travelers who made this decision and lots of them did not end up better for the challenge. I mostly have not been an adventurous person except for my slightly wildness as a teenager. I came from a family of 3 brothers and 2 sister so our futures were wide open to most anything, even growing up on a farm for most of my life. I did take some chances when it came to disobeying my parents as I thought I was smart enough to get away with it. However, going so far away from home to meet a stranger and marry him gives me the willies. I am very particular about I would want to marry and most stories I have read do not paint a pretty picture of the choices available. Call me chicken, but it would take me a very long time to make such a decision.
Your book series sound absolutely intriguing and fun. I look forward to reading it for sure.
Judy, Mercer was very careful not to mention marriage or husbands. He told them about the many employment opportunities, the wonderful (cough, cough) climate, and the gorgeous scenery. He said they would “civilize” the wilderness. He didn’t tell them that, according to some stories, he’d accepted money from bachelors to bring them brides! When one of the bachelors tried to take one of the women for his bride, the others told him what for. So, they pretty much had their pick. Only one never married.
It would probably depend on the circumstances. I am not very adventurous so I probably wouldn’t have gone.
Understandable! It was a huge change in their lives.
I honestly don’t know. I can’t imagine leaving my family and friends behind forever. But I know that most of those women probably had little to no other prospects and possibly very little family left after the war. I’m thankful that society has changed so that women can survive on their own today.
Definitely! I love writing about history, but I’m very thankful for the good things we have today, like modern medicine!
I guess if one’s means at home were meager and one wanted a fresh start, going to Seattle was a great option.
I don’t know whether or not I’d do it, but life’s choices are so different in our modern era. Looking at it from the times as they were, I might have.
denise
Denise, I’d like to think I’m that brave, but I would probably have been the one waving goodbye!
I am not certain if I could leave my family behind. It is not like today where you can still see your family by car or by plane at least for the holidays each year.
I know, Cherie. Never again? Hard choice!
I’m not sure. If my life didn’t have much going for it, I may have taken the risk, but if I was comfortable with lots of friends and family, I probably would not have made the trip.
They probably had to go through the same thought process, Connie.
Oh yes I sure would have Thank you for sharing this post the book sounds so amazing have a Blessed Day!
You’re very welcome, Sarah! I love sharing history!
I am not the adventurous type but I have always been intrigued with the Old West and probably would have gone.
Very brave, Jackie!
I have this book in kindle and cant wait to read it. thanks
Thank you, Lori! Enjoy!
I got this book when it was available as a free book. I don’t know if it is the complete book, but I hope so… it sure sounds intriguing! I think I’d stay home unless there were very good reasons for me to leave!
No worries, Ami! Enjoy!
From my 20th century experience moving from the East to live in Washington State, the hardest part is leaving family especially when you are a close knit family like ours. I don’t know If I would have been able to do it in the 1860’s. I do know that even today going home for visits isn’t as easy as it sounds. Family activities, health, and family economics all play a part in how often you can travel. Today we do have phone calls and ways to see each other by internet that were unheard of even in the 1990’s.
Very true, Alice! During the pandemic, we even used the internet to visit family who were close enough to drive to!
yes
Well done!
Hi Regina, I don’t think I would go. I’m a big chicken! But I LOVE reading about mail-order brides. I’ve heard of Asa Mercer and I LOVE your cover, it’s beautiful!
Thank you, Karen! I love mail-order brides too. It was a pleasure getting to write about another!
Yes, I think I might have. The mail order bride has always intrigued me…that whole falling in ,
after getting married…but you have to keep falling in love no matter what…I often wonder how many of the marriages didn’t work out so well though…
Good point! My heart goes out to those whose marriages didn’t end up well, Minette.
In my youth I likely would have depending on my circumstances at home. As it turns out, I come from women who did a similar thing between 1663 and 1673. King Louis XIV wanted to establish solid settlements in New France (eastern Canada) since the only French there were trappers and some farmers. In those 10 years the king sent about 800 young women recruited from around France to sail to New France, marry, and settle the wilderness. They were called the Daughters of the King. Their passage was paid and they were given clothing a a dowery (sometimes in kind). They had to have references and be of high moral standing. Imagine moving from Paris to a forested wilderness surrounded by hostile natives, living in a dirt floor log cabin. We have about 20 of these strong women in our family lineage.
I have nothing but admiration for those women who went off into the unknown with a hope for a better future. The lucky ones found happiness, but still had to work hard for it. Thank you for an interesting post. Mail order bride stories are favorites of mine. This piece of the history of those brides is not something I had heard about.
And that story about the Daughters of the King was something I hadn’t heard about! Thank you for posting about it! Now I get to do more research, which I love!
I am not an adventurous sort, so I doubt that I would have ever agreed to go with Asa Mercer to the Washington Territory frontier.
I’m always up for adventure, I would go!
Yes, I would have went with her. Back in those days a young woman has to be ready for adventure & take chances to find what she’s is looking for. Why not give it a go. I know it would be dangerous, but you have to take life by the horns & take chances. It would be a wild ride….
I guess it all depends on what I was leaving behind. If I had no chance of a husband and family, which was about your only real chance at a decent life at the time, and was young, I would definitely think about it!?
I guess it all depends on what I was leaving behind. If I had no chance of a husband and family, which was about your only real chance at a decent life at the time, and was young, I would definitely think about it!?