Patriotism, Parades, and Picnics: The Centennial of 1876

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Hello everyone, Winnie Griggs here. As many of you know, I’ve been hard at work on my upcoming historical romance, The Heart of Honor, my contribution to our Petticoats and Patriots series. The story is set in 1876, a year that held special significance for Americans because it marked the nation’s one hundredth birthday.

 

While doing research for the book, I found myself paying particular attention to how people actually celebrated the Centennial. We all know about fireworks and Fourth of July picnics, but what did the celebration look like for ordinary folks living in small towns and rural communities far from the nation’s largest cities?

The Centennial Exposition held in Philadelphia was one of the most visible parts of the national celebration. It was the first official World’s Fair held in the United States and drew visitors from around the globe. New inventions, technological marvels, and exhibits showcasing America’s progress filled the fairgrounds. For many people, attending the exposition was the opportunity of a lifetime.

But not everyone could travel to Philadelphia.

Across the country, both large and small communities found their own ways to celebrate. Towns organized parades, patriotic speeches, church services, brass band concerts, community picnics, and readings of the Declaration of Independence. Buildings were decorated with flags and bunting, and local newspapers often devoted special coverage to the occasion.

What I found especially interesting was that the celebrations often reflected the region where they took place.

In New England, many communities highlighted their connections to the Revolutionary War and the nation’s earliest history. In the South, the Centennial arrived just eleven years after the end of the Civil War, so the celebrations often carried a different tone as communities continued rebuilding and healing. Meanwhile, in the growing western states and territories, festivities frequently blended patriotic observances with the practical realities and traditions of frontier life.

One detail that especially caught my attention was how the Centennial encouraged Americans to look back as well as forward. While much attention was given to the nation’s progress and future possibilities, there was also a renewed appreciation for the people and events that had shaped the country’s first hundred years. Some communities and families reflected on their own histories, sharing stories and preserving memories of earlier generations.

In fact, this aspect of the Centennial helped inspire a key part of my story. My heroine, Mercy Owens, serves on her town’s Centennial Planning Committee and is responsible for collecting the stories and artifacts of the people who helped build the community. Like me, she believes that family stories are often what bring history to life. Dates and events have their place, but it is the people behind those events—their sacrifices, dreams, struggles, and triumphs—that make the past meaningful.

As I continue working on The Heart of Honor, I find myself thinking about that balance between remembering where we’ve been and looking ahead to where we’re going. Perhaps that’s one reason the Centennial captured the imagination of so many Americans in 1876.

So now I’m curious: If your hometown were celebrating its 100th anniversary, what story, keepsake, or piece of family history would you contribute to a community display? Leave a comment to be entered in a drawing for a signed copy of one of my books.

 

Fun news! The first issue of Petticoats & Patriots Magazine is here! Filled with Revolutionary War features, inspiring articles, patriotic recipes, reader activities, and stories celebrating the courage that built a nation, this special collector’s edition is the perfect way to begin celebrating America’s 250th birthday. Available now! Get your FREE digital copy HERE!

If you haven’t had a chance to check out our Petticoats and Patriots series yet, you can read about the first 5 books on our series page HERE.

And don’t forget, the first book in the series, Shanna’s For Liberty and Love. releases on June 16th and is available now for PREORDER!

 

 

Tanya Agler Has a Winner!

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Did you enjoy Miss Tanya’s visit and chatting with her about chuckwagons and diners? I sure did!

Now for the Drawing………..

One commenter will get a signed copy of her book plus a $10 Amazon gift card!!

And the Winner is………….

KATE SPARKS

Woo-Hoo!!! We’re tickled to death for you, Kate! Now watch for Miss Tanya’s email.

Welcome Guest Author Tanya Agler!

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Chuckwagons, Campfires, and Diners

One of my favorite parts of vacations is reading the descriptions of the local restaurants as every family member on the trip gets to choose one eating establishment. I am always on the lookout for diners as there is something about the varied menu and fun décor that appeals to me. That might be part of the reason food always plays a major role in my books. In my upcoming Ruby Canyon series, Deedee Magill, a decorated retired rodeo rider, opened the Pinto Bean Café, which has a diner-like atmosphere. In the third book of my Rodeo Stars of Violet Ridge series, Her Temporary Cowboy, there’s a chuckwagon ride where the heroine, Elizabeth Irwin, anticipates the cook’s campfire pancakes. I hope you brought your appetite today as I explore the history of diners and chuckwagons.

Tanya with her daughter at a chuckwagon event.

The history of diners begins in the 1870s with lunch wagons that popped up in Rhode Island to feed laborers, newspaper workers, and others. Those led to the advent of night meal wagons, which offered the likes of coffee, pie, and sandwiches at all hours. By the 1890s, lunch wagons had boomed, providing meals for all social classes. After WW2, the current version of diners began to emerge with the advent of the modular, stainless-steel structure that can still be found today. Today, there are over 8,000 diners in the US alone, with New Jersey claiming the title of the diner capital of the world.

Chuckwagons also have a colorful history. Originally created by Charles Goodnight to feed cowboys on Texas cattle drives, the chuckwagon became synonymous with eating under the open sky. A chuckwagon is exactly what it sounds like. It’s often a wagon, often with a white tarpaulin, that serves as a mobile kitchen to feed cowhands and ranchers. In Goodnight’s version, the wagon came outfitted with a “chuck box” with drawers and shelves for food and equipment storage, and a hinged lid that would provide a flat surface for preparing the meals. Biscuits and beans are the meal most often associated with what would be served on the open range, although coffee and sourdough bread are also high on that list. Currently, the American Chuck Wagon Association was founded in 1997 to continue the historical legacy of this treasured historical way of eating. There are also contests for chuckwagon cooking, and it is now a staple of many dude ranches. My daughter’s engagement dinner theme revolved around chuckwagons and cobbler, and this is a picture of us at the event.

In The Hometown Hero’s Fourth of July, there are four former female rodeo contestants who were pivotal in their field. They have now settled in Ruby Canyon and call themselves the Bronze Gals. Deedee Magill is the unofficial leader of the group and is the grandmother of the heroine, Erin Perkins. Deedee named the Pinto Bean Café after her rodeo horse and is known for making the best omelets around as well as a mean bowl of turkey chili and a heaping slice of peanut butter pie. She also alerts her granddaughter to the happenings of Ruby Canyon. In the first chapter of the book, Deedee calls Erin and tells her to get to the Pinto Bean pronto.

Here is a small excerpt featuring Erin’s response:

Thirty minutes later, she approached downtown Ruby Canyon. If Erin had blinked, she’d have missed the turn from Main Street onto Meadow Valley Road and the café where Grandma Deedee had served thousands of breakfast platters in the past year alone.

As small as it was, there was something intangible about her adopted hometown that was deeply entrenched in her. During her tour of duty, she had dreamed about her grandmother’s award-winning chili, the annual softball game and the Fourth of July fireworks. Awakening, she started counting down the days until she once again smelled the wildflowers wafting in the summer air and felt the first snowfall buffeting her cheeks.

The Pinto Bean Café is part of Ruby Canyon, just as diners and chuckwagons have been a part of American culture for over one hundred years.

What about you?

Have you ever dined at a diner or been a part of a chuck wagon meal?

Let me know in the comments and one commenter will receive a signed print copy (US only) of

The Hometown Hero’s Fourth of July

along with a $10.00 Amazon gift card.

Tanya Agler moved often during her childhood and settled in Georgia where she writes sweet contemporary romance novels, which feature small towns, family and pets, and themes of second chances and hope. Tanya’s books for Harlequin Heartwarming are set in small towns located in the mountains of North Carolina, Colorado, and Wyoming.

When she’s not writing, Tanya loves classic movies, walking, and a good cup of tea.

Visit her website for more details.

Let’s Celebrate the Stars and Stripes!

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The United States is having a birthday…an impressive birthday commemorating 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, a pivotal moment in American history that established the nation’s independence from Britain and laid the foundation for democracy and self-governance.

…And eight of our Fillies are contributing to the celebration with a new series, Petticoats and Patriots, commencing June 16th thru August 4th (See Information & Link Below).

But before independence could be won, it was decided the colonies needed an American “flag”, the Continental Colors, and a day dedicated to honoring “Old Glory.”

When the American Revolution broke out in 1775, the colonists weren’t fighting united under a single flag. Instead, most regiments participating in the war for independence against the British fought under their own flags. In June of 1775, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia to create the Continental Army—a unified colonial fighting force—with the hopes of a more organized battle against its colonial oppressors. This led to the creation of what was, essentially, the first “American” flag, the Continental Colors.

For some, this flag, which was comprised of 13 red and white alternating stripes and a Union Jack in the corner, was too similar to that of the British. George Washington soon realized that flying a flag that was even remotely close to the British flag was not a great confidence-builder for the revolutionary effort, so he turned his efforts towards creating a new symbol of freedom for the soon-to-be fledgling nation.

On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress took a break from writing the Articles of Confederation and passed a resolution stating that “the flag of the United States be 13 stripes, alternate red and white,” and that “the union be 13 stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.”

            • white for purity and innocence
            • red for valor and hardiness
            • blue for vigilance, perseverance, and justice

Over 100 years later, in 1916, President Woodrow Wilson marked the anniversary of that decree by officially establishing June 14 as Flag Day.

Facts About the U.S. Flag

1. Bernard Cigrand, a small-town Wisconsin teacher, originated the idea for an annual flag day, to be celebrated across the country every June 14, in 1885. That year, he led his school in the first formal observance of the holiday.

2. It is widely believed that Betsy Ross, who assisted the Revolutionary War effort by repairing uniforms and sewing tents, made the first American flag. However, there is no historical evidence that she contributed to Old Glory’s creation. It was not until her grandson William Canby held a press conference in 1870 to recount the story that the American public learned of her possible role. It has since been confirmed that Francis Hopkinson, a delegate from New Jersey who signed the Declaration of Independence, designed the American flag.

3. The lyrics of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” America’s national anthem since 1931, are taken from a patriotic poem written by Francis Scott Key after he witnessed the Battle of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. His words were set to the tune of “To Anacreon in Heaven,” a popular British drinking song.

4. In the 1950s, when it seemed certain that Alaska would be admitted to the Union, designers began retooling the American flag to add a 49th star to the existing 48. Meanwhile, a 17-year-old Ohio student named Bob Heft borrowed his mother’s sewing machine, disassembled his family’s 48-star flag and stitched on 50 stars in a proportional pattern. He handed in his creation to his history teacher for a class project, explaining that he expected Hawaii would soon achieve statehood as well. Heft also sent the flag to his congressman, Walter Moeller, who presented it to President Eisenhower after both new states joined the Union. Eisenhower selected Heft’s design, and on July 4, 1960, the president and the high school student stood together as the 50-star flag was raised for the first time. Heft’s teacher promptly changed his grade from a B- to an A.

5. Unlike setting an intact flag on fire, flying one upside-down is not always intended as an act of protest. According to the Flag Code, it can also be an official distress signal.

6. The Flag Code stipulates that the Stars and Stripes should not be used as apparel, bedding or drapery.

7. The practice of draping coffins in the American flag is not reserved for military veterans and government officials. On the contrary, any burial may incorporate this tradition.

8. Etiquette calls for American flags to be illuminated by sunlight or another light source while on display.

9. During the Vietnam War era, some demonstrators burned American flags as an act of protest. The Flag Protection Act of 1968 was enacted in response, making it illegal to burn or otherwise deface the Stars and Stripes. In two landmark decisions 20 years later, the Supreme Court ruled that the government couldn’t curb individuals’ First Amendment rights by prohibiting desecration of the U.S. flag. Respectful burning of damaged flags according to established protocol has always been acceptable.

10. When flags are taken down from their poles, care must be taken to keep them from touching the ground. In fact, the American flag should always be kept aloft, meaning that rugs and carpets featuring the Stars and Stripes are barred by the Flag Code.

11. When the flags of cities, states, localities or groups are flown on the same staff as the American flag, Old Glory should always be at the peak. When flags of two or more nations are displayed, they should be of equivalent size and flown from separate staffs of the same height.

12. The Flag Code strictly prohibits adding an insignia, drawing or other markings to the Stars and Stripes. Some American politicians have been known to defy this regulation by signing copies of the U.S. flag for their supporters.

13. Ever wondered how to correctly fold an American flag? First, enlist a partner and stand facing each other, each holding both corners of one of the rectangle’s shorter sides. Working together, lift the half of the flag that usually hangs on the bottom over the half that contains the blue field of stars. Next, fold the flag lengthwise a second time so that the stars are visible on the outside. Make a triangular fold at the striped end, bringing one corner up to meet the top edge. Continue to fold the flag in this manner until only a triangle of star-studded blue can be seen.

  • The original 1777 flag was designed to represent the 13 original colonies. It had 13 white stars on a blue field and 13 alternating red and white stripes.
  • One of the first flag designs had the stars arranged in a circle, based on the idea that all colonies were equal.
  • In 1818, after a few design changes, the United States Congress decided to retain the flag’s original 13 stripes and add new stars to reflect each new state that entered the union.
  • Each time a state was added to the union, a star was added. Today, there are 50 stars, one for each state in the union, but the 13 stripes remain.

Next time you gaze upon the symbol of the nation’s freedom, pause and reflect on the flag’s origins, symbolism, and history—and what the American flag means in your life.

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Giveaway!

 To win a $10 Amazon Gift Card, share your thoughts about what the American flag means to you.

Coming Soon!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H29SSSH5?tag=pettpist-20

To stay up on our latest releases and have some fun, too, join our Facebook Reader Group HERE!

 

 

Sarah Lamb has a winner!

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Thank you all for the incredibly interesting things about the place you are from! I’ve got a list now, of some I knew nothing about and want to learn more of! America’s history is so rich, I adore all of it. That’s why I write historical. I love history.

I have a winner for my ebook copy of Elizabeth, a historical romance set in the Shenandoah National Park, here in Virginia. I’m going to share the winner below, Alice, and please email me at: sarahlambwriting@gmail.com so that I have your email address to send it to!

I grew up between Saratoga and Lake George, New York, about 50 miles north of Albany. So much early American history in that area. There is a reconstructed fort that was important in the French and Indian War at Lake George. Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain has some of the original stone walls as well as some reconstructed parts. It played an important part in both the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. Both of these forts are wonderful museums and Ft Ti is in a beautiful location on Lake Champlain. My grandparents’ farm was near the Saratoga Battlefield National Historic Park where one of the crucial battles of the Revolutionary War took place. When we were kids it was still a state park where we would have family picnics. There are houses in the town where I went to school that were part of the Underground Railroad in the 1850’s and 60’s. One has become a local museum, and you can see the pit where people would hide below the floorboards. They have letters and journals describing the experience.

Where I live now in Central Washington State has played an important part in more recent history. As a result of the Reclamation Act of 1902 and the continued development of Bureau of Reclamation projects the Columbia Basin with water from Grand Coulee Dam is the largest irrigation project in the US. The Manhattan Project on what is referred to now as the Department of Energy Hanford Site developed the nuclear material for atomic bombs in WWII. It is now a research facility and still a restricted area although the B reactor is a National Historic Site. I have toured it but it was a scary experience in some ways in spite of the assurances that it is decontaminated.

The trucks you described are a wonderful way to bring history to so many people who aren’t always able to travel. Thank you for sharing.

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Tanya Agler Will Visit Friday!

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We’re so excited to have Harlequin Heartwarming author Tanya Agler visit on June 5, 2026! The Fillies are bustling around like a bunch of busy bees getting the place ready.

Did you know when diners first began? Would it surprise you to know it was way back yonder? I was totally shocked! If you’re curious, shake the wrinkles out of your bustle and head over come Friday.

Leave a comment to get in the drawing for a signed copy of the book plus a gift card!

Don’t lollygag around and miss out or you’ll be kicking yourself.

Nan Has Two Winners

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I have two winners from my post on June 2! The two people who will receive an e-book copy of Forever Cowboy–the book where Rascal the stray find his Furever Home are:

  • Julie Bullock
  • Kim Hansen

Ladies, watch for an email from Tule Publishing!

Thanks everyone for stopping by!

 

 

Join me on the Mobile Museum for America’s Birthday!

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Hello everyone! Want to take a little field trip with me? We’re jumping on this huge truck, and driving straight into the 1700s!

I’m not sure if other states have done this, but Virginia created four huge mobile museum for the 250th birthday of the United States, and they’ve been driving throughout the state. I was thrilled that one stopped in our small area for two days. Come join me on a mini tour! I won’t share all the photos, but I want to hit a few of the highlights of Virginia’s contribution during the American Revolution.

 

 

If you’ll remember, I’m from Virginia. I grew up just a few miles away from where Thomas Jefferson lived, and a few hours from Williamsburg, and a little over an hour from Richmond, and near so many president’s homes and the universities that they founded. For me as a child, it was just a normal day to play on the grounds of Monticello, wander through his gardens, and tour the house. When I moved away, then returned and took my children there, it was such a shock to see how much it had expanded! But it was just as wonderful as I remembered.

I will admit, as much as I’ve always loved history, Virginia’s history has always had a special place in my heart. And…I’ve a secret I can’t tell you about YET…but it’s also chock full of Virginia’s history.

So, join me on the mini tour! Ready?

When you boarded the 18-wheel truck, there was something really special about it. The sides folded out, and made a huge open room for the exhibit. It was divided into two, with the first room being much smaller. The first room, we are greeted by a digital Patrick Henry, as he gives his famous speech in St. John’s Church, Richmond, on March 23, 1775. Excuse his face looking a tad odd. He was a flickering digital screen and this was how he turned out.

 

 

After we listened to the speech, we looked around in the room he was in, and learned a little about why the colonies wanted their freedom from the crown. This was a small room, and we walked through the door into the much larger room where there were loads of interactive panels and screens, videos, and images on the wall to learn from.

Here’s a fun fact. While you’ve likely heard of the Boston Tea Party…did you know that Virginia had one too, in  Yorktown?

 

 

 

 

One of my favorites, was this one: The Virginia Declaration of Rights. There was a video just nearby it, talking about how it was primarily written by George Mason (one of the Founding Fathers) proclaimed the inherent rights of individuals, including life, liberty, and property and asserted that government power derives from the people.

 

 

If any of that sounded just a bit familiar, that’s because this important document influenced both the U.S. Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.

 

 

Throughout the room, on touchscreens, you got to learn about some of the important women in Virginia. Each one you touched shared a video or a still image and paragraphs about their life.

 

 

You also got to do the same for the different types of men who fought as revolutionary soldiers, including those of Virginia’s militia.

 

 

One of my favorite displays was that which told about Tarleton’s Raid. To sum things up, though he was only in his twenties, Banastre Tarleton was a part of the British Legion, which was made up of light infantry and calvary (dragoons) and most of the soldiers were American Loyalists, meaning colonists who were faithful to the British Crown. They wore short green jackets, which sometimes made them known as the Green Dragoons. To the colonists, he and his men were brutal, but to the Crown, they were heroes.

Well, since Virginia’s government had relocated to Charlottesville, Virginia, and their governor, Thomas Jefferson, lived there, that made it a tempting target to strike a crippling blow at the colonists. However, just by chance, a young man, Jack Jouett, whose father owned the Swan Tavern in Charlottesville, saw Tarleton and his men riding hard, took a shortcut through the woods, and just managed to get word out in time. Most of the men Tarleton sought managed to escape. The 1781 Charlottesville raid disrupted Virginia’s government but didn’t stop them. Supplies were damaged, but it could have been far worse, and history could be quite different from how it turned out.

 

 

Of course, there were so many famous battles in Virginia. Yorktown was another with an interesting story, and it was also the place where Tarleton and his men eventually surrendered to the French. Just in case you are curious what happened to the young British hero, he returned home, and became a member of Parliament.

 

We were there for a little over a half hour, long enough to see everything but not so long as to make others wait outside, since the truck could only hold so many at once. I was so glad for the opportunity to see the mobile exhibit with my own eyes, and to be reminded that large or small, so many people played a role in America’s fight for independence, and that a good number of them were lost to history, and their contributions will never be known.

 

 

Today, I’d love to give one reader an ebook of a historical romance I wrote, also set in Virginia, and also with some history to it, about the Shenandoah National Park. Here’s the book you could win!

 

 

Elizabeth Lawrence is ready for her trip to Shenandoah National Park with its cascading waterfalls, fields of colorful wildflowers, and wooded hollows with trees that stretch to the sky. Sketchbook in hand, she expects to capture the park’s serene beauty, never imagining the hidden dangers that lurk within its depths—or the unexpected jolt her heart will experience.

Counting down his final weeks as a park ranger, Kyle Struggs expects to deal with the usual threats of the rugged terrain, not the whims of privileged visitors he’ll be serving as a private guide. Yet, as he gets to know the inquisitive Elizabeth, he realizes she’s nothing like he’d anticipated, and he quickly can’t imagine life without her.

But when a vengeful poacher kidnaps Elizabeth, their blossoming relationship is threatened. Now, Elizabeth must depend on her wits to buy time to survive, while Kyle searches the vast park to save her from the very dangers he swore to protect her against.

Find the book here to learn more! 

 

To have a chance at winning, all you have to do it tell me some historical event that happened in your state or some historical figure from your state you’ve always found fascinating. 

 

Petticoats & Pistols