It’s always fun to dig into the history of the town you’re writing about.
Many famous people grew up in small towns, which is really surprising. Ronald Reagan grew up in Dixon, Illinois, and Abraham Lincoln in New Salem, Illinois (and Kentucky). When I began researching the town I’m writing about, I learned a lot about the town’s native authors. Several authors who wrote famously about this small, Midwestern town grew up in the town and moved away after graduation, only to write about their towns later in life.
Reinhold Niebuhr
Renowned theologian and author Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr grew up in Lincoln, Illinois.
Doing research behind the author of the famous poem, “The Serenity Prayer,” I discovered that Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr grew up in Lincoln, Illinois. His father was the administrator of the state-of-the-art Deaconess Hospital in Lincoln. One of his brothers, Walter, was managing editor of the Lincoln Daily News–Herald newspaper, until he passed away in 1946.
Siblings, Left to Right: H. Richard, Reinhold, Hulda, and Walter Niebuhr
A theologian, Reinhold was Dean and Professor of Applied Christianity at the Union Theological Seminary in New York City. His photo was featured on the cover of Time magazine in 1948. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964, and was in the top 100 most influential people in the twentieth century (Life magazine, 1990).
While he did not write much about his hometown as did other authors who grew up there, Niebuhr wrote about thought-provoking and often controversial subjects. He wrote about the spirituality of man and direction of its society shortly after WWII. Several of his titles are Moral Man and Immoral Society, The Nature and Destiny of Man, The Irony of American History, Leaves from the Notebook of a Tamed Cynic, among other titles that explored society, the human soul, and politics.
Incidentally, in my first (unpublished) manuscript set during WWII, my main character mentions “The Serenity Prayer,” which was published in the early 1940s.
William Maxwell
William Maxwell was one of two locals who wrote extensively about their hometown. His stories and novels are often deep, exploring the social and psychological aspects of people living in a small town. According to online research, Maxwell was born in Lincoln, Illinois on August 16, 1908. His parents were William Keepers Maxwell and Eva Blossom (née Blinn) Maxwell. He attended Senn High School. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois in 1930 where he was class salutatorian, poetry editor of The Daily Illini, and a member of Sigma Pi fraternity. Maxwell earned a master’s degree at Harvard University. Maxwell taught English briefly at the University of Illinois before moving to New York. (Wikipedia.)
Maxwell wrote of tough but necessary topics, such as social and psychological strains of the small town and how various events affected him. Only three of his short stories held happier moments and included people from his childhood. For example Miss Vera Brown was a popular fifth-grade teacher, whose death devastates her male students (“Love” in All the Days and Nights 245-248). Another example is Mr. Danforth, the venerable horse veterinarian whose advice is quietly sought by many townspeople (Time Will Darken It). A third example is Lincoln College biology Professor Chris Oglevee, who ably mentors the Cub Scout troop of the First Presbyterian Church (“With Reference to an Incident at a Bridge” [For Eudora Welty] in All the Days and Nights 265-269). (D. L. Henson, Finding Lincoln Illinois.)
But one incident happened in his life that he wrote searchingly but fondly of. During the Spanish Flu of 1918, young Maxwell and his mother became ill. Maxwell recovered but his mother did not. Her death devastated the family, and his father sent the boy to live with relatives in Bloomington, a town nearly an hour away, which would have been quite a trip in 1918. He later rejoined his father in Chicago. Maxwell’s story They Came Like Swallows depicts this event so vividly and shows how such a wide-spread epidemic (that spread all the way to Philadelphia) affected an eight-year-old boy from a small Midwestern town.
In my current WIP, I dive a bit into the social history of the townspeople that my journalist is writing about. The more she uncovers about one of the oldest buildings in town, the more prominent folks will stop at nothing to silence her.
So, the next time you’re writing historical fiction or reading historical fiction, appreciate the amount of research the author took to create even a small scene to “get the facts just right.” It really adds meaning to the depth of the novel.
In 1943, the war was two years old; however, across the U.S., many homes were torn apart as fathers, brothers, uncles, and sweethearts and friends were drafted. For the duration, homes would be empty of loved ones during the holidays. To boost morale, Bing Crosby’s “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” became the favorite Christmas song for the duration of the war. And for a handful of families who lived in Lincoln, Illinois, during World War Two, Bing’s song kept the home fires burning within the hearts of the small town of Lincoln’s wives and children.
Logan County, Lincoln, Illinois, Citizen Soldiers in WWII.
In January 1944, a handful of men (“fathers and non-fathers,” Lincoln Illinois’ newspaper The Lincoln Courier put it) volunteered or were drafted. This group was the first citizen draft group to leave Lincoln and serve their country. Three men volunteered and seven fathers enlisted that bitter January, including Jim Adams, my main character Laurie’s father, from my WWII novel-in-progress.
Some of these men would experience landing on the beaches of Normandy in June 1944, or trudge through the harrowing Battle of the Bulge in Winter 1944.
While the men spent Christmas on the war front, the families celebrated a quiet Christmas on the home front, and even though there weren’t many presents under the tinsel tree, ration stamps had been saved up to purchase sweets and extra food for the holiday season.
Decorating for Christmas involved the idea of simplicity, mostly out of necessity because it gave families something to do together. Children would write Christmas cards to make Dad feel like part of the festivities. Mom and kids would send Dad large care packages, filled with cards, candies (M&Ms), cookies, pictures, and other treats.
Here are a few facts about the holidays on the home front during WWII:
Because all the men were off to war, there was no manpower to cut down the lush Christmas trees, and there was not room on the railroad cars to ship them to tree farms. Did that stop anyone from getting a tree? No. Americans rushed to buy American-made Visca artificial trees for seventy-five cents.
As if there wasn’t enough snow outside, Americans brought the snow inside. They mixed a box of Lux soap powder with two cups of water and brushed the concoction on the branches of their tree to give it a snow-covered appeal.
As soon as the war began, many Americans threw their German blown-glass ornaments and exotic Japanese ornaments in the trash. Soon, Corning Glass Company in New York produced Christmas tree balls using machines designed to produce light bulbs. Thus, came the Shiny Brite ornaments and other ornaments.
However, if Americans could not purchase new ornaments, the made do with what they had by making their own ornaments out of non-priority war items, such as paper, string, pine cones, or nuts. The shortage of materials—like aluminum and tin—used to produce ornaments led many people to make their own ornaments at home.
Electric bubble lights were created during the 1940s and are still popular.
July 1945, the film “Christmas in Connecticut” was released, and the song “Let It Snow” hit the charts.
I’ve often wondered what school-age students ate for lunch in the 1940s. Of course, they ate what we generally eat today (minus all the fast-food); but as I was perusing a cookbook from the 1940s, I was amused to see how precise each section was, and especially the chapter on “The School Lunch.” According to The American Woman’s Cookbook of 1940, published for the Culinary Arts Institute, a child’s school lunch should contain all of the essentials so that he/she will be able to properly attend to schoolwork. On page 60, the American Woman’s Cookbook states:
[The school lunch] should be abundant in amount for a hungry, healthy child. A little too much is better than too little.
It should be chosen with regard to the nutritive needs of the child and in relation to the whole day’s food.
It should be clean, appetizing, wholesome and attractive.
Each lunch item was individually wrapped in wax paper, with the heavier items on the bottom, and placed inside the lunch box in the order the food was to be eaten first. I wonder, did children know what to eat first?
What stood out to me was that this small chapter devoted to the school lunch emphasized the value of the meal, made “carefully and well” (60). Mothers packed one of every food group in each school lunch. Fruits and vegetables, the book said, “are not always easy to include in the school lunch, yet if the child is to be well nourished, some way must be devised to get them in” (61). Perhaps it was hard to get fresh fruits and vegetables during the winter time, but that’s why gardening and canning was vital to the American family. I appreciated the determination presented in this chapter to find a way no matter what.
It may seem strange to learn a lesson from reading a chapter about preparing a child’s school lunch, but I’m glad there was a time in history when people cared about even the smallest details.
Even though our lunches may not be wrapped in wax paper and placed in a tin box, I think we’re getting back to the organic way of eating, but would you want to try a peanut butter and onion sandwich? Or how about a peanut butter and pickle sandwich?
I love children’s books! Do you? Couldn’t you just sit for hours, flipping through colorful pages in children’s books and soaking up the captivating tales? Watercolor art is a favorite and story set to poetry is the best pleasure ever.
From a little tyke, I grew up reading books like Harold and the Purple Crayon, A Happy Ending Series (with Tippu and Chippy and friends), and Tales of Fern Hollow. As my reading tastes matured, those childhood books still held a place in my heart, but I added to the pile. The Mandie Series, High Hurdles, Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew, and others. Then into my adult years, I didn’t forsake the well-loved books, but included historicals by Sarah Sundin, Cara Putman, Tracie Petersen, Jeanne M. Dickson, Lynn Austin, Joanna Davidson Politano, Janyre Tromp, and so many other wonderful authors.
I could fill a book just sharing them! (If you want to know a great list of fiction authors, visit Fiction Finder or BookBub.)
However, there is one special book I forgot to mention.
Curious George!
I love that little monkey—and the television shows! But do you know much about the authors? It may surprise you like it did me! This beloved, cantankerous monkey nearly didn’t make it into print.
The authors, Hans Reyersbach and his wife Margaret Waldstein, were Jewish and had to escape when the Nazis invaded France in 1940. Fleeing on “new” bicycles created from spare parts, Hans Ryersbach carried the precious manuscript about a Monkey named Raffy. Margaret and Hans eventually arrived in New York where author and illustrator couple found a home for their manuscript about a curious little monkey that became known as Curious George. The editor at Houghton Mifflin thought child readers needed the friendship of a colorful, adventurous monkey to soften the harshness of wartime. The first book sold in 1941. I’m happy to be able to incorporate Curious George into my own WWII novel when my character Laurie’s little cousin is born in 1944. Even my fictional characters get to enjoy this crazy monkey!
“I know what I liked as a child, and I don’t do any book that I, as a child, wouldn’t have liked.” — H. A. Rey
It’s always fun to dig into the history of the town you’re writing about.
Many famous people grew up in small towns, which is really surprising. Ronald Reagan grew up in Dixon, Illinois, and Abraham Lincoln in New Salem, Illinois (and Kentucky). However, several authors who wrote famously about this small, Midwestern town grew up in the town and moved away after graduation, only to write about their towns later in life.
Reinhold Niebuhr
Renowned theologian and author Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr grew up in Lincoln, Illinois.
Doing a bit of research behind the author of the famous poem, “The Serenity Prayer,” I discovered that Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr grew up in Lincoln, Illinois. His father was the administrator of the state-of-the-art Deaconess Hospital in Lincoln. One of his brothers, Walter, was managing editor of the Lincoln Daily News–Herald newspaper, until he passed away in 1946.
Siblings, Left to Right: H. Richard, Reinhold, Hulda, and Walter Niebuhr
A theologian, Reinhold was Dean and Professor of Applied Christianity at the Union Theological Seminary in New York City. His photo was featured on the cover of Time magazine in 1948. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964, and was in the top 100 most influential people in the twentieth century (Life magazine, 1990).
While he did not write much about his hometown as other authors who grew up there did, Niebuhr wrote about thought-provoking and often controversial subjects. He wrote about the spirituality of man and direction of its society shortly after WWII. Several of his titles are Moral Man and Immoral Society, The Nature and Destiny of Man, The Irony of American History, Leaves from the Notebook of a Tamed Cynic, among other titles that explored society, the human soul, and politics.
Incidentally, in my first (unpublished) novel set during WWII, my main character mentions “The Serenity Prayer,” even though the poem wasn’t published until the early 1950s.
William Maxwell
William Maxwell was one of two locals who wrote extensively about their hometown. His stories and novels are often deep, exploring the social and psychological aspects of people living in a small town. According to online research, Maxwell was born in Lincoln, Illinois on August 16, 1908. His parents were William Keepers Maxwell and Eva Blossom (née Blinn) Maxwell. He attended Senn High School. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois in 1930 where he was class salutatorian, poetry editor of The Daily Illini, and a member of Sigma Pi fraternity. Maxwell earned a master’s degree at Harvard University. Maxwell taught English briefly at the University of Illinois before moving to New York. (Wikipedia.)
Maxwell wrote of tough but necessary topics, such as social and psychological strains of the small town and how various events affected him. Only three of his short stories held happier moments and included people from his childhood. For example Miss Vera Brown was a popular fifth-grade teacher, whose death devastates her male students (“Love” in All the Days and Nights 245-248). Another example is Mr. Danforth, the venerable horse veterinarian whose advice is quietly sought by many townspeople (Time Will Darken It). A third example is Lincoln College biology Professor Chris Oglevee, who ably mentors the Cub Scout troop of the First Presbyterian Church (“With Reference to an Incident at a Bridge” [For Eudora Welty] in All the Days and Nights 265-269). (D. L. Henson, Finding Lincoln Illinois.)
But one incident happened in his life that he wrote searchingly but fondly of. During the Spanish Flu of 1918, young Maxwell and his mother became ill. Maxwell recovered but his mother did not. Her death devastated the family, and his father sent the boy to live with relatives in Bloomington, a town nearly an hour away, which would have been quite a trip in 1918. He later rejoined his father in Chicago. Maxwell’s story They Came Like Swallows depicts this event so vividly and shows how such a wide-spread epidemic (that spread all the way to Philadelphia) affected an eight-year-old boy from a small Midwestern town.
In my current WIP, I dive a bit into the social history of the townspeople that my journalist is writing about. The more juice she uncovers about one of the oldest buildings in town, the more prominent folks will stop at nothing to silence her.
So, the next time you’re writing historical fiction or reading historical fiction, appreciate the amount of research the author took to create even a small scene to “get the facts just right.” It really adds meaning to the depth of the novel.
What interesting town research have you read about or uncovered?
The Horse in a Book first appeared on KathleenDenly.com, August 13, 2018.
I’m very excited to welcome author and editor, Tisha Martin, to the blog today to talk to us about horses in fiction. If you missed her first two posts in this series, you can find them HERE and HERE.
Thank you so much for sharing your expertise with us, Tisha!
This is the final blog post in a three-part “Writing about Horses” series. It’s been so wonderful to guest blog for Kathleen, and I truly hope you’ve enjoyed reading these blogs and that they’ve been a help to you.
Like many of you, reading or writing about horses can be either exhilarating or exhausting. I grew up with horses, trained a few, therefore, I thought I knew how to write about them. Turns out it was harder than I bargained. In this third installment of writing about horses in our stories, I aim to share tips about how to write good horse scenes by making sure that the terms we use are accurate. If you’re a reader, perhaps you’ve read a book or two where reading the horse scenes made you cringe. Why? Well, read on, my horse-loving friend!
Whether you’re writing a historical, contemporary, or horse-infused novel, it’s important to make sure the horse anatomy, phrases about horses, and horse-related terms we use are completely accurate. I’ll provide information for English riders, Western riders, and some in-between phrases that I hope will be of help to you as you write or read. (Maybe some of you are book reviewers. You must possess a keen eye for those little details because that’s what makes or breaks the authenticity of your book review.)
The Horse
Image 1
Horse anatomy isn’t hard, but it can be tricky. It’s like taking a class on Anatomy and Physiology. While it’s a little confusing, thankfully, writers and readers only have to worry about the outside of the horse . . . unless there’s a veterinarian in your book, and then, well, you’ll have to learn the squishy parts of the inside of the horse too. Here are some key horse anatomy terms to keep straight because they’re super important when referring to character actions with the horse.
Poll—this is the space on top of the horse’s head that is between the ears. A character would apply pressure to the horse’s poll to get the horse to lower his head so that the character could put on the bridle. The error most writers make is having the character stroke the forelock to put in the bit. That makes any horse expert cringe. Unless the character has taught the horse to lower his head when his forelock is touched, don’t use this terminology for putting on a bridle.
Withers—this is the little hump at the end of the mane and right in front of the horse’s back. On a Western and English saddle alike, there is a hump at the front of the saddle. This hump sits on the withers, acting as the center of gravity. The rest of the saddle sits on the horse’s back, of course. The error most writers make is to place the saddle on the horse’s withers. If the character does this, that means that the saddle is also sitting on the horse’s neck! Yikes.
Pastern—this is the long, slender bone between the fetlock and the hoof. The character would run their hand down the horse’s pastern to get the horse to lift its hoof so the inside of the hoof can be picked out with a hoof pick. If the horse refuses to lift his hoof, then the character can tug on the horse’s fetlock or apply gentle pressure to the coronet (which is like a fatty nerve directly above the inside of the hoof wall). If a horse has been trained correctly, he will lift its hoof when you touch his pastern. If not, well, that’s the perfect time for a lesson!
Barrel—this is the roundest part of the horse that resembles a barrel. Easy, right? Of course. However, in most books about horses, the writer refers to the rider kicking the horse in the flanks. This is dangerous because the flank is farther up and back on the horse and causes two problems: the horse takes off and the rider loses balance. Another problem in books about horses is when the rider spurs the horse. This action is painful to the horse because real spurs tend to have sharp edges, so a nudge is better. Therefore, if a character has to flee on a horse, kicking or nudging the horse in the barrel is a more accurate term. But it may be easier to say, Jones nudged the horse into a canter. The reader will know what that means.
Horse Phrases
Like a character kicking the horse in the flanks, these type of horse phrases are tricky to master, but not impossible to master. Knowledgeable readers want to read an author’s book involving horses with the comfort that they won’t have to cringe at an ill-fitting phrase. Below are some overly used phrases that are often out of place.
Above the bit—when the horse raises his head above the rider’s hands that he no longer is attuned to the rider’s control. For example, Acorn strained above the bit, causing Melody to sit deep in the saddle and tug on one rein to bring the horse back into submission.
Back—to make the horse step backward. For example, Laurie backed her horse in a smooth circle.
Bascule—to describe the arc of a horse when he jumps a fence. For instance, The yearling, Shantih, leaped over the six-foot fence, her body bascule. (Yes, this really does happen to horse owners and characters. Shantih was my yearling.)
Four-In-Hand—a team of four harness horses, like the horses pulling a stagecoach (although there are usually two-in-hand). For example, The driver stopped the four-in-hand.
Half Halt—a “pay attention, please” to the horse when the rider wants the horse to change gears. For example, Champ trotted forward, but Jed pulled back in a half halt and nudged the horse to the right.
Jog—the actual Western riding term for a horse’s trot, and a term for a shortened pace in English riding.
In Conclusion
Writing about and reading about horses is such fun whenever the horse anatomy and horse phrases and terms are used correctly. Otherwise, it’s like nails across the chalkboard. Not so pleasant. However, if an author studies the craft of writing about horses by employing a dictionary, asking a horse expert, or purchasing a few solid research books, the horse-lover reader will buy that author’s books for the pure reading enjoyment of the authenticity of the horse material.
About Image 1: English Trakehner gelding, Sybari in standing pose, marked with major points of the horse. Foaled in 2001, picture taken in 2010 (aged 9). Annotated with major morphological points sourced from Goody, John (2000) Horse Anatomy (2nd ed.), J A Allen ISBN: 0.85131.769.3. and (2007) Complete Equine Veterinary Manual, David & Charles ISBN: 0.7153.1883.7. Image sourced from Wikipedia. Created by Owain DaviesCC 3.0. No changes made.
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Let’s Chat!
Which of these horse terms did you find the most interesting? Have you ever noticed an error related to horses in the stories you’ve read? Tell me about it in the comments below! (Just remember to be kind.)
It’s always fun to dig into the history of the town you’re writing about.
Many famous people grew up in small towns, which is really surprising. Ronald Reagan grew up in Dixon, Illinois, and Abraham Lincoln in New Salem, Illinois (and Kentucky). However, several authors who wrote famously about this small, Midwestern town grew up in the town and moved away after graduation, only to write about their towns later in life.
Reinhold Niebuhr
Renowned theologian and author Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr grew up in Lincoln, Illinois.
Doing a bit of research behind the author of the famous poem, “The Serenity Prayer,” I discovered that Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr grew up in Lincoln, Illinois. His father was the administrator of the state-of-the-art Deaconess Hospital in Lincoln. One of his brothers, Walter, was managing editor of the Lincoln Daily News–Herald newspaper, until he passed away in 1946.
Siblings, Left to Right: H. Richard, Reinhold, Hulda, and Walter Niebuhr
A theologian, Reinhold was Dean and Professor of Applied Christianity at the Union Theological Seminary in New York City. His photo was featured on the cover of Time magazine in 1948. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964, and was in the top 100 most influential people in the twentieth century (Life magazine, 1990).
While he did not write much about his hometown as other authors who grew up there did, Niebuhr wrote about thought-provoking and often controversial subjects. He wrote about the spirituality of man and direction of its society shortly after WWII. Several of his titles are Moral Man and Immoral Society, The Nature and Destiny of Man, The Irony of American History, Leaves from the Notebook of a Tamed Cynic, among other titles that explored society, the human soul, and politics.
William Maxwell
William Maxwell was one of two locals who wrote extensively about their hometown. His stories and novels are often deep, exploring the social and psychological aspects of people living in a small town. According to online research, Maxwell was born in Lincoln, Illinois on August 16, 1908. His parents were William Keepers Maxwell and Eva Blossom (née Blinn) Maxwell. He attended Senn High School. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois in 1930 where he was class salutatorian, poetry editor of The Daily Illini, and a member of Sigma Pi fraternity. Maxwell earned a master’s degree at Harvard University. Maxwell taught English briefly at the University of Illinois before moving to New York. (Wikipedia.)
Maxwell wrote of tough but necessary topics, such as social and psychological strains of the small town and how various events affected him. Only three of his short stories held happier moments and included people from his childhood. For example Miss Vera Brown was a popular fifth-grade teacher, whose death devastates her male students (“Love” in All the Days and Nights 245-248). Another example is Mr. Danforth, the venerable horse veterinarian whose advice is quietly sought by many townspeople (Time Will Darken It). A third example is Lincoln College biology Professor Chris Oglevee, who ably mentors the Cub Scout troop of the First Presbyterian Church (“With Reference to an Incident at a Bridge” [For Eudora Welty] in All the Days and Nights 265-269). (D. L. Henson, Finding Lincoln Illinois.)
But one incident happened in his life that he wrote searchingly but fondly of. During the Spanish Flu of 1918, young Maxwell and his mother became ill. Maxwell recovered but his mother did not. Her death devastated the family, and his father sent the boy to live with relatives in Bloomington, a town nearly an hour away, which would have been quite a trip in 1918. He later rejoined his father in Chicago. Maxwell’s story They Came Like Swallows depicts this event so vividly and shows how such a wide-spread epidemic (that spread all the way to Philadelphia) affected an eight-year-old boy from a small Midwestern town.
So, the next time you’re writing historical fiction or reading historical fiction, appreciate the amount of research the author took to create even a small scene to “get the facts just right.” It really adds meaning to the depth of the novel.
What interesting town research have you read about or uncovered?
Happy autumn! I love this time of year when the weather cools enough to break out the boots and to gather around bonfires with friends. This weekend, I’m thrilled to introduce you to a wonderful resource of enjoyment, if you are a reader . . . and perhaps some intriguing bits of research, if you are a writer.
Samuel Johnson said, “The greatest part of a writer’s time is spent in reading, in order to write: a man will turn over half a library to make one book.” ― Samuel Johnson, The Life of Samuel Johnson LL.D. Vol 2
Well, you may not have to turn over half the library quite as much. Hidden History, a free information service, is right at your fingertips!
Hidden History Founder: Josh Writers: Ryan and Micaiah
What is Hidden History and what does it offer readers?
Hidden History offers its readers a unique experience with history. Many history sites will simply provide you with stories based on what that site believes you should read. However, Hidden History seeks to gain insight from our readers by asking for post topics and suggestions. We reach roughly 450,000 people a month with our articles, videos, and informational blurbs and try to cater to everyone we reach. Hidden History’s aim is to inform readers on topics about which they desire. We take well-known topics and offer aspects or facts on the person, place, or event that most people never knew.
How can Hidden History be a resource for writers?
Hidden History can be broken down into three different divisions: Education, Video, and Research. Our Education Division comprises most of our work as it provides articles and blurbs on events, places, or people. It provides additional information on a topic that a writer, researcher, or historian could use in whatever they are doing.
Our Video Division aims to accomplish the same as our Education Division but through videos. While writers may not use these videos, educators may use them in classes or in presentations. Our newer videos are up on our YouTube channel and more will be added as they are completed!
Hidden History’s Research Division is a paid option available to all with rates based on the research needed. We will provide a well-researched and cited report for writers that might need a paper fact-checked or a report done on a topic. If we cannot find what you are looking for, then our time researching is FREE to you!
The best part of our page is that we work for you as the reader, so we will post an article/video and do research based on what you are looking for when you need it.
What is the history behind Hidden History?
I started Hidden History for multiple reasons. I have always loved history, and I enjoy researching and learning about it. I also tired of certain history channels that stopped showing history series and started doing series on pawnshops or aliens.
At Hidden History we share knowledge on unknown historical facts and events with others who might not have otherwise known.
When I started Hidden History, I planned on it being a small, local page that I ran with only a few hundred followers. However, I changed how I was doing things on the page, added a new writer, and we quickly started to grow.
Today we have three writers, three divisions within Hidden History, and are currently the largest actual history Hidden History page on Facebook. We have partnered with several major Facebook history pages and we also have several politicians, writers, historians, and educators of all levels that follow and use our page.
We have grown fast and reach so many people every day. We have expanded to Instagram and YouTube and are working on our very own Hidden History website, which we hope will be up and running within the year! We are also currently working on saving a historical monument in Pensacola (Florida) and if it is successful, we hope to expand to a fourth division and help save monuments and historical sites with other preservation groups!
Where can readers and writers find Hidden History?
Writers, I hope this is a helpful resource for you in providing just that bit of intriguing information for your next book!
Readers, I hope this is an enjoyable, relaxing avenue for you to continue to glean tidbits about unknown history facts—you never know when sharing an unknown fact will open up an amazing door of great conversation with someone!
Since I enjoy researching and writing about the WWII American home front and polio, I’m delighted to introduce you to my friend, Starr. I met Starr through a Post Polio group and I was so inspired by her love for life and her beautiful heart. As I got to know her, it became apparent that a beautiful heart is all about having the right perspective. Starr, thanks for letting me interview you and for sharing your life with us.
1940s wheelchair
My character, Laurie, contracts polio in 1943, a time when America was engulfed in the throes of a world war, but also, fighting a home front war, the war against this crippling disease. What is your polio story?
Starr — Where should I begin. I have thought about it for a long time. I became sick at age 6 months old. I was born to teenage parents, Mom was 16 and Dad 15. They did what all parents do and I was vaccinated on schedule. It was my third dose, which was the live virus which I contracted polio. I have had good times, bad times, sad and happy. But looking back I would not change a thing. It is what made the person I am. It got me to where I am today. I love my life and I feel very blessed.
I know hospitals are not fun, but you’ve talked about some fascinating stories between you and a boy you met while in the hospital. What is your favorite memory?
Starr — This is an easy memory for me. Christmas Eve, the hospital was empty just a few of us there. They would take us to the auditorium and show Laurel and Hardy’s March of the Wooden Soldiers. We had popcorn and laughed a lot. My husband and I were friends back then. We both were in and out of the hospital and it seemed it was always at the same time.
I’m sure being in and out of the hospital was a love-hate relationship, especially because your best friend became your husband. 🙂
How did you spend your summers after polio?
Sister, the Paint Mustang
Starr — Well, I discovered early on that I was different. I didn’t go outside that often, most were spent indoors either at home or the hospital. But I found ways to enjoy the change of seasons. I watched the colors change, and saw life from a window. In my teens, my parents bought a horse, they thought it would be good therapy. And it was, because the horse became my legs. I was able to go where ever I wanted. I know this sounds strange but I would go to a grave yard with a pad of paper and draw nature. And talk to the graves as if they were old friends.
My character has a horse, too, and has to learn how to ride again. Riding is wonderful therapy for anyone.
How did you meet your husband?
Starr — We met when we were six. Both in the hospital for two different reasons. We were on mats in physical therapy waiting our turn. He and another boy were behind me laughing. They took turns pulling on my pig tails. I cried and they [nurses] had to take me back to my room. Yes, and I married him. But there were many stories between then and our marriage.
That’s funny and cute. I’m sure he’s glad you decided to marry him too.
What is your hobby?
Starr — I have many. I paint, draw, write poems, write short stories, crochet, cook, compose music and play many instruments. I sang and gardened prior to PPS.
Just so our readers understand what PPS is, PPS is called Post-Polio Syndrome.
I enjoy poetry and the hope it gives. You wrote a poem called “Whispers of Heaven.” I think our readers will love this section you wrote:
A life unvarnished, rattled with pain
And back to this life I did reclaim.
The time has since has passed seeming far away
But still I am here and will remain,
thinking of time and that I must stay
For all we are now, and all we’re to be
We must follow the path that leads to thee
I know not where nor do I the time
What life I now have alone it is mine
But knowing what waits beyond is not pretend
For each of us holds to love when it’s our life’s end.
From my research, I’ve learned that Post Polio is a syndrome where the challenges of polio come back after a 20-40 year span. What is your approach to PPS?
Starr — I deal with it day by day. I try to enjoy every day, and am very thankful that I am here. Because I know life can be gone in an instant.
Through your life experience, how have you become a better person?
Starr — I am more sensitive to other people’s feelings and am very patient.
Being patient truly is a gift. What are some things that make you happy?
Starr — Well right now it is being a grandmother. I have wanted to be one for such a long time.
Who was instrumental in shaping you into the wonderful person you are today?
Starr — I would have to say my Mom, because she pushed me. She was hard on me, but did it to make me stronger. And also all the staff at the children’s hospital I spent most of my life in.
What is your encouraging advice to others, and something that writers can infuse into their own characters’ lives?
Starr — Never be defeated, defeat the circumstance. Let go of pain, both emotional and physical. And the last is to forgive all those who have hurt you, and forgive yourself. It will lift such a weight off you. I have found that if you allow the sorrow to fill you with hate, you will never have the love you seek.
Thanks for sharing with us today, Starr! Your story is beautiful, inspiring, and a great reminder that we can have confidence no matter what we go through. We all have challenges in life, and I’m encouraged by your outlook on life.