by Molly Owen | Sep 7, 2012 | Anne Carrole, Blog
A lady gambler who was also one of the founding members of her Episcopal church, the woman who went by the name Lottie Deno was an unexpected sight at the Post-Civil War Texas gaming tables of San Antonio, Fort Worth, and, perhaps the most notorious town of its day, Fort Griffin Flat. Where did this gorgeous, red-haired, southern belle come from and, perhaps more importantly, how did she end up winning money from the likes of Doc Holiday, earning the respect of her patrons for her skill, and keeping her reputation as a lady in tact?
Lottie Deno was born Carlotta J. Thompson in 1844 to a devout Episcopalian family who owned a farm in Warsaw, Kentucky. Her father, an inveterate gambler who frequented the gaming tables of New Orleans when he was there on business, believed his daughter should have some skills in this world and, having no sons, taught her the games of chance that he enjoyed. Carlotta was an excellent pupil and accompanied her father to New Orleans on several occasions. (more…)
by Molly Owen | Aug 7, 2012 | Anne Carrole, Blog
As with most disputes, both sides in the Johnson County War had some valid points, and perhaps this is the reason the Johnson County War stands as one of the most violent range wars in U.S. history. By the late 1880’s, public lands were being opened up to settlement and the ranges that once fed cattle were being fenced off, leaving those with large herds dwindling places to feed those herds. Then the cattle business took a huge hit from the harsh winter of 1886-87 and large, wealthy ranchers in Johnson, Natrona, and Converse counties began to close ranks. They kept smaller ranchers from grazing on public land, or participating in area round-ups, and barred these smaller ranchers from the Wyoming Stock Growers Association (WSGA) which met at the famous Cheyenne Social Club. As time wore on and circumstances deteriorated, their tactics got more heavy handed. These large landowners, perhaps due to a misplaced sense of entitlement, forced settlers off their land at gun point, burned settler’s buildings, and began to not only appropriate land, but precious water supplies as well.
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by Molly Owen | Jul 7, 2012 | Anne Carrole, Blog
Guns were an equalizer in the West and required when there was little order and little visible presence of the law given the size of the territories that had to be covered and the lack of officers to handle it. Throw in the fact that in many counties and municipalities lawmen were in the pockets of the rich and powerful who owned land—and lots of it—and you’ve got some very good reasons why men walked around “well heeled.” The Johnson County War (Wyoming) and the Lincoln County War (New Mexico) are just two examples of violence spurred by lawmen that were the arm of a faction that wanted to retain power at any price.
So it is somewhat surprising to realize that many counties and towns in the West during the late 1800’s had stiffer gun control laws then they do in the modern era. But as western towns attracted more families, business men, and industries, the townspeople could no longer tolerate the “wild cowboys” that were part of area ranch and cattle drives. These were generally young men in their twenties, liquored up, testosterone driven, and with the judgment of a cow on loco weed.
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by Molly Owen | Jun 7, 2012 | Anne Carrole, Blog
Remember when Niagara Falls was considered THE place for honeymooners? Would you be surprised to know that all started back in the early 1800’s?
According to the website, www.infoniagara.com, Niagara Falls was established as the ideal honeymoon destination by the French in 1803. “It has been said that Napoleon’s brother, Jerome Bonaparte, travelled by stage from New Orleans to spend his honeymoon in Niagara Falls, after his marriage to Elizabeth Patterson, daughter of a Baltimore merchant, and returned home with flowing reports.” Historian Sherman Zavitz, however, traces the notion to Theodosia Burr, daughter of Aaron Burr, who, in 1801, took a wedding tour of the falls after hearing about its wonders from the Mohawk Chief, Joseph Brant. Upon her return to New York City she extolled the beauty of the falls to her New York Society friends and the rest, as they say, is history.
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by Molly Owen | May 7, 2012 | Anne Carrole, Blog
I love traveling by train. The summer after 9/11 we had planned to go to Disney World but we couldn’t quite bring ourselves to board an airplane yet so we decided to go by train rather than disappoint our daughter. When we boarded a porter ushered us to the sleeping car we had booked and informed us that he was at our disposal for the remainder of the trip, What a luxury!
He took our meal orders for dining in the dining cars, showed us around our compact but efficient single cell quarters, turned our seats into beds at night, took care of our luggage and basically made our trip lovely. At the time my daughter was only eight and I was a little worried how she’d do on the overnight trip but she, and we, loved it.
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by Molly Owen | Apr 7, 2012 | Anne Carrole, Blog
I enjoy reading firsthand accounts of the Wild West to get the “feel” of the time period. One of my favorite authors in this regard is H.H. Halsell.
Texas born Harry H.Halsell was five years old when the Civil War ended. As a boy of six he and his brother O.D. Halsell were chased by Comanches, and survived but his uncle, George Halsell, a line rider for relative Dan Waggoner’s 10,000 acre ranch was killed and scalped. Harry’s lifetime spanned from the Civil War to president Dwight D. Eisenhower for a total of 96 years.
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