Christmas in the Old West A Historical Scrapbook

9780878424603

0878424601

Far away from the tinsel, eggnog, and colorfully wrapped packages of civilized life in the East, explorers, mountain men, and pioneers usually celebrated Christmas with homemade gifts and humble fare. As the West became settled, affluent westerners could order by mail virtually all the trimmings of Christmas, from toy trains to canned oysters. Christmas in the Old West: A Historical Scrapbook, a mosaic of stories, reminiscences, recipes, photographs, newspaper clippings, magazine advertisements, and more, brings alive the spirit of Christmas on the American frontier.Through diary quotes, letters, and stories we can feel the icy December wind as a lone trapper sips rum by his campfire, hear the gruff caroling of soldiers at their remote outpost, see candlelight flicker as a pioneer mother pieces together a rag doll for her little girl, and smell the venison roasting over an open hearth. Newspaper clippings announce town celebrations where "a glorious time is assured."From the Corps of Discovery's hungry, lonely Christmas at Fort Clatsop to mining-camp turkey shoots to ranchers' Christmas dances, Sam Travers shows us the joys and challenges of "keeping Christmas" in a rough frontier setting. Color illustrations keep the mood merry as we discover the Old and New World Christmas traditions our forebears brought west.