by Donna Klein Charles Dickens, the Victorian Era, and Today's Christmas Traditions An annual holiday tradition in my house is watching “A Christmas Carol,” based on the novella by Charles Dickens. It got me thinking, 'what was Christmas really like in Dickens' day, and what is his influence on how we celebrate the [...]
by Donna Klein I love non-commercial radio, which means WCMU where I live. As I was driving earlier this week, the station was conducting a fundraiser for heating assistance. Fundraisers usually mean the more popular selections of classical music are played. It was no surprise that holiday music was the fare of the day, [...]
By Donna Klein Thanksgiving During the Gilded Age Thanksgiving is here! As I thought about the holiday, I wondered what it was like during the glory years of the characters on Downton Abbey. I know the British don't celebrate Thanksgiving, but what was it like for their American counterparts? What was Thanksgiving like [...]
What Made Sister Blandina Segale's Service in the Old West Extraordinary? Sister Blandina Segale wrote a memoir of her time in Colorado Territory, titled At the End of the Santa Fe Trail. Stories of her adventures while serving in the Old West have been featured in novels, television programs, histories, and even a comic book. The CBS [...]
Sister Blandina Segale, Servant of God Sister Blandina Segale has been in the news lately. Earlier this month, the Archdiocese of Santa Fe (New Mexico) closed its inquiry on why she should become a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. The file has been sent on to the Vatican for consideration. So, who was Sister [...]
By Donna Klein Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 The Real Lone Ranger Let's take a look at what makes him a legend and most likely the inspiration for the “Lone Ranger.” Bass Reeves was an expert marksman, he rode a white or gray stallion, was “pressed and dressed” with [...]
by Donna Klein Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 Bass Reeves Rides the Oklahoma Range Starting Bass in 1875, Reeves served as a Deputy U.S. Marshal on the Oklahoma Range, a territory that covered about 75,000 square miles. Often, he set out with a wagon, a cook, and a Native [...]
by Donna Klein Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 Who was Bass Reeves? When thinking of lawmen of the American Old West, minds drift to men like Wyatt Earp, not Bass Reeves. My first exposure to Bass Reeves came earlier this year. There is a program on AHC (American Heroes [...]
by Donna Klein continued from part 1 ... The Suffragette Gets Radical By 1903, the women’s suffrage movement saw a lot of talk but little action in Parliament. She left the ILP, and in October helped found the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU), which was only open to women and focused on direct action [...]