Mail Order Brides in the 19th Century American West

Mail Order Brides in the 19th Century American West

Fans of Mail-Order Bride Romances adore reading about courageous women who left home, headed west, and risked everything for a brighter future. We admire brave men who sent for a bride with no more courtship than letters could provide. We enjoy the conflict, hurdles, and challenges the characters face before earning their happy ending.

Did any of this stuff happen in real history?

Yes.

Did real life mail-order bride arrangements become love-matches?

Sometimes.

An honest-to-goodness Pioneer Recipe

An honest-to-goodness Pioneer Recipe

My great grandma was born in 1896 in the heart of the American West. While this chicken and dumplings recipe is attributed to her, family lore insists she made this honest-to-goodness pioneer dish the way her mother did, so this recipe is an oldie and a goodie.