What Our History Books Don’t Teach Us: Unsung Heroines

by guest blogger, Anna Yosin

I am pleased to present guest blogger, actress/producer/martial artist Anna Yosin.  Anna discusses two projects she is developing and the importance of sharing stories of incredible women who made history, but weren't included in our history books.

Victoria Woodhull 

When we think of story, we think of entertainment. We think of stories that move us emotionally. We laugh, we cry, we get angry or inspired. But stories also teach and inform us in many ways. We can learn about the past or different cultures through the exposure to stories - whether it be live theater, film, TV, new media or the good ol' book. Often we get history lessons from storytelling and that tradition goes back to before literature existed. But what happens when those stories are skewed by what is left out? We miss out on learning about some of the most inspiring people in history, especially if we depend only on the knowledge we learn in our classrooms. Unfortunately, our history books leave out so much and the content is often politically skewed.

This really hit me about a year ago. I stopped at a truck stop on my way back to LA from Tucson and picked up a few interesting books about women in the West. I found one particularly interesting - “The Bad Girls of the Wild West.” Although the book only touches upon women of notoriety in the days of the Wild West, it was enough to spark my interest. I found myself wondering why, out of all the Western movies and TV shows, these women's stories weren't told in more detail. Some may have appeared in supporting roles, but none of the movies (at least that I am aware of) featured them as the main character. So I started to dig deeper and I found some rare historical gems!

Among the stories that everyone knows like Calamity Jane and Annie Oakley, I found many that we don't hear about. These women played important roles in the history of our country. For example: Stage Coach Mary (the first person to deliver mail for Wells Fargo on a stagecoach), Clara Barton (the founder of the American Red Cross), Elizabeth Bassett and her two daughters (who ran their own ranch, smuggled cotton from Mexico and fought against big ranching companies who were taking over all the smaller ranches… a familiar struggle even today), or how about Maria Rita Quinteros de Valdez, (another rancher who owned a massive stretch of land that is now Beverly Hills), or Toby Riddle (a Native American who stepped in and prevented some deadly battles, then traveled to the east coast educating people about Native American culture). That’s just to name a few, of MANY.

Biddy Mason

Two of these women really stood out for me and I am currently creating projects based on their stories. Biddy Mason, who was a slave for the first 40 years of her life, sued her owner and won her freedom in Southern California in 1856 (a year before the Dread Scott case propelled the country into civil war.) She went on to become one of the wealthiest property owners in Los Angeles, started the first black school and church, donated money to the poor and visited prisoners to bring a little light into their lives. Talk about a philanthropist! My other heroine, Victoria Woodhull,  was the first woman on Wall Street to own a stock brokerage company. She started a revolutionary periodical and wrote articles about the most leading edge controversial issues. She actually ran for President of the United States of America in 1871 - almost 50 years before women were legally allowed to vote!

What? Is this for real? Yes! It's huge! Why isn’t it in our history books? These stories are impressive even by today's standards and are nothing less than inspiring. They are too powerful not to be told. I believe that if more people knew about their challenges and accomplishments, they would be inspired to do more in our modern society. That is why I am so motivated to get these stories out. There are parts of the world where women are not allowed to be educated or even go outside of their homes without their husbands - let alone create their own successful business or run for president. It is my hope that when people hear about the brave women of our past, it will inspire them to research more, uncover more and give them courage to take a stand. When we hear stories of great accomplishments or of crossing new boundaries, it encourages us to believe in ourselves. We are more than capable of accomplishing what may be deemed impossible by society’s standards. The stories of these incredible women give us the courage to leap higher, stretch farther and have trust in humanity.

Reposted from http://www.reelinspiration.blogspot.com/

Halloween at Leroy's Tombstone

Tombstone Territory Rendezvous Halloween Weekend

What better place to spend Halloween than in Tombstone with Western history buffs and researchers who unearth stories of the dead?

October 30, 2014. Appropriately, Dan and I started our Halloween weekend on a day trip with the Tombstone Territory Rendezvous gang to Johnny Ringo's grave followed by a stop at Gleeson ghost town.

We all gathered around a tree believed to be the place Johnny's dead body had been discovered, while an intuitive cowgal seemed drawn to the fallen tree nearby. Was this really Johnny's tree? Or did she know something we didn't?

October 31, 2014 at rickety Schieffelin Hall reading the love letters of dead people.

I performed a dramatic reading of Mary Clum's last letter to her mother-in-law proclaiming how Tombstone and its weather agreed with her. "I've never felt so well in my life...as I do now." And then I read her husband, John Clum's, letter sharing the sad news that his dear wife had gone to be an angel.

Can't say I channeled Mary or John Clum - although I did get a little teary-eyed reading his heart wrenching letter. Hope Mr. and Mrs. Clum were mighty pleased with my reading.

The rest of the afternoon was spent making the acquaintance of a few of Tombstone's deceased mayors via PowerPoint presentations. Then we were transported back to the 1880's through period music presented by Paul Johnson.

 Old timey saloon music

After spending the day hearing about dead people, Dan and I were in just the mood for a Halloween ghost tour at the infamous Bird Cage Theatre.

From my first visit to Tombstone, I felt drawn to the Bird Cage Theatre. For me there was a sense of nostalgia in the dusty air. Every time I came to town, I felt compelled to chat with Bird Cage manager, "Lightnin' Leroy." I would wait around in the lobby for him to finish his spiel about the longest running poker game (24 hours a day for 8 years, 5 months, and 3 days) and how many bullet holes decorated the walls (over 140). Leroy would then spin yarns about winning quick shot competitions and the hotshot cowboys who challenged him on the streets, guns at the ready. Around this time, the Bird Cage was featured on Haunted History. But Leroy always seemed the skeptic when it came to ghosts - even as he shared the photo he kept behind the bar of the spooky orbs shot in the theater. But he admitted to feeling a cool breeze and getting a whiff of cigar smoke or perfume when he was closing the theater alone at night.

Leroy became the inspiration for a character in my comic screenplay, "Behind the OK Corral." While conducting research for it, I returned to the Birdcage with a group of psychics. Two of the ladies, at separate ends of the theater, simultaneously pointed up to the same crib and said, "See the big Madame in the green dress!"

Madame in green was in crib in back corner

This really struck me because of a similar incident on a previous visit...

I was in town to shoot my short film, "If the Dress Fits."

When I couldn't find a place to rehearse, Leroy generously offered the use of the Bird Cage stage. While touring the theater after the rehearsal, my actress suddenly got ill. She cried out, "I have to get out of here!" I figured it was an allergy to all the dust. She later admitted to seeing someone she knew in the cribs, someone from a past life. A madame with a green dress!

It's been a while since I finished my screenplay, and I no longer feel the same draw to the Bird Cage. (Perhaps in the process of writing, I had resolved my issues.) Though I occasionally bring family and friends. Once I gave a tour to a descendant of Mabel Earp Cason (Wyatt's cousin who collaborated with Sadie on the manuscript that would become, "I Married Wyatt Earp.")  But I ran into Leroy less and less. Then I heard the tragic news. That July, Leroy was shot down in front of his house by a local drunk.

It was weird going back to the Bird Cage with no "Lightnin' Leroy." But there we were on a ghost tour. The guide showed us the cribs in the balcony where the soiled doves (prostitutes) plied their trade. She informed us about the different kinds of paranormal phenomenon. Apparently she boned up on the facts from "Ghost Hunters."

She took us downstairs to the site of the longest continuously running poker game. We peeked into the more expensive $25 dollar a night rooms. She went over the rules on how to treat the ghosts with respect. Apparently they don't like it when you talk about Ouija boards or challenge them to prove they exist. They are there for the interaction. She made an excuse that the ghosts seem less active on Halloween. (Hmph!) Perhaps it's their one night off. One of the tourists, my boyfriend Dan, pointed out a bad smell that wasn't there before. I got whiff of the musty odor.  It smelled like something was rotting in one of the $25 rooms. The guide said that she didn't notice it on the last tour. She would check for a dead rat in the morning.

The room with the rotting odor

We went upstairs to the backstage area and found seats around a wooden table. The guide pointed out all the lights already in the room, so we wouldn't get a false experience. She placed two gadgets on the table: one that sensed paranormal energy and another that amplified paranormal sounds on FM and AM channels. She encouraged us to ask questions of the ghosts and turned out the lights. Our ears peeled for the slightest ghost whisper or footstep, we waited in the dark. No lights on the machine. We heard laughter. The guide said that's just partiers celebrating Halloween. Not the best night for ghosts. Our guide tapped on the table and asked the ghosts to tap back. Nothing. She tried again. "Do you hear that? Tapping on the stage?" Some tourists claimed they heard rapping on wood. I heard nothing. She asked, "Hear that? The clinking of poker chips downstairs?" No...(pout). I just heard the young woman in our group giggling. Dan thought he heard a little hand bell. The guide tried to talk to the ghosts and guilt them into speaking to us. "Hey, guys. This is Halloween. You don't want to disappoint these people." One of the women said that someone touched her hair. The guide switched the receiver to AM. The woman asked the ghost who he was. Something garbled came through the receiver. "Are you the one with the bad odor we smelled downstairs?" Ha! How rude! Someone thought they felt a presence walking behind their chair. Another woman exclaimed, "There's a hand on my head!" The young woman cried out, "I'm scared!"

Location where I saw the light

Staring towards the stage, I thought I saw a light. Finally, the guide wrapped it up. She claimed that we heard more than the last group: the tap in response to hers, the voice on the spirit amplifier, and the woman's head being patted.

Wish I could say I saw Leroy, or even the Madame in green, but I didn't.  After the tour, I asked the guide if she knew Leroy. Leroy had hired her. She was at the Bird Cage when his killer came downtown to brag about shooting Leroy. I asked, "You think Leroy ever drops by?" She shared how Leroy used to hate it when she was on her cell phone at work. Once, her cell phone went flying off the display case. She believed it was Leroy pushing it off and that he occasionally stops by to check up on them.

Leroy Colomy

The Bird Cage sure isn't the same without ol' Lightnin' Leroy doin' his spiel. I wonder if Leroy is still a skeptic when it comes to ghosts. Wonder if he ever met up with a cigar-chomping miner or a soiled dove with a familiar fragrance of perfume.

On Angel Wings and a Prayer

It is night time before we finally hit the road for Tombstone - too dark to read in the car. Instead of practicing for my reading, I sing the songs for my musical theater showcase at Live Theater Workshop (the day after my Tombstone reading.) Dan is so patient as I sing, "Into the Woods!" for the ga-zillionth time.

At Tombstone Territory Rendezvous...

Thursday: After a lovely day trip to Ringo's grave and Gleeson Ghost town, we head to Schieffilin Hall for lectures. The first one is a powerpoint of John Clum based on Gary Ledoux's book! And there are our photographs from Special Collections. The photos we were using in our presentation! The photo of the Clums' white house! Only the caption says it is the home of John and his second wife. This drives us crazy, because in our fervor as new researchers, we are sure that it is John and Mary's house! 

Friday:  My performance is this afternoon. We skip the field trip to the old baseball field so I can practice. But The Tombstone Epitaph is just across the street from our hotel.

We stop in just to ask if they have a copy of the paper about the Townsite issue. Nope. Or if they know the location of the Clums' house...Nope. Maybe Woodie Clum's book has the address... Nope. They explain that, "Apache Agent: The Story of John P. Clum," by Woodworth Clum is out of print. 

Caught up in the search, we stop at the visitor center and ask to look at a plat map, a surveyors map of all the lots in Tombstone. They give us a historical town map, but the Clums' house isn't listed. 

We stop at every book store in search of the elusive book. We use the wifi at Wyatt's Coffee Shop so Dan can download new photographs for the presentation, while I worked on my bio and introduction.

Two hours left until my presentation! I leave Dan at the courthouse bookstore and rush back to our room.  And I still have to put my hair up in a bun and dress up in my "school marm" outfit." One thing good came out of our research...Since we didn't find the article about the townsite issue, I concentrate on telling John and Mary's story. I manage to read three letters out loud. Can't wrap my mouth around the word "seraphic." (John says his wife has become an angel...) Didn't have time to practice the eulogy at all. 

Passed some friends on the way to Shieffilin Hall and they looked pleased that I was in full period wear.

I have 15 minutes to practice at the podium, but people come into the hall to escape the hot lobby. I end up practicing in the hot lobby. Still can't pronounce "seraphic." 

Eric Eardman (a descendant of Wyatt Earp) introduces me, I take off my black bonnet at the podium and say a silent prayer.

I set the stage by reading an excerpt of John's love letter, "My Dear Darling, Precious little sweetheart. My pretty dear. My beloved little wife. I am sorry I can't kiss you tonight." My hand shakes a little as I read the first letter that Mary wrote to her new mother-in-law describing their wedding. Then I read her last letter to her mother-in-law detailing their daily life including the Townsite issue. I rave about the weather and how I have never felt so well in my life. I gush as I describe little Woodie's doings and sayings.

I fold my hands as I read, "At night he says his prayers so cute. Now I lay me, etc - crossing his little hands - then kisses me, papa and Grandmama. He wanted dolly to say hers so he said the entire prayer and remarked "dolly said at." Finally, I tear up a bit as I read John's letter sharing the news of his dear departed wife going to Heaven to become an angel. My mouth is dry, so I still can't pronounce "seraphic."  I say, "Sorry," and take a sip of water. 

All in all, it turned out to be a really rewarding experience. As I head back to my seat, a twenty-something man says, "Thank you."

It was a good thing that I included the Townsite issue. Bob Palmquist elaborated on it in his lecture. He referred to my presentation three times. He seemed to really appreciate that I had shared the Clum's letters. My friend Soni later responded on facebook, "Thank you for SUCH a great and informative performance last weekend! I learned a lot and will never look at the Clums the same way again! lol"  Thanks, Soni! 

That night we celebrate with a stroll down Safford Street scouting out the Clum's house.

This is NOT the house.

According to Parsons, it was supposed to be "down the street from a church." We find St. Paul's Episcopal Church. (It was actually the wrong church.) Town lot researcher Nancy Sosa explains that the house is no longer on that lot. She laughs at the thought of us looking for a house "down the street" from the church. In a small town like Tombstone, every lot is just down the street.

On the last day we find Woodies' book behind glass at the Epitaph office.

The Clum Letters: Through the Eyes of Mother Clum

While preparing for my dramatic reading at Tombstone Territory Rendezvous, I conducted research on Epitaph editor and Indian agent John Clum (He actually captured Geronimo!) at the U of A Special Collections library. After poring over Clum family letters, I have decided to portray John Clum's mother reading letters from her son and his wife, Mary. I plan to include: the first letter Mary wrote to her new mother-in-law in which she shares the details of their wedding, Mary's last letter before dying in which she tells about her life in Arizona, and John's letter sharing the sad news of his dear wife's death (as well as the newspaper clipping he enclosed.)

Dear Maddie: Researching Tombstone Mayor John Clum's Letters to His Dear Wife (or They Actually Let Me Touch Historical Letters!)

Researching John and Mary Clum in Special Collections at the U of A.

by Jana Segal

It had been a few years since I performed the dramatic reading of John Ringo's mother's pioneer diary at Tombstone Territory Rendezvous, so I was eager to perform another historic reading. TTR organizer, Jean Smith, suggested that I do something on the wife of one of the mayors of Tombstone since this year's program already included several prominent men. I googled "mayors of Tombstone." At the top of the list were the current mayor of Tombstone and John Clum. John Clum - Earp supporter, Epitaph founder, and Indian agent! His wife at the time was Mary Clum. I was intrigued to find out more about her. Someone was already scheduled to do a presentation on Mayor Clum based on Gary Ledoux's new book, so Mrs. Clum would fit in nicely. Following that lead, I discovered Gary Ledoux on facebook and asked him if he had any copies of the Clums' letters. He didn't, but he graciously sent me some pages from his book that included excerpts from Clum's April 16th letter to his wife (written while serving at the Southern Apache Indian Agency where he captured Geronimo.) I had a date to work with! A google search for that letter, led to a collection of the Clums' letters in the University of Arizona Libraries Special Collections.

I was tickled to find how easy it is to look up historic documents at Special Collections. The research librarians were so helpful bringing up boxes full of folders with letters, newspaper clippings, and old photos. (I imagined them scooting their little cart by row after row of artifact boxes like the iconic scene in "Raiders of the Lost Ark.") Plastic envelopes held the fragile, aging letters. I couldn't believe that I was allowed get my grubby mitts (or white gloves) on 130 year old love letters! I read Clum's letter to Major J. F. Wade from the the 9th Cavalry detailing the capture of Geronimo. I struggled to decipher the Clums' messy handwriting and smiled at their gushing affection. Finally, I happened onto John's letter to his mother sharing the heartbreaking news of his wife's death. Profoundly touched, I knew that I had to share their story with a dramatic reading of their letters.

Tombstone Territory Rendezvous will be held October 29th to November 2nd.

Preparing a Reading of a Historical Document

Jana Segal

I had such a good time performing the reading of Sharlott Hall's short 1880's story, “The Fruit of the Yucca Tree,” at the Tombstone Territory Rendezvous last year that I decided to do another reading. After some discussion about what would be a good fit for this group of Tombstone enthusiasts, historians and researchers, organizer Jennifer Lewis and I came up with the idea doing a reading from pioneer letters or journals from the Southwest. Jenn generously did some speedy research and found, “The Journal of Mrs. Mary Ringo.” It's the mother of Johnny Ringo's accounts of her family's wagon train trek from Liberty, Missouri to Austin, Nevada. I perused the journal. It included plenty of hardships and Indian attacks! We were set!

So, how do you cut a 38 page journal into a 4 ½ page script?

First, I read it through marking all the juicy parts and possible story threads that could be built into a compelling story. For instance, I marked all the passages about Indians - including the interactions with friendly Indians so I would have rising and falling action. I wanted to show some of the scenic beauty along the way and their daily activities without getting too boring or repetitious. On a second read, I included a strand about the sick cattle. I figured that the TTR audience would be interested in anything about the young Johnny Ringo (who later became a famous outlaw) so I marked the little I could find about him. The most dramatic journal entry was Mary Ringo's account of her husband's death, so I decided to set up his character by including whatever I could find about him.

I typed up all the journal entries I had selected – double spaced to have room for the comments when I “break down” the script. Since this is a historical journal, I decided to stay true to it by not changing Mary's wording. But I did cut sentences here and there to lessen repetition and boring details (like how many miles they traveled each day.) I tweaked and cut until it flowed as a story.

Time for some research -

I did a little research to find out Johnny's age at the time of the wagon trip (Johnny was 14) and the route they were traveling (from Liberty, Missouri to Austin, Nevada). I also found some facts about Johnny that I could use in my introduction. Johnny Ringo (also known as Ringo) started his life of crime by killing a man in the Mason County War. He later ended up in Tombstone embroiled in a conflict with Doc Holliday. Wyatt Earp went after Ringo believing that he was one of the Cowboys responsible the murder of his little brother Morgan. My next step was to look up any old-timey words that I didn't know so I could interpret it accurately.

Next, I “breakdown” the manuscript.

I underline the words I want to emphasis and put slashes where I want to pause for effect. I mark different parts for tempo - for instance exciting passages that I want to read fast or sentences I want to sloooow down. I love it when I find a line I can YELL (and wake up that audience.) At this point, I practice it aloud and circle lines that are awkward to say so I can work on them. I might watch a period accurate movie set in the same time period to get a sense of the dialect. If I'm having trouble with some stiff dialogue, I might leave the page and try saying it in my own words to get more conversational.

Now I put on my actor hat, and re-read the journal for hints of who Mary was so I can flesh out her character. (For example, Mary Ringo bought a new dress along the way so she cared about her appearance. She also puts a positive slant on everything.) I might even write my own journal entry in her voice to really get in her head. I search for sections where I can add emotions and mark them. I ask myself how she would feel about a certain situation. Are there any clues about how she feels? I try to incorporate as many emotions as I can and contrast them. I work towards building the emotions to a dramatic climax.

How do I know when I've practiced enough?

I practice it until I know it well enough that I can look up from the page to the audience. At some point, I like to read it out loud to another person – so I get used to having an audience. This helps offset stage fright. If I can, I practice in the space to get comfortable there. It's really about reaching a certain level of comfort and confidence – then let me at it! I'm ready to perform!  

"The Help" - Some Traditions are Meant to be Broken

There are some wonderful films that give you a taste of the Southern traditions - “Steel Magnolias” and “Fried Green Tomatoes” being among my favorites. But some traditions are meant to be broken. “The Help,” set in 1960s Jackson, Mississippi, is the first film to deal with the shared delusion that blacks and whites are separate in the South. Despite the Jim Crow laws designed to keep them apart, their lives have been intertwined since the days of slavery. Generations of white children have been raised by their black “maids.”

When the president of her bridge club drafts up a petition for a law forcing people to have separate bathrooms for their black servants, housekeeping columnist Skitter decides to draft something that will make a difference – a book on “the help's” perspective. The problem is that it's the dawn of the civil rights movement when blacks are still being lynched outside their homes. The maids could lose more than their jobs. It is inspiring to watch these women stand up for what's right despite their fears. Change starts with one act of courage.

Movie blessings!
Jana Segal

Check out my complete review at:  www.reelinspiration.blogspot.com

Servin' up Wormy Beans with Sisu

 by Lorna Kerin Beall

“Ugh,” “Ick,” and “Eww,” Nana's grandchildren responded when she told them how her family survived on wormy beans one hard Minnesota winter when she was a child. Nana smacked her lips, "Yum! Protein!"  I wasn’t so shocked. After all, didn’t they normally eat weird things like pickled pigs feet, and pig brains (that went by the name of headcheese?) I’d even heard that they, as well as my own family, ate rattlesnakes!

Little did I know at the time that wormy beans would play such a big part in the middle-grade novel I would someday write. “The Wormy Bean Winter," is based on real-life events of my Finnish American family. Though, as my husband Richard likes to point out,  it was his side of the family who actually ate the wormy beans!

In a card promoting my manuscript, I included the synopsis, “Kata didn’t realize that something as tiny as a wormy bean could be the difference between disaster and survival. While homesteading on the South Dakota prairie during the harsh winter of 1919, her family was barely surviving on their last bag of beans. When they discovered they were eating beans infested with worms, Pappa went to work in a copper mine leaving 12-year-old Kata in charge of the outdoor chores in the bitter cold. What was worse was that Papa’s confidence in Kate was bean-sized, too. She had to prove her sisu, the Finnish word for guts and determination, while she faced challenges like her baby sister’s ear nearly freezing off, vicious old “Three-Toes” the wolf, and all her sisters’ refusal to eat the wormy beans even if it meant starvation!”

I loved writing the book and coming to know more about my family. And I am so thankful for the humor, sisu and faith that both our families had when they helped settle this wild and wondrous country.  

Inspirational Visit to Laura Ingalls Wilder's Rocky Ridge Farmhouse

Jana Segal

While visiting my mom in Missouri, we took a self-guided tour of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Rocky Ridge Farmhouse in Mansfield where Laura wrote the beloved Little House books. What a lovely day!  The introduction included a charming documentary featuring a recording of the elderly Laura making a speech about how everything that she wrote about really happened to her. 

While touring the museum, I was struck by the similarities between the mother-daughter relationship of Rose Wilder and Laura Ingalls Wilder and my own relationship with my mother. The first thing I noticed was that mother and daughter were both writers - just as we are. Laura's daughter Rose was a successful writer and editor for the San Francisco Bulletin when she encouraged her mother to jot down her stories. Rose used that expertise to give her mom feedback on her work - just as I gave mom feedback on her children's manuscript. It was encouraging to read that Laura's first book, "Little House in the Big Woods" wasn't published until she was a senior citizen in 1932.  (See, mom, there's hope for you yet!) Inspired by her mom's stories, Rose went on to write, "The Young Pioneers." Likewise,  I was inspired to adapt my mom's family story, "Model T Biscuits" for the big screen. 

my 1880s writing desk

As Mom and I toured the farmhouse, I felt a kinship with Laura and her daughter Rose. Noticing all the pioneer mementos, I sensed that we shared a common nostalgia for South Dakota homesteading heritage. (Mom writes about her own family's South Dakota homesteading adventures in her book, "Wormy Bean Winter.") We spoke to one volunteer who used to be a teacher. She recalled how Laura liked to come to her classroom and read her books. My mom also loved to read her books in me and my siblings' childhood classrooms. 

I looked around and saw that we weren't the only ones who felt a special bond with Laura and Rose Wilder. There were people from all over the country (and other countries too) and even a Mennonite family who related to those cherished Little House books.

Laura Ingalls Wilder's Rocky Ridge Farmhouse museum site:

http://www.lauraingallswilderhome.com

Video of the Rocky Ridge Farmhouse property