by Kate Dolan | Dec 22, 2020 | 19th Century America, Articles, Holidays, Latest Posts, Living History
I intended to write about why we sing the song “Jingle Bells” at Christmas, but after doing some research, I now wonder why we sing the song at all. If people knew the origin of Jingle Bells, it would disappear faster than you can say “cancel culture.” Jingle...
by Kate Dolan | Mar 13, 2020 | 19th Century America, Articles, Faith, Latest Posts, Living History
Since I did not write the blog post I’d planned for Black History Month, I thought I’d cover February and March (Women’s History Month) with a few words about Amanda Berry Smith, who was born in rural Baltimore County in 1837. Amanda’s parents were enslaved to the...
by Kate Dolan | Dec 23, 2019 | Articles, Faith, Holidays, Living History, Religion and Magic
When I started building my nativity set, we could only afford to buy a few figures and I got animals to go along with the nuclear holy family because I thought a young child would find furry four-legged creatures more interesting than men in bathrobes. Each year we...
by Kate Dolan | Nov 16, 2019 | 19th Century America, Articles, Latest Posts, Living History, Travel
Expectations were low as we headed to historic Wateloo Village in northwest New Jersey. Even so, when we first arrived, it appeared that those sea-level expectations were too high. The 19th Century canal town is now owned by the state of New Jersey and all appearances...
by Kate Dolan | Nov 12, 2019 | 19th Century America, Articles, Latest Posts, Living History, Travel
We learned all about American canals in school, or so I thought. In the days before trains, men loaded goods onto canal barges. Then the barges would be pulled slowly by draft animals trudging up the tow path. It was a slow means of transportation, but still faster...
by Kate Dolan | Mar 29, 2019 | Articles, Kate Dolan, Latest Posts, Publishing
In honor of Women’s History month, I’m writing about my own history, and how it was shaped by some of the female writers who influenced me at a young age. I’m primarily thinking of the humorists like Erma Bombeck and Jean Kerr, but I would also have to admit to some...
