My historical fiction series, On the Dakota Frontier, tells the stories of women homesteaders who stake claims in Dakota Territory in the 1800s. And, while the stories are based on considerable research, they’re still fiction. Earlier this year, I was contacted regarding writing a nonfiction book about the real women homesteaders who came to South Dakota.
That’s my next project.
It’s an exciting opportunity, and I’ve already begun the initial research for this nonfiction book. But before I start writing about these women, I need to find historical accounts. I’m looking for family histories, memoirs, diaries, and newspaper and magazine articles. That means time spent in museum and historical society archives. But best of all, I’ll be talking to the descendants of these brave women who came to South Dakota.
At a recent South Dakota Humanities Council talk about women homesteaders, one of the audience members (who is new to South Dakota) said, she was struck by the determination and amazing work ethic of the women in this state. As a lifelong South Dakotan, I was surprised at this observation. (Perhaps we’re too close to see it, or we simply take hard work for granted.) But it makes me want to bring these stories to life even more!
I look forward to learning more about these matriarchs who helped build South Dakota. If you have a family member or neighbor who homesteaded in South Dakota, please share her information with me.