In 1849; a young German bride and her husband stepped off a ship in Corpus Christi Bay to establish their home in the new frontier settlement. For the next three decades Maria von Blücher wrote letters home describing the hardships of droughts and Indian and bandit raids; the chaos of the American Civil War; the discomforts of pioneer living; the joys and heartbreaks of family life; and the development of a town that her descendants would help to build into a thriving city.Her letters record above all the woman's side of pioneer life. Although they offer insight into political events and economic developments in Germany; the United States; and South Texas; their greater value lies in the picture they paint of the deprivations; cruel hardships; sacrifice; and dangers faced in everyday life. Maria's letters stand as a personal account of the pioneer experience and an elegant testimony to the role played by Germans in the settlement of South Texas. They provide an intimate look inside the homes and ranches; the schools and farmyards; the stores and churches of early Corpus Christi. They examine families and friendships; communities; congregations; and social unions.In Maria von Blücher's Corpus Christi Bruce S. Cheeseman has edited and annotated more than two hundred of the nine hundred letters that are held in the von Blücher family's papers on deposit at the Special Collections and Archives of the Mary and Jeff Bell Library at Texas AM University–Corpus Christi.In her life and in her letters; Maria von Blücher joined all of the courageous pioneer women who helped to lay the foundations of Texas communities. These letters unerringly draw a Texas landscape that is gone forever.
#72071 in Books Ryan Hackney 2006-12-14 2006-12-14Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 6.25 x .70 x 5.50l; .45 #File Name: 1598693239256 pages101 Things You Didn t Know About Irish History The People Places Culture and Tradition of the Emerald Isle
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A lot of great storiesBy Jokergeorgethere's a lot of interesting trivia throughout this book+can lead the reader to many historical events to do more research on A+33 of 35 people found the following review helpful. Interesting facts; presented in a lighthearted wayBy SingleEyePhotosWhen I was in school; I studied Medieval history; with an emphasis on England; and it astounded me when I read this book to realize how little I really knew about Ireland and Irish culture and history! I liked the format of this book - many (101; to be exact!) very short chapters; only 2-3 pages at most - that were easy to read and didn't overload on the facts. Most of the items were presented in chronological order; though there was some overlap; especially during tumultous times in Irish history. The tone was very light; and there were a few times where I thought it was a bit TOO light; but not to the point of being offensive. Factual information was given; but not in a way that made you feel you were reading a scholarly book. I did find it a bit tedious as the chronology approached modern times; but that's most likely just me; since modern history isn't my interest - the writing and style did not change.I was very glad to have a chance to partially fill in what turned out to be a huge gap in my knowledge; and finished the book with a much greater respect for the Irish and their history and culture. I would recommend this to just about anyone. It won't replace any scholarly works on Ireland and the Irish; but it's an excellent beginning book for someone who is casually interested in Irish history. For what it is - a quick; light; factual read - it's just right.Note on Kindle formatting: Excellent. I found a few instances of incorrect punctuation throughout the book; all which could easily have been found in a print version as well. There was nothing that impacted ease of reading.7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Great book for everyone!By Georgeann O'KeefeThis was a very entertaining book; I bought it for my husband and it turned out he already had it. I read it and there was so much information written in a concise yet entertaining manner. It's worth it to read; and it also great to test those friends/family members who think they know all about the Irish.
