HIGH NOON, APRIL 22, 1889—50,000 DREAMERS RUSH IN
At high noon on April 22, 1889, fifty-thousand settlers camped on all sides of the Oklahoma territory began a fever-pitched race to claim their 160 acres of land and a new life. Most started at the sound of a cannon or gunshot on horseback, wagon, or foot at the appointed time around the territory. Land was claimed and sizable towns sprung in in a single day. More followed. But trouble was afoot too as the hopes, dreams, and even survival of the competing settlers collided with each other and the harsh realities of life in wild "unassigned" lands. The opportunity was great, but not everyone played by the rules, and the free land sometimes came at a very high price.
This wonderfully researched, four-volume historical fiction series, Taming the Wilderness, captures the unforgettable struggles, dreams, failures, and triumphs of the settlers of the great Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889. Each volume presents two complete novellas with well-crafted characters and life-stories not soon forgotten.
Night Flight
Things can just rock along, and nothing is done about a potential problem until something slaps one in the face. It happened that way to Eben when he saw the in-laws of his deceased son reach out for his 5-year-old granddaughter. Reality struck with deadly force. She must not be reared in a bootlegging family. Drastic needs took drastic measures, and it must happen in secret—actually, in the dark of night.
Caravan
It might have been just cold feet, but it took something powerful to influence the move made by some Nebraska families one cold winter day. The urge, however, moved a lot of people in the same way: hence, the Caravan.
HISTORICAL FICTION—THE 1889 OKLAHOMA LAND RUSH—FAMILY FRIENDLY
