Living in a modern city like Las Vegas, Nevada, I wouldn’t have a clue as to what life was like during the California Gold Rush if it weren’t for the countless authors who’ve written about that fascinating period of time in our nation’s history. These are only a few of the books that sit on my shelves: The Rush, by Edward Dolnick; California Gold and the Highgraders, by F.D. Calhoon; Eldorado, by Dale L. Walker; Gold Mines of California, by Jack R. Wagner.
I use the Internet a lot, too. What a handy reference source! While writing Lucky Creek Lady, I was able to find that hotels had indoor plumbing in the 1850s; the California Stage Company acted as agents for the steamship lines; the use of tracheotomies in the US began around 1820; and much more.
So my many thanks go to those who contribute to the Internet, as well as those authors whose books helped me make Laurie and Darcy’s 1855 world as real as possible.