Writing historical fiction is a challenge when setting a story in a real place. There is so much research that needs to be done to provide authenticity to the setting, and many times reliable records are few and far between. That is why I want to give special praise to the Honey Grove Preservation League. Their online historical resources are some of the best I have ever come across. Historical photos, newspaper articles, government records—it was like stepping through a time portal every time I visited.
It brought me so much joy to mention real people and places in this novel. Places like the Commercial Hotel; the home of James Gilmer that was built during this time period; Wilkins, Wood & Patteson Dry Goods; and Dora Galbraith Patteson’s millinery shop on the east side of the town square. While Reuben Sinclair and Zacharias Hamilton are completely fictitious characters, there really was a lumberyard located on the corner of Sixth Street and Rail Road. And the tale of Davy Crockett carving the town name in a tree while on his way to the Alamo is well-documented in early Honey Grove accounts.
As fiction authors are wont to do, I have taken a few liberties with Honey Grove’s history. To my knowledge, there was never any city ordinance banning women from owning businesses in town. In addition, Mayor Chester Longfellow was a complete invention of my imagination. The true mayor of Honey Grove during this time period was J. H. Smith, a man who served in that capacity from 1888–1897. He must have been a well-loved city official to hold office for nearly a decade. I paid brief homage to him by having him step back into office when my fictitious mayor resigned.
I hope you have enjoyed stepping back in time with me to Honey Grove, Texas. Zach and Abigail might not have lived there in truth, but I like to believe their tale is a representation of the many amazing love stories that have taken place in that sweet little town through the years.