Simple Life Writings: 2015

December 20, 2015

Importance of the American Peddler

One of the most colorful figures in American history, the itinerant peddler also was one of the most controversial. Peddlers with their inventories stuffed into wagons or even carried on their backs pushed into the frontier so that families could remain stocked with life's essentials as they settled the new lands. This was a fun and fascinating article to research, tracing the routes and history of peddlers through the 300 years they remained active.

Winter 2015

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August 12, 2015

History Repeating Itself

This was an amazing article to write because of the strength and determination of Nancy and Paul Holcomb, who lived in one of Ohio's landmark historic homes and then pulled up roots to move to Missouri. For their new home they purchased the pieces of a 1670 Connecticut house and rebuilt it, piece by piece, in Missouri and filled it with a remarkable collection of early New England furnishings.

Summer 2015

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June 12, 2015

When Everyday Becomes Rare

Writing the story of Maine minister and poet Ed Oestreich was fascinating because it shows how his longstanding desire to have his historic Maine home reflect everyday 18th-century existence means today it is filled with antique treasures. For several decades, Ed's knowledge and love of antiques has resulted in a remarkable collection. A number of people who read this article and were prompted to visit Ed's home have since told me they'll never forget the wondrous and quaint home and its kindly owner.

Summer 2015

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What's this Blog?

Here are several articles I've written for A Simple Life magazine. This blog is not affiliated with A Simple Life or its publisher, Homestead Publishing, Inc. The articles I've posted remain the property of A Simple Life and are posted here with permission of the publisher.

To read the articles, just click on the link below the photo and brief text. Some of these also appear in the Portfolio section of my main website along with other samples of my historical writings.

Feel free to leave comments on these posts. Thank you for visiting, and I hope you enjoy these articles!

What's this Magazine?

A Simple Life magazine ceased publication in December, 2020. For more than a decade, people fond of the simpler aspects of our homes and heritage savored this quarterly magazine. In every issue, it offered features about homes, antiques, recipes, gardening, and a dash of history thrown in.

Jill Peterson is an extraordinary photographer and writer whose earlier books ~ "Homestead," "Settlement" and "Homecoming," among others ~ found a receptive and dedicated audience that expanded greatly with her magazine. A main reason for its popularity was summed up in Jill's mission statement: "Getting an issue of A Simple Life in your mailbox is like getting a letter from an old friend."

Writing for A Simple Life appealed to me because the content was down-to-earth and without pretense. I consider myself fortunate to be counted among the fine group of people who helped this magazine along.