The decade after the war was the Reconstruction era. But that optimistic term defied the reality that there were both winners and losers.
Two generations of Jarvis families were living in southeast Indiana. How did they fare?
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If you don’t know about Cross Plains, Indiana or the 1811 price of peach brandy, you need this book.
If you want a look at Baptists and Methodists in 1820 Kentucky, you can find it here.
If you want to know how William and Margaret Jarvis moved family and household goods and animals down the Ohio River, this book’s for you.
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The Civil War ended on May 9, 1865. The country was about to enter a period of prosperity and expansion.
But before we go forward, let’s take a look back at where we’ve been.
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My mother had many eclectic interests, like books, cooking, gardening, sports, English language, and Italy. She also liked history and antiques. She had an eye for interesting and unique objects.
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South Carolina seceded from the Union in December 1860. It demanded that the U.S. Army leave Charleston.
When that didn’t happen, the South Carolina militia bombarded U.S. troops in Fort Sumter on April 12 and 13, 1861.
The American Civil War had begun.
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Indiana had become an agricultural and commercial success, with a population over 1.3 million. Like other northern states, Indiana’s interests and politics were at odds with the southern states.
By 1860, things were at a turning point.
Margaret Thompson Jarvis (5G) died on March 1, 1853. She was age 90. She led a pioneering life.
Joseph R. Jarvis married Martha Ann Buchanan on November 20, 1852. Joseph was age 22, Martha 17.
Continue readingBy the middle of the nineteenth century the pioneer era was nearly over. Hoosiers had cleared and planted most of Indiana’s land. Those who could afford it had built and moved into brick homes. Stores were built, and the new hoosiers bought shoes, underwear, and many other items.
A cookbook published in New Albany in 1851 is suggestive of this emerging way of life in Indiana. It contains recipes for oysters and lemon punch.
Hoosiers and the American Story
Family Nibbles 