Pony Express

Nearly a year ago, I dreamt about a family traveling west on the Oregon Trail. The dream seemed so real that I began writing a novel, EnchantedJournal, based on it.

During my research about the Oregon Trail, I kept an eye open for any of my Buck ancestors or relations who might have traveled the trail but never found any. I tried researching some of my more distant relatives who lived during that era but could not find any who traveled on the Oregon Trail.

My great-granduncle, John Hickman Buck (1872-1955), moved from Alabama to Arizona sometime in the early 1900s. My dad met John Hickman Buck when he returned to Alabama to visit family. He told my dad that he traveled to Arizona in a mule-drawn wagon. However, that was not the Oregon Trail.

William Wentworth Buck (1804-1886) was born in New York but traveled to Oregon in 1845, presumably by the Oregon Trail. W. W. Buck built and operated a sawmill on the Clackamas River. He also built a paper mill in Oregon City in 1866; however, it was not a successful venture. He was a member of the legislature from 1849-1850 and postmaster for many years. Insofar as I can tell, W. W. Buck is not a relative of mine.

Rinker Buck (1950-) is the author of The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey (2015). Rinker Buck re-enacted the Oregon Trail in a mule-drawn wagon and wrote about his experience. I read his book with great interest as I learned about the Oregon Trail. We are not related.

Even though I could not find any relatives who traveled the Oregon Trail, the trail and its end at Oregon City fascinated me. I finished writing Enchanted Journal and almost immediately began writing a sequel, Pony Express. Pony Express is nearly ready for publication.

 

Another book announcement! Sorry, fans of my novels, my latest publication is about genealogy; however, the sequel to my “Enchanted Journal” novel is nearly finished.

My great, great, great grandfather, William Calmes Buck I (1790–1872), was perhaps the most illustrious of my ancestors. Although much has been written about him, especially his ministry, I felt that his story deserved to be told in more detail. Fortunately, Wm C Buck (as he usually signed his name) wrote an autobiography. I have a transcribed copy of his autobiography and retyped it. This book includes some letters and excerpts from his daughter Emma’s diaries.

Wm C Buck was an American Baptist minister, author, editor, and publisher. Born in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, he was primarily self-educated. Still, he became a professor of religion at Waco University in Texas. Dr. Buck was the author of five books, a newspaper, and many religious tracts. He founded and pastored several Baptist churches, especially in Kentucky and Alabama.

Check it out at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BFWV2DX9.

The Enchanted Journal

 

My third novel, The Enchanted Journal: Adventure on the Oregon Trail, has been published and is available on Amazon. 

The leather diary beckons Abigail Roberts from the ruts of the Oregon Trail. “Read me,” it teases, “I can help you,” but few pages contain writing. Mysteriously, a new page appears the next day to warn her of a dangerous river crossing and recommend a better one. The diary, written by teenaged Milli Madison in 1843, changes Abigail’s life as fresh pages of Milli’s adventure magically appear.

In 1859, fifteen-year-old Abigail Roberts begins her journey on the Oregon Trail. A farm girl and tomboy, she does not want the trail, but her father is eager for adventure and free land in Oregon.

Milli and William Anderson become sweethearts on the 1843 trail, but Abigail is determined to avoid romance and focuses on Oregon in 1859.

Captain Bridgewater, an experienced wagon master on his final trail, guides the caravan, and teaches the ways of the trail.

Follow Abigail’s adventures on the Oregon Trail in 1859 as she follows Milli’s adventures from 1843.

The Viking Princess: College Romance in 1970

 

My second novel, “The Viking Princess: College Romance in 1970,” has been published on Amazon, see https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09MYSS2T1 . No, I didn’t crank it out in a couple of weeks. In 2021, I actually wrote two novels. Here’s the explanation.

In writing “Timepath: Nature Abhors a Paradox”, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LGV94RL, I needed lots of study and help and signed up for online classes. Then I needed a practice novel for the online classes, so I created “Viking Princess”—a ridiculous “Hallmark Movie” kind of novel in which anything is possible. “Viking Princess” soon turned into a romance novel and, rather than change its genre, I determined to take on the challenge and finish it.

“Viking Princess” was a lot of fun to write and I was encouraged to publish it. Why not? I hired an artist and described the characters and scenes. Seeing her illustrations convinced me to publish “Viking Princess.”

*****

Fiona is an auburn-haired Scottish orphan called ‘Viking Princess’ because of her height, beauty and regal bearing. She is a serious, but shy, fine art student and keeps to herself. Fiona stereotypes football players as dumb bullies. Her new friend, Mary, wants to introduce Fiona to her best friend, Alexander.

Alexander is the Big Man on Campus. A handsome engineering student and star football player, his ambition is to become an inventor. Everything is easy for Alexander. Mary describes Fiona as ‘having a good personality’—intentionally not mentioning her beauty — and Alexander reluctantly agrees to meet her.

As they become acquainted, Fiona and Alexander must overcome cultural differences, jealousy, punishment for PDA, harassment, and family.

 

Timepath: Nature Abhors a Paradox

 

For the past year, inspired by my grandfather, J. W. Hale, I’ve been attempting to reinvent myself as a novelist. As an avid reader, I always wanted to write novels, and had made various unsuccessful attempts over the years. Finally, I realized that, at nearly age 24 °C, I had better get busy if I were ever to write my novel.

Time travel has always fascinated me and my own time travel novel was first on my bucket list of writing. I collected my pieces and snips and began writing my novel. It was a disaster–too much engineer, bad habits, and ignorance of organization. I signed up for several online novel writing classes and submitted many rough drafts and samples for criticism.

And now, I have finished my novel! “Timepath: Nature Abhors a Paradox” is entirely different from the novel I first imagined, but I can put a big check mark on my bucket list!

The paperback version is on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LGV94RL

The ebook version is on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LSM6YLC

 

“Timepath: Nature Abhors a Paradox” 

When Greg learns that his romantic interest, Anne, is actually his sixth great-granddaughter and is susceptible to breast cancer, he joins an experimental time travel project based on the twisted string theory of time. Although his official mission is to be briefly transported to 1810, his personal mission is to remain and administer a cancer preventative. The time travel team is baffled by Greg’s disappearance and attempts to discover the reason. Anne remains in 2022 and defends Greg’s reputation. Greg and Anne devise a method for Greg to save artifacts, letters, and photographs from the early 1800s where he must learn to live. They each make a time capsule to record their lives.

Other Bucks to Virginia

 

In addition to Thomas Buck I, generally assumed to be the ancestor of the Buck family of Virginia,  there were other Bucks leaving England for the New World.  In particular, land was granted in Virginia for transportation of these Bucks:

• Peter BUCK, by John Jackson, 1635
• Peter BUCK, by John Jackson, 1637, Charles River Co.
• Thos. BUCK, by William Canhooe, 1639, Charles River Co
•  Thomas BUCK, by Thomas Harvey, 1640, James City Co.
•  John BUCK, by John Bayles, 1642
•  Old BUCK, by Sr. Tho. Luntsford, Kt., and Baronett, 1650

None of these exactly matches with my ancestor Thomas Buck and 1635 although several are so close as to warrant further investigation – if only more information were available!

John Jackson was granted land for transporting two Peter Buck’s and at about the same time; these may have been the same person.  Likewise, there were two Thomas Buck’s transported about the same time.  In fact, all these may have been the same person since false claims are not unheard of.  In any case, I’ve not been able to find additional information.

The Thos. Buck transported to Charles River County, Virginia in 1639 by William Canhooe is sometimes called the “Other Thomas Buck”.  He died in 1648 in York county which was split from Charles River county.  His sister, Mary, living in England, wife of Richard Thorpe, was his sole heir.  Therefore, this “Other Thomas Buck” had no children and could not be the ancestor of the Buck family of Virginia.

It is very interesting that, at one time, there may have been these six Bucks, Thomas Buck I, and the children of the Reverend Richard Buck all living in the same general area of Virginia.

James Warren Hale

 

James Warren Hale, my maternal grandfather, was, primarily, a laborer on the railroad but he was also an aspiring writer.  Beginning in 1942, and likely earlier, he wrote a total of 28 short stories, plays or novels –5916 pages -- in 35 journals.  The journals are a mix of hard cover “Record” books and spiral bound notebooks.  Most of his stories are very simple and written in ink with a small but neat cursive handwriting.

I recall seeing a few of these stories along with a typewriter on a table in the bedroom he used at the Askew Farm near Meridian, Mississippi.  This would have been in the late 1950s.  I thought there were only a few stories.  After his death in 1966, his daughter, Jeannette Hill, kept the manuscripts.  Jeannette died in 2004.  After the death of her husband John in 2018, I asked their son, John if he was aware of the stories and if they were anywhere to be found.  John eventually found the manuscripts in an old suitcase.  John gave the manuscripts to me and I began to study them.

I typed three of his stories, including his autobiographical “Railroad Man” and have now put them in a book, “The Times, Life and Stories ofJ. W. Hale” along with some genealogical information.  The book also includes a short autobiography about growing up in the late 1800s that was written by Dr. R. E. Hale, brother of J. W. Hale as well as a history of the Elizabeth Presbyterian Church that they attended.  I’ve self-published this book on Amazon in both paperback and ebook format so others have access to it.

Frankly, these are not good stories but I’m pleased to have them.  They tell a little more about the grandfather that I barely knew.  In particular, his autobiographical sketch, “Railroad Man”, provides a lot of background information. 

My grandfather may not have actually intended for his stories to be read but I’m pleased to make him a published author.