The Daughter's Walk - Jane Kirkpatrick [141]
The passages about the fur business drew from the generosity and speculation of Teresa Platt of the Fur Commission (California); Dale Thiesen, Director of American Legend Fur Auction (Seattle); and Howard Noseworthy, Director of Planning for Fur Harvesters Auction Inc. (Ontario, Canada). Any inaccuracies belong to me, but their willingness to suggest the process that might have been in place in the early 1900s, and the hours spent with me at their facilities, provided authenticity to what might have been Clara’s, Olea’s, and Louise’s roles in the furrier industry. Teresa read sections of the manuscript for accuracy, tracked down prices of pelts, and gave of her time. I am deeply grateful to her.
Franklin Doré’s character grew out of their discussions that women in the industry would have had a male to act as their agent and to enter the auction houses, as women would likely not have been allowed. Teresa especially went beyond the call and was instrumental in locating the New York verification of Louise’s name change in 1897. She also provided two resource books, including R. Turner Wilcox’s The Mode in Furs: The History of Furred Costume of the World from the Earliest Times to the Present, which provided me with Clara’s design for the beads-and-drops cape.
Several archivists provided copies of news accounts written about the walk, including the most extensive articles by the Minneapolis and St. Paul newspapers that included reference to the letter from the mayor of Spokane, the signatures Helga and Clara collected, and the many prestigious people they met, including the McKinleys and the Bryans.
Library archivists Riva Dean (Northwest Librarian, Spokane Public Library), Mark O’English (University Archivist, Manuscripts, Archives, & Special Collections, Washington State University in Pullman, Washington), Brigid Clift (Regional Branch Archivist, Washington State Archives in Ellensburg, Washington), and Amber Paranick (Library of Congress Serial and Government Publications Division) each located valued information, especially access to an unpublished manuscript written by Leslie Edwin Lillquist about the Big Bend country, early Coulee City, which allowed me to create a world for Clara and her acquired family there. Judy Harmon of the Sherman Public School Library in Moro again proved helpful in connecting me to a variety of library sources.
Sandra Gourdin of the Bureau of Land Management located essential maps and directed me to the land grant information for Clara’s purchase of property along the Spokane River, and Alan Christianson of Western Rivers Conservancy made references for information about early fur farming that I appreciated. Lynn Wells, Spokane historian, provided details of Clara’s river properties and the LaPray bridge. A morning spent with Spokane County’s search of deeds located the variety of properties Clara bought in Spokane and helped me find the first mention of Olea Ammundsen. Mary Kay Irwin spent hours there and located the trail of many purchases made by Clara and the power of attorney granted to Olea, then generously gave the information to me, saying she could hardly wait to see what I would tell her about what Clara had been doing with that property. Her confidence is humbling.
Author and artist Mary Anne Radmacher created the idea Louise used to further her understanding of Scripture through Mary Anne’s “Wear the Word paraPHRASE” online writing class I was privileged to take.
I must thank again Linda and Jim Hunt, who opened their home to me while I researched, shared reference material with me, and introduced me to the Estby descendants who helped make Clara’s life come alive. Thank you for making room for this story in your lives.
The team at WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group continues to amaze me with their support. Special gratitude goes to editors Erin Healy, Shannon Marchese, Laura Wright, and all those behind the scenes who bring this book into the hands of others.
Finally, but not least, my home team deserves accolades: my husband, Jerry,