MAP OF SPEARFISH
If you've read sections of BENEATH THE COTTONWOODS, or you are at least the curious sort, you might find this map of Spearfish to be quite interesting.
I must say, I was delighted to find it in a gallery on the Spearfish Area Historical Society website. These folks are fabulous people, willing to share a wealth of knowledge.
Do you want to see where BENEATH THE COTTONWOODS takes place? Well! I'm so glad you asked!
Allow me to give you a tour . . .
Remember my post about Decoration Day last Thursday? In the background of that photo stands the Bank of Spearfish. Here, you'll see it circled in red! That corner it sits on is Sixth and H, where a great amount of excitement in BENEATH THE COTTONWOODS happens.
Hazel, our heroine, lives in that yellow house--just a couple of blocks from the bank, where her father works (under false pretenses, but that's another post).
Then you'll see a row of trees. This is where you'll go if you plan to dip your feet in Spearfish Creek. Beyond the trees, our hero lives. Widower Lee Cranston's house and barn are within the blue rectangle.
Not too far of a walk between the two, is it? . . . Which is good because Hazel travels the road daily to pick up Lee's five-year-old son for tutoring lessons.
By the way, if a storm comes up--as it tends to do in the summer--you'll see the clouds rising over Crow Peak, the mountain just beyond Lee's place.
Do you like when authors set their stories in real places?
How does history make a story better?
What are some drawbacks to tying a story so closely to history?
Let me know in the comments!
