Forward

Setting my pen to write "Pioneer Days & Shanty Ways” gave me a special reason for choosing the title for the book. Having a pioneer fisherman father, who told us many stories of the sea, I felt would be an interesting place to start. Having a farm girl as a mother, whose stories were passed down from her grandfather’s knee, was the opportunity I needed to fill the book with many treasured memories of family life back then. This along with writings gathered as a newspaper correspondent started me on a journey back into a past, which I thoroughly enjoyed along the way.

There was adventure, hardship, danger, and humor in the seeds of history that were left behind. This caught my interest and I wanted to write, so a younger generation could read something of an earlier generation of people. Their courage helped me to understand the suffering and sacrifice that was made, so families could enjoy a better way of life than their

forebears. Wanting to shed some light on my lrish great grandfather,

Richard Dawson, with assistance from the Department of Human Resources brought success. This was the help l needed to confirm; Richard Dawson was indeed a commissioner for small debts. He was also listed in the 1800’s Mecham’s Atlas as