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