Description
FRONTIER SERIES (Student books) About 160 years ago, a type of publication debuted that was not only the precursor to today’s mass market paperbacks, themed magazines and comic books, but also predicated the “moving pictures” and early television “serials.” Stories were told about exciting frontier adventures… a little at a time…setting up an ever growing market for the next installment. It made sense to use an historical publication model to teach history, so we created our own Dime Novels, written by Hugh F. Wynn.
“Windmills and Barbed Wire” is intended to familiarize students of today with how the Texas frontier was settled — and specifically the critical role that water, windmills and barbed wire played in winning the west. The Frontier Series of three Dime Novels are about the Sullivan family who packed up their possessions and left Malvern Junction, Arkansas aboard a Texas & Pacific westbound train, and headed for a new life in Texas. It is through their experiences that we learn about how critical water quickly became to their survival and how they adapted to their new home…and how the invention of barbed wire and windmills made it possible to settle arid regions of Texas.
“Winning the West – Frontier Challenges” continues the saga of the Sullivan’s as they learn about the integral roles played by the buffalo, the Plains Indians, and the ranchers and cattle drives in the expansion of the frontier. The family learns more about surviving life-threatening disease with access to only primitive frontier medicine, and about the ravages of drought on farming enterprises.
“Winning the West – Frontier Folkways” follows the young Abbie Sullivan as she has the opportunity to attend the University of Texas. After Abbie’s family relocates, she discovers her true gifts – writing and teaching – and pursues a journalism career in Austin. Later she accepts an invitation to join the Journalism Department at UT. The third Dime Novel follows some of her lectures – based on her own experiences on the frontier as a young girl – and includes information on daily life as well as some important historic events.
