Children tread lightly through the pages of Old West history. Pintsized Pioneers: Taming the Frontier, One Chore at a Time gives frontier children their due for all the work they did to help their families survive. Even at early ages, the youngsters helped families make ends meet and handled chores that today seem unbelievable. Written for today’s young adults, Pintsized Pioneers offers lessons on frontier history and on the value of work for contemporary youth.
In 1850 adolescents 16 and under accounted for 46 percent of the national population, making them an important labor force in settling the country. Pintsized Pioneers examines their tasks and toils starting with the chores on the trail west. Children assisted in providing fuel and water on the trail and at home when they settled down. In their new locations the young ones helped grow food, make clothing for the entire family and assist with the housekeeping in primitive dwellings.
These pintsized pioneers took on farm and ranch chores as young as six, some going on cattle drives at eight years of age. Even Old West town tykes, who enjoyed more career possibilities, helped their folks survive as well. In the end, many pintsized pioneers pitched in to help their families make ends meet. Difficult as their lives might have been, the lessons those children learned handling chores helped them and their country in the years ahead. Those pintsized lessons have contemporary applications to the youth of today.
Targeted at young adults, Pintsized Pioneers is written at a ninth-grade reading level and includes a supplementary glossary. Even so, Pintsized Pioneers is an eye-opener for adult readers as well.
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Preston Lewis and Harriet Kocher Lewis co-authoredthree books in the “Magic Machine Series” published by Bariso Press: Devotionals from a Soulless Machine, Jokes from a Humorless Machine, and Recipes from a Tasteless Machine. They reside in San Angelo, Texas.
Preston Lewis has published more than 50 fiction and nonfiction works. The author and historian’s books include traditional Westerns, historical novels, comic Westerns, young adult books, and historical accounts. In 2021 he was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters for his literary accomplishments.
His writing honors include two Spur Awards from Western Writers of America and three Elmer Kelton Awards from the West Texas Historical Association. He has received ten Will Rogers Medallion Awards, and in 2024, he earned an inaugural Literary Global Independent Author Award in the Western Nonfiction category for Cat Tales of the Old West.
He is a past president of Western Writers of America and the West Texas Historical Association, which named him a fellow in 2016.
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Harriet Kocher Lewis is the award-winning editor and publisher of Bariso Press. Titles she has edited have been honored with Will Rogers Medallion Awards, Spur Finalist designations, and Independent Author Awards.
Lewis concluded her 26-year physical therapy career as the inaugural clinical coordinator for the physical therapy program at Angelo State University, where she taught technical writing and wrote or edited numerous scientific papers as well as a chapter in a clinical education textbook.
REVIEW
Preston and Harriet Kocher Lewis delve into the history of emigration across what is now the continental United States, focusing on the experiences of young people. Americans journeyed westward for a variety of reasons, including pursuing their dreams of success and fortune through The Homestead Act. The journey was challenging for everyone, especially the children. The young ones often had to fulfill basic needs such as finding food, water, and warmth. Chores during that time were not simple tasks like tidying up a room or putting dishes in the dishwasher, but rather involved finding fuel for cooking and carrying water for survival. Pintsized Pioneers recounts stories of young children undertaking dangerous yet character-building chores.
The well-researched details of the individuals highlighted in the book often came from diaries or local papers. The stories and quotes were interesting and relatable, featuring people like Laura Ingalls Wilder, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and William Cody. The discipline and life lessons of grown-up responsibility echoed across the different quotes. The only difference between townsfolks and homesteaders was the types of work the young people performed, but all labored daily to allow their parents to take on additional jobs to keep their families together. The harsh realities of life and death were often dealt with by working harder.
The newspapers were invaluable sources of information, with interesting debates about farm boys versus city boys being more productive. The opportunities and rewards were different. Girls’ viewpoints and stories were related in equal measure. Clearly, children took on roles and responsibilities at early ages, shaping their character for life. Most history books about pioneer days are focused on adults struggling for a chance to find their dreams. It is refreshing to read Pintsized Pioneers and learn about the gap children filled during the emigration and for settling the Great Plains, Southwest, and even as far as Oregon. The historical perspective makes one reflect and imagine how today’s youth could rise to the same challenges. Pintsize Pioneers is a history book that makes you gasp, chuckle, and be grateful for the unsung heroes who helped settle this country.
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