Enter to win a library of books about mail-order brides and romance on the frontier.

The following is an advertisement placed in a Marysville, California newspaper in April 1849.  “A Husband Wanted:  By a lady who can wash, cook, scour, sew, milk, spin, weave, hoe, (can’t plow), cut wood, make fires, feed the pigs, raise the chickens, rock the cradle, (gold-rocker, I thank you sir!), saw a plank, drive nails, etc.  These are a few solid branches; now for the ornamental.  “Long time ago” she went as far as syntax, read Murray’s Geography and through rules in Pike’s Grammar and could find six states on the Atlas.  Could read, and you can see she can write.  Can – no, could paint roses, butterflies, ships, etc. and a great many things too numerous to be named here.  Now for her terms; her age is none of your business.  She is neither handsome nor a fright, yet an old man need not apply, nor any who have not a little more education than she has.  There must be $20,000 settled on her before she will bind herself to perform all the above.”

Read a variety of mail-order bride and groom ads in the books Hearts West: True Stories of Mail-Order Brides on the Frontier or Object: Matrimony: The Risky Business of Mail-Order Matchmaking on the Frontier.

Drawing will be held on Friday, March 14.

Enter to win a library of books about mail-order brides and romance on the frontier.

Men and women in hopes of finding a companion placed advertisements in a publication specifically designed for lonely hearts.  Among those publications were Matrimonial News and Hand and Heart Magazine.  The following advertisement appeared in the January 7, 1887 edition of Matrimonial News.  “A lively widower of 40, looking much younger, 5 feet 7 inches high, weighing 145 pounds would like to correspond with some maiden or widow lady of honor who would like a good home, kind husband and plenty.”  Read a variety of mail-order bride and groom ads in Hearts West: True Stories of Mail-Order Brides on the frontier available wherever books are sold.

Unknown Frontier, Mail-Order Groom

Drawing will be held on Friday, March 14.

Enter to win a library of books about mail-order brides and romance on the frontier.

Advertisement that appeared in Matrimonial News in March 1900.  Dear old men, here is your chance to get a true loving companion.  I am a widow by death, age 69 years, but don’t always look or feel or act over 40; always in good humor, very loving and kind; a good housekeeper, weight 104, height 5 feet 2 inches, blue eyes, brown hair, nationality German; would like to meet some congenial gentlemen near my own age, with means enough to make a good home.

Drawing will be held on Friday, March 14.

Enter to win a library of books about mail-order brides and romance on the frontier.

Drawing will be held on Friday, March 14.

Advertisement from a mail-order bride dated October 12, 1890.  “Boys, I am a lonesome little girl, alone in the world and earning my own living and tired of doing so; my age is 20 years, weight 145, height 5 feet 3 inches, blue eyes, dark hair, good housekeeper, am considered good looking, have some means, also piano; common school education; prefer country life; will marry if suited; no Catholics need to write.”

Enter to win a library of books about mail-order brides and romance on the frontier.

Drawing will be held on Friday, March 14.

Advertisement from a mail-order bride dated August 1867.  “Hello, all you widowers and bachelors, right this way if you are looking for a companion; here she is, age 60, weight 100, height 4 feet 11 inches; black eyes, dark hair, American; Golden Rule religion, jolly and good natured; have means of $3,000; wish a husband with some means, city or county, age from 50 to 75; will answer all letters.”

Pick up a copy of Hearts West: True Stores of Mail-Order Brides on the Frontier and read more about the men and women searching for the person of their dreams.