Pack It In

Summary

Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities - Episode: "Pack It In" Release Date: November 14, 2024

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Introduction

In the latest episode of Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities, host Aaron Manke delves into two captivating historical narratives that intertwine heroism, deception, and the enduring power of literature. This episode, titled "Pack It In," explores the remarkable life of Sarah Emma Edmonds, a woman who defied societal norms during the American Civil War, and the pioneering efforts of the Packhorse Library program that brought books to the remote Appalachian Mountains during the Great Depression.

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Sarah Emma Edmonds: A Woman of Many Faces in the Civil War

Aaron Manke begins the episode by recounting the extraordinary life of Sarah Emma Edmonds, born Sarah Edmondson in New Brunswick, Canada, in 1841. Growing up on a farm, Sarah faced gender-based abuse from her father, leading her to seek escape through stories of fantasy and adventure. Inspired by the fictional pirate captain Fanny Campbell, Sarah's desire for a better life prompted her to leave home at 15, adopting the surname Edmonds with her mother's assistance to avoid impending marriage and her father's control.

Defying Gender Norms

At 15, Sarah fled her oppressive environment:

"There must be something better out there, away from her father." ([00:41])

To pursue autonomy, Sarah disguised herself as a boy named Franklin Thompson, securing employment as a door-to-door Bible salesman in Connecticut. Her transformation was not merely for economic gain; it was a strategic move to carve out a space for herself in a male-dominated society.

Enlisting in the Union Army

With the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, Sarah saw an opportunity to contribute more significantly to the Union cause. Adopting the alias Franklin Flint Thompson, she enlisted in the 2nd Michigan Infantry. Her roles during the war were diverse and critical:

• Support Roles: Assisting wounded soldiers and serving as a mail carrier.
• Combat Participation: Fighting in pivotal battles like the Siege of Yorktown, Virginia.
• Espionage Activities: According to her memoir, The Female Spy of the Union Army, Sarah undertook daring missions behind Confederate lines. She employed various disguises, including altering her appearance with silver nitrate to appear as a black man and posing as an Irish peddler to glean intelligence from Confederate soldiers.

A notable moment in her espionage was when she confessed the fictional elements of her memoir:

"Not strictly so." ([05:50])

Sarah's admission that her memoir contained fabricated stories has led historians to debate the veracity of her claimed spy activities. Despite the skepticism surrounding her espionage claims, her contributions to the Union effort are undeniable. Her fellow soldiers regarded her as a dedicated and effective member of the infantry, irrespective of her true identity.

Legacy and Heroism

While questions remain about the extent of her spy activities, Sarah Emma Edmonds undoubtedly played a vital role during the Civil War. Her ability to navigate and survive in a variety of challenging roles showcases her resilience and determination. Although she may have embellished aspects of her story, Sarah remains a fascinating figure who challenged the gender norms of her time and left a lasting impact on history.

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The Packhorse Library: Spreading Knowledge in Rural Appalachia

The second narrative transports listeners to the depths of the Appalachian Mountains during the Great Depression. Aaron Manke explores how President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal initiative, specifically the Works Progress Administration (WPA), addressed both economic hardship and illiteracy in eastern Kentucky through the innovative Packhorse Library program.

Origins and Challenges

Initiated in 1935, the Packhorse Library program aimed to make literature accessible to the nearly 33% of eastern Kentuckians who were illiterate and living in remote areas. Building on Mae Stafford's 1913 attempt, the program enlisted women to deliver books via mules and horses to isolated mountain communities.

"They had to travel nearly 100 miles a week through rain and snow, sometimes arriving home with their feet frozen to the stirrups." ([07:16])

The logistical challenges were immense. Without modern infrastructure, librarians faced treacherous terrains, harsh weather, and threats from wildlife. Additionally, securing funding for mules, horses, and books required resourcefulness from the communities themselves.

Impact and Success

Despite the obstacles, the Packhorse Library program thrived. By 1937, it served over 50,000 families and nearly 200 public schools. The libraries stocked a diverse collection, ranging from practical guides to engaging novels, which fostered communal reading and learning.

"It truly is a miracle, an evidence of the enduring power of books." ([07:16])

Families often gathered to read together, with children assisting their parents, thereby improving literacy rates and strengthening community bonds. The program not only provided educational resources but also a sense of hope and normalcy during a period of widespread economic despair.

Transition to Bookmobiles

With the onset of World War II and the consequent shift in economic priorities, New Deal projects began to wind down. The Packhorse Library program concluded in 1943, having laid the groundwork for future literacy initiatives. The advent of roads facilitated the introduction of motorized bookmobiles in 1946, ensuring the continuation of accessible library services. Today, Kentucky's libraries operate 75 bookmobiles, a testament to the lasting legacy of the Packhorse Library program.

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Conclusion

In this episode of Cabinet of Curiosities, Aaron Manke masterfully intertwines the stories of two pioneering women who leveraged unconventional methods to overcome societal and logistical barriers. Sarah Emma Edmonds' clandestine contributions during the Civil War and the Packhorse Library program's dedication to rural education both highlight the extraordinary lengths individuals and communities will go to achieve progress and empowerment. These narratives not only entertain but also inspire, underscoring the resilience and ingenuity that define human history.

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Notable Quotes:

• Sarah on her quest for a better life: "There must be something better out there, away from her father." ([00:41])
• Sarah admitting her memoir's fictional elements: "Not strictly so." ([05:50])
• On the enduring power of books: "It truly is a miracle, an evidence of the enduring power of books." ([07:16])

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For those intrigued by these stories, consider subscribing to Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities on Apple Podcasts or visiting curiositiespodcast.com to explore more fascinating tales from the annals of history.

Transcript

[Dr. Joy Hardin Bradford]

This is Dr. Joy Hardin Bradford from Therapy for Black Girls. You know that Amazon has millions of books, so you can find one that gives you just the reading feeling you're looking for. You know, like if you're looking for a relaxed feeling, like with a beach read, Amazon has got it covered. Or if you're looking for more of a terrified ah with evil twins or things lurking in the woods or something, Amazon's got you. I mean, even if you want an aw teen romance, Amazon has it covered too. Amazon Books that reading feeling awaits.

[Aaron Manke]

Welcome to Erin Menke's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of iHeartRadio and Grim and Mild. Our world is full of the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, all of these amazing tales are right there on display, just waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities. Legendary individuals aren't usually born as legends. They work hard and accomplish great things during their lifetime. In other words, legends are made. But while some might spend their lives earning their legendary status, others find loopholes, workarounds to cement their place in history. People Sarah Emma Edmonds was born Sarah Edmondson in New Brunswick, Canada in the winter of 1841. She lived on a farm with her parents, multiple sisters and one brother. Apparently, her father had wanted another boy to help with the farm, and so Sarah often bore the brunt of his abuse simply for being born a girl. She passed the time by reading stories of fantasy and adventure like those of Fanny Campbell, the female pirate captain. Fanny was a fictional character who had set sail during the American Revolution to save her fiance and wound up becoming the captain of a pirate ship. These stories swirled around in Sarah's head as an escape from her daily life, but they also got her thinking. There must be something better out there, away from her father. And so when she was 15 years old, she left home with her mother's help, partly to get as far from her father as possible and also because she was set to be married soon. She then changed her last name to Edmonds and never looked back. Her dad eventually tracked her down and she had to flee once more. Disguising herself as a boy named Franklin Thompson, she made her way stateside to Connecticut where her alter ego helped her land a job as a door to door Bible salesman. But she never forgot about Fanny Campbell, who defied the odds and took on men in male dominated fields. Sarah already dressed like a man to make a life for herself on her own. So when the Civil War broke out in 1861, Sarah saw her chance to be more than what had been planned for her. She had been traveling through Michigan selling Bibles when she enlisted with the Union army. There, as Franklin Flint Thompson, she was eager to support her adopted country against the South. Sarah, as Franklin, took on a number of duties during the war. As part of the 2nd Michigan infantry, she helped wounded soldiers, worked as a mail carrier, and even fought at the siege of Yorktown in Virginia. Her loyalty and grace under pressure soon earned her a way to win the war from the inside. She was made a spy for the Union. According to Sarah's memoirs, she donned numerous disguises and identities to slip behind enemy lines undetected. In one scenario, she dyed her skin black using silver nitrate and wore a wig so that she looked like a black man. On another occasion, while disguised as a black laundress, she stole several papers that had fallen out of an officer's jacket and smuggled them to her superiors. She also pretended to be an Irish peddler named Bridget O'Shea, who sold various soaps and other goods to Confederate soldiers, hoping to learn more about their plans. Unfortunately, her life as a spy was cut unceremoniously short. After sustaining a fall from her mule while delivering mail, followed by a bout of malaria, Sarah was told to visit a Union hospital. There was just one problem with that. Any doctor who examined her would realize she wasn't a man named Frank Thompson, but she was, in fact, a woman. So instead, she checked herself into a private facility and recuperated. But during that time, Frank Thompson was labeled a deserter. Posters were put up, and Sarah realized that her other identity was now a wanted man. Rather than go back and face military action for desertion from her post, she traveled to Washington, D.C. where she enlisted as a female nurse under the name Sarah Edmonds. She published an account of her time with a second Michigan infantry, as well as her brief stint as a spy in a memoir titled the Female Spy of the Union Army. But barely 20 years after its publication, people started to question the book's veracity. A reporter once asked her if her book could be considered authentic, to which Sarah replied, not strictly so. In fact, she admitted that much of what she had written was fiction. Ever since then, historians have picked apart her story, suggesting that even though she served in the military, she probably was never a spy. There were no records of Frank Thompson mentioned in any surviving rosters or memos. And according to the men she served with, her real identity was well known to them by the end of the war. And they said that she was a great soldier. So was she really a spy? The only people who know for sure are long gone by now. But Sarah Edmonds did contribute quite a lot to the Union effort during the war. She might not have been a legend, but she certainly was a hero. Just one who might have embellished a bit on her resume.

[Dr. Joy Hardin Bradford]

This is Dr. Joy Hardin Bradford from Therapy for Black Girls. There are millions of books on Amazon, so there's a reading feeling for everyone. So if you're after that excited haha feeling like when you discover you have a lot in common with Vikings or something, Amazon has books for you. Or maybe you enjoy the sort of nervous haha that comes when the hero barely escapes the zombies. Or maybe you like the smug that comes when the villain gets what he deserves. You know Amazon has it all. Amazon Books that reading feeling awaits Gifting.

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[Aaron Manke]

May could hear the children long before she could see them. As her mule climbed the last hill on the Appalachian Mountain Trail, shrieks and laughter could be heard from the little one room schoolhouse just beyond the trees. As she rounded the corner, the children rushed to greet May and her mule, shouting to the others to hurry up. If they didn't come soon, they would miss the book. Woman the 1929 stock market crash plunged the whole of America into a deep depression, with widespread poverty becoming a fact of daily life. One of the hardest hit areas was the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Kentucky. To fight back against the Depression and provide work for Americans, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt announced a series of federal work programs in 1933 called the New Deal. And already lacking the modern highways, electricity and telephones of the rest of the nation, Eastern Kentucky became a prime target for for Roosevelt's ambitious new project. FDR's Works Progress Administration, or WPA, soon descended on eastern Kentucky, putting men to work building roads and bridges. But the folks of Appalachia weren't just hungry for infrastructure. They craved knowledge. You see, nearly a third of eastern Kentuckians could not read at this time, and with many of them out of work, they saw education as a way out of poverty. Their only Problem. Living in rural Appalachia, access to books wasn't exactly easy. It sounded like the perfect job for the bookwomen. Back in 1913, a woman named Mae Stafford had tried to start a program bringing books to far off hills and hollers on horseback, but had to stop after she ran out of funding. Now, in 1935, with the backing of FDR's New Deal, she was back in the saddle. The packhorse library program was ready to ride again. The idea was each county in eastern Kentucky would establish a library with donated books. Twice a month, an army of women riding mules and horses would fill their saddlebags with texts and take them out to the mountains, circulating books and magazines to the furthest rural communities. This was easier said than done. Of course. The government would pay for the writers, but nothing else. This meant communities had to find ways to buy or rent mules, horses and books. With no roads, in many parts of the mountains, packhorse librarians were forced to ride through mountain trails and creek beds. They had to travel nearly 100 miles a week through rain and snow, sometimes arriving home with their feet frozen to the stirrups. When one woman's mule died mid ride, she had to hike the rest of her routes herself. Not to mention, these riders faced constant threats from copperhead snakes, bears, mountain lions, and suspicious neighbors. Despite the early challenges, the packhorse library program was an instant hit. People loved the books, whether they were practical guides to quilting or canning, beautiful books of poetry or fanciful adventure novels set in far off lands. By 1937, the program served over 50,000 families and nearly 200 public schools. The most popular books in circulation were novels by Mark Twain and Daniel Defoe, with beautifully drawn illustrations. It wasn't uncommon for families to read them together, with the children helping their parents learn to read. By the early 1940s, as the war breaking out in Europe led to an industrial boom in America, Franklin Roosevelt brought many New Deal projects to an end. The packhorse library program officially ended in 1943 after serving most of eastern Kentucky for the better part of a decade. While the book women no longer rode through the mountain trails, books found a new way to travel around Kentucky. During the decade the WPA was modernizing the state, many new roads had been built through the mountains, which gave some of the out of work book women an idea. In 1946, Kentucky's first motorized bookmobile began driving through the mountains, bringing books to the people. Nearly 70 years later, their legacy still has a lasting impact. Today, Kentucky's libraries operate 75 bookmobiles across the state. It truly is a miracle, an evidence of the enduring power of books. Over a hundred years after its story first began, the Packhorse Library is still delivering hope. I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts or learn more about the show by visiting curiositiespodcast.com the show was created by me, Aaron Manke, in partnership with How Stuff Works. I make another award winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, book series and television show and you can learn all about it [e-mail] and until next time, stay curious.