Tales of Chetzemoka
Sarah's fiction—The Stories Behind the Stories
Sarah's Tales of Chetzemoka series follows the adventures of a fictional cycling club in the late Victorian era—starting in the romantic high wheel days of the 1880s, and following the club through the bicycle boom of the 1890s. Here's the inside scoop on the stories from the lady herself!
The Books
A Trip and a Tumble:
A Victorian Cycling Club Story
Buy the Book
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For Tales of Chetzemoka merchandise,
click here!
Interview by The Edinburgh Book Review
The Town
The town of Chetzemoka is fictitious, but it owes a lot to the real city of Port Townsend in Washington state —our home. Founded in 1851, Port Townsend experienced a boom in the 1880s. A great deal of beautiful architecture still survives here and draws people to a town which prides itself on being a Victorian seaport. In the late nineteenth-century there was an actual dressmaker named Pussy Butler with a shop in downtown Port Townsend; and the schoolteacher's name was Lizzie Bray, just like in the series. Their names are all I borrowed though: the characters in the stories are fictitious. (Once in a while I'll let a historic personage make a cameo appearance, but all the detailed characters who drive the action of the stories are created entirely out of my own imagination.) I take particular enjoyment from walking around town and choosing historic homes for the residences of my various characters.
The name Chetzemoka is an homage to the chief of the Clallam tribe. Many American cities are named after local tribes or their leaders: Seattle (named after a Duwamish chief) is a great example.
I created the fictitious city of Chetzemoka (rather than setting the tale in historic Port Townsend) to give myself leeway to make a few changes for dramatic purposes. For example, the Hastings Building already appears in the series in 1881, although the its historic namesake wasn't built until 1889. Similarly, the fire bell tower appears in the first (1881) story, although factually it wouldn't be built until 1890. Visitors to modern Port Townsend will see a paper mill (built in the 1920s) in the precise location where I placed Chetzemoka's sawmill. (Chetzemoka's sawmill is based on Port Gamble, twenty-seven miles away.) Such are the liberties one takes in fiction.
The name Chetzemoka is an homage to the chief of the Clallam tribe. Many American cities are named after local tribes or their leaders: Seattle (named after a Duwamish chief) is a great example.
I created the fictitious city of Chetzemoka (rather than setting the tale in historic Port Townsend) to give myself leeway to make a few changes for dramatic purposes. For example, the Hastings Building already appears in the series in 1881, although the its historic namesake wasn't built until 1889. Similarly, the fire bell tower appears in the first (1881) story, although factually it wouldn't be built until 1890. Visitors to modern Port Townsend will see a paper mill (built in the 1920s) in the precise location where I placed Chetzemoka's sawmill. (Chetzemoka's sawmill is based on Port Gamble, twenty-seven miles away.) Such are the liberties one takes in fiction.
The Characters
Sometimes I start out with a photo to use as inspiration for certain characters. Other times, Gabriel helps me search through thousands of antique photographs to find just the right image to use as inspiration. It's fairly magical when, after examining thousands of different pictures, a face pops out who looks exactly like I'd pictured one of my fictional friends. In those cases there is an "Aha!" moment when, after inspecting countless pictures Gabriel and I will turn to each other and suddenly exclaim, "Oh, THAT'S ________ !"
The Cycles
(Image credits for the slideshow of cycles are at the bottom of this page
—scroll down for links of the sources.)
More images of tandems and sociables
—scroll down for links of the sources.)
More images of tandems and sociables
Anatomy of an Ordinary bicycle
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Sarah's Writing Den
Victorian Cycles
Hand-built 1890's-style bicycles
Interested in a real time machine? Commission one of our 1890s-style custom bicycles! Custom, hand-made steel frames with wooden fenders and chainguards, leather saddles and cork grips. Whether you are interested in a roadster or a racer, we can build you the period bicycle of your dreams.
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Image credits:
Cycle slideshow:
Columbia bicycle, 1881: http://www.vintagecolumbiabikes.com/id94.html
Coventry bicycle: http://cmc-anwb.coventry-machinists-co.british-ordinary-bicycles.ordinary-bicycles.antique-bicycles.net [Note the bicycle in the photograph is basic black. Jacob's bike in the stories is fully nickel-plated —an optional upgrade. For Jacob's bike, picture the same silhouette but gleaming silver.]
Cheylesmore tricycle: The Tricyclists Indispensable Annual and Handbook, p. 206.
Cheylesmore Sociable tricycle: The Tricyclist's Indispensable Annual and Handbook, p. 155
Historic images:
University of Washington Digital Collections:
Saloon:
digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/wastate/id/495/rec/18
Mercantile store:
digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/wastate/id/575/rec/39
Downtown with steam and sailing ships:
http://www.palacehotelpt.com/construction.jpg
Ships at dock:
http://www.palacehotelpt.com/phototour.html
"Lumbering in Washington Territory" line drawing in logging slideshow: Scanned from a September, 1870, Harper's Magazine in our private collection. (To see more images scanned from our private collection, go to: Historical Images)
Artifact location credits:
Sawmill equipment, picture of "Bill Clapper", picture of men with sawmill equipment: Port Gamble Historic Museum, WA
Newspaper office and newspaper office furniture: Port Gamble Historic Museum, WA
Cycle slideshow:
Columbia bicycle, 1881: http://www.vintagecolumbiabikes.com/id94.html
Coventry bicycle: http://cmc-anwb.coventry-machinists-co.british-ordinary-bicycles.ordinary-bicycles.antique-bicycles.net [Note the bicycle in the photograph is basic black. Jacob's bike in the stories is fully nickel-plated —an optional upgrade. For Jacob's bike, picture the same silhouette but gleaming silver.]
Cheylesmore tricycle: The Tricyclists Indispensable Annual and Handbook, p. 206.
Cheylesmore Sociable tricycle: The Tricyclist's Indispensable Annual and Handbook, p. 155
Historic images:
University of Washington Digital Collections:
Saloon:
digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/wastate/id/495/rec/18
Mercantile store:
digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/wastate/id/575/rec/39
Downtown with steam and sailing ships:
http://www.palacehotelpt.com/construction.jpg
Ships at dock:
http://www.palacehotelpt.com/phototour.html
"Lumbering in Washington Territory" line drawing in logging slideshow: Scanned from a September, 1870, Harper's Magazine in our private collection. (To see more images scanned from our private collection, go to: Historical Images)
Artifact location credits:
Sawmill equipment, picture of "Bill Clapper", picture of men with sawmill equipment: Port Gamble Historic Museum, WA
Newspaper office and newspaper office furniture: Port Gamble Historic Museum, WA
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