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 Just what does 'Get along, little doggy' mean, anyway?
If you're interested in writing about living and loving in the wild, wild west, then this list of research materials is for you! Here you'll find all you need to know about daily life of cowboys, indians, settlers and even those in the houses of ill repute. Whether you're looking to learn the lingo, how to pan for gold, or just trying to determine what gear your heroine needs when setting out across the great wide open, check out these references!
Daily Life in a Covered Wagon by Paul Erickson
Don't Squat With Yer Spurs On! A Cowboy's Guide to Life by Texas Bix Bender
The Writer's Guide to Everyday Life in the Wild West by Candy Moulton
Everyday Life Among the American Indians (Writer's Guide to Everyday Life Series) by Candy Moulton
The Prairie Traveler: A Handbook for Overland Expeditions by Randolph B. Marcy
Western Words: A Dictionary of the Old West by Ramon Adams
Soiled Doves: Prostitution in the Early West by Ann Seagraves
Daughters of Joy, Sisters of Misery: Prostitutes in the American West, 1865-90 by Anne M. Butler
Cowboy Lingo by Ramon F. Adams
Cowboy Slang by E. Potter
The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Old West by Mike Flanagan
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 The other day, I was searching for some historically accurate professions that might have existed in the Regency period and before. Something other than butcher, baker and candlestick-maker, that is. And then the following website fell into my lap while I was preparing to visit the Great Dickens Christmas Fair. Much like Renaissance Faire, the Dickens fair is a historical reenactment, but this time, of Victorian London. The characters from Charles Dickens books, like David Copperfield, Ebeneezer Scrooge, and Oliver Twist are out and about, not to mention numerous scallywags, rapscallions, piccaninnies, street urchins, chimney sweeps, rakes and rogues, ladies and gents, and darlings and dandies.
On their website, they link to a lot of great Victoria resources, specifically how to choose a Victorian indentity, from a proper name to your profession.
So if you're looking for an occupation for a character, or curious what someone in a certain, rather archaic profession does, then this website, A List Of Occupations, is for you!
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How did people keep things cold before fridges were invented?
Well, there were several ways. First, people used root cellars or cold cellars.
A root cellar was an underground room that had a very consistent cool temperature. These cellars were often built in the sides of hills and while they did not keep things freezing, they greatly helped when it came time to have fruits and vegetables in winter. Root cellars have not changed much over the years. Sure, there are better insulation methods now, but the premise is still the same.
But what if you needed ice? Perhaps for making ice cream or to keep the swelling down on a wound?
Then you had to deal with the ice man. The London Canal Museum's website has a great seven slide explanation on the ice trade during the Victorian Period. It covers everything from where the ice was harvested and how it was kept to how it was delivered, much like milk and coal used to be delivered to your doorstep.
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