“A year of my childhood was spent in the back of a wagon traveling across Iowa and Nebraska. We were escaping the slums of Chicago, searching for land where we could start our new farming life.

Sometimes, I’d sit up front beside Pa. My sisters and I always fought about whose turn it was. The views were incredible — the Great Plains seemed to stretch forever. They made me feel almost lonesome. It was just my family and me beneath the wide open sky.

On fine nights, we’d sleep outside, rolled in our blankets beside the fire. The stars were so bright, they didn’t look real. I’d fall asleep counting them, which distracted me from the howling wolves. After many months, we found fertile prairie land covered in grass that was taller than me. We had arrived — and the real work was about to begin.”

“Every morning, we rose at first light. We slept in railroad carriages that were crammed with bunks stacked three high. There was barely enough room to move, but I never had trouble sleeping because I was always exhausted.

Our days were very long. After breakfast, we’d work for five hours, then at least another five or six after lunch. The work varied, depending on where we were, but it was always hard. We’d drill or blast rock, build bridges, dig tunnels, and fell trees. If we were lucky, we’d just lay railroad tracks.

I didn’t mind the hot weather so much — but the winters were really hard. My hands would be red and swollen for weeks, and nothing relieved the pain. Many men died building the Transcontinental railroad. I was one of the lucky ones.”

“I’d always wanted to be a nurse. Very few women had a career in my day, but I was determined. I just wanted to do something useful.

I finished my training soon after the Civil War began. I had no time to worry about whether I was skilled enough to nurse soldiers. Every day, dozens of wounded men arrived — hundreds if there had been a fierce battle. Sometimes, a soldier’s injuries were so bad that nothing could be done. I would hold his hand and try to provide some comfort. I was only a young woman, and at times, I felt as though my heart would break.

There were about two thousand nurses who worked during the war. We were called the angels of the battlefield. We had limited supplies and often didn’t sleep for days. It’s funny, though. I wouldn’t have missed being there for the world.”