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Abandoned - Christmas Crossroads - Story 75

Started by Abandoned, November 30, 2021, 07:26:43 AM

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Abandoned

Intro


  This is the 75th story in the Smallville Series and tells of the 4th settlement along the East Coast Railroad Line that began in Plimoth of story 74.  From there the railroad went west to Chattachoo of story 4 and later to Ironwood of story 72.  The railroad continued west across the Green Woods and will now cross the main river flowing down from Newport of story 12.  That river crosses the river that Riverview Resort of story 17 is on, which is one of the main rivers that had changed its course years ago making riverboat travel difficult.  Recent disasters of tornadoes and giant frog invasions plus problems with pirates made it even more necessary for the river boatmen to have a place to meet and spend time with their families.  The Wagon Train and Railway in the west greatly improved travel, hopefully the railroad in the east would do the same, offer a means of safer travel, and one day reach Riverview Resort.  In order to speed things along, Smallville sent expedition #18 east to help.  It was approximately year 70 SVT.


Map seed  #  5881311232  Valley One River, Small, Fair, Disasters Off, Easy - 8 families, seeds, animals

Mods activated for this map and load order are:

Map Changing and Starting Mods:   Banished UI Maps, Labor Window, RK Minimized Status, CC Light Rain, override maps,  Kid Tree Replacer X-Light, New Flora Edit, Override Fewer Trees, Family Start

Tweak Mods:    Better Fields, Fishing Dock +25%, Increased CC, 1:1 Alternative (Voeille), override Christmas Clothes, Rocks Respawn, Tiny Smoke

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Supporting Mods:     Chicken Coop, Choo Choo, Christmas 2021 (new update, soon-to-be-released), Colorful Little Houses, Greenhouse, Kid Bed & Breakfast, Kid Deco Farm Animals, Kid Deco People, Kid Deco Wreaths, Kid Farmyard, Kid Fruit & Nuts, Kid Houseboat, Kid Market Carts, Kid Nativity Chapel, Kid Stagecoach, Kid Washing Mod,   Kid Work Shop, Red Creamery Cows, Sample White Chickens

Mod Note:  Thank you @kid1293 for added a chapel with a cross to Hillside Village for Christmas



  So, weary traveler, like you, folks trying to reach Riverview Resort in the winter months were often stranded at the Crossroads for the holidays.  We tried to make it pleasant and festive for them.  Our town became know as Christmas Crossroads but it didn't start that way.

Abandoned

Due to forum image upload problem I am only posting World Map now.  Hopefully others will be posted later and Avatar will be changed.


Kristahfer

This sounds interesting...

Always a joy.

Your work, both @Abandoned & @kid1293 , are Banished eye candy. A real delight to follow.

Abandoned

Thanks @Kristahfer  :) Always nice to hear from you.  There will be a few less pictures shown until the picture posting problem is fixed, but they are nice big gallery pictures  :)  Hope problem will be fixed soon.  Here is chapter 1

Abandoned

Chapter 1


  Yes, my husband, Pillam and I were part of that 18th expedition from Smallville.  My name is Shastity.  The journey here was longer and rougher than we had thought it would be.  We had supply carts, a flock of sheep, 2 milk cows, and some chickens.  There were 23 of us, 16 adults and 7 young children.  When we saw the mountains and the Green Woods across the river we knew we had reached our destination.  Another main river was just north of us, we were at the crossroads.  We would settle here and the railroad would come to us.  The railroad workers were mostly young singles and our job was to provide food and housing for them while they continued laying tracks from here west.

  First we must provide food and housing for ourselves.  We were farmers so the first thing we did was to clear land for our fields just west of town.  Wheat and potatoes were planted that first year.  To the east, closer to the river, land was cleared for a sheep pasture.  We hoped the mountain would protected them form the northwest winter wind.  An animal shed was built in town for the cows and chickens and a large barn where we were all staying until houses were built.  We needed a school first because three of the children were 6 years old already.  And we needed a greenhouse like Smallville had to keep our seedlings until we were ready to plant them .  It was summer before the first 2 houses were built on the hillside.

  The hillside houses required quite a bit of stone so work stopped often while we gathered more.  It was autumn and harvest time before work resumed on another hillside house.  A farm family of 5 moved in as soon as it was finished.  By then a 3rd field was ready to be planted with cabbage the following year. We hoped the rest of the families would have houses long before then.






Abandoned

#5
Chapter 2


  The family who would tend the sheep were next to get their house, they wanted one on the hillside overlooking the pasture. Erne, the herdsman, was my husband's brother.   Most of our group were farmers who originally came from south of Smallville, an area know for flooding especially in spring.  Those folks preferred the hillside house.  Some of us, like the teacher, wanted their houses built at ground level.  A ground level house was built next to the school which had 2 students.  By then it was snowing and the greenhouse had been built and a woodcutter's tiny chopping block was set up next to the stockpile.  Another hillside house was built on the hill behind the barn and the family was very happy to be out of the barn and into a nice warm house. 

  It was early spring before another house was finished.  We were always short of stone.  It had been a cold snowing winter and gathering stone was no fun.  Our house was finished in summer and by then Phill and I had our first child.  We had a lovely view of the river.  All too soon it was autumn and the first snow had fallen.  Our sheep shed was finished quickly and Phill began sheering the younger sheep that were a bit skittish about being sheered out in the pasture with the other sheep.  I would be working in our newly built woolen mill.  The river currant would turn the wheel that spun the wool that would be made into warm winter woolies. 









Abandoned

Chapter 3


  It took a bit more wool to make winter woolies than the tradition wool or warm coats but the woolies were well worth it.  There were sweaters, scarves, hats, socks, and warm woolen mittens, and of course Long Johns for the men.  We women called our's snuggies.  We immediately posted a sign by the big barn in town to let folks know there were now woolies to be had.

  The need for warmer clothes made us realize we would soon need more tools too.  A smith was built next to the main stockpile in town.  A tunnel was built through the mountain to the area by the river behind our house.  There was a lot of stone and surface iron to be had, our stone supply was still critically low especially after building the Town Hall on the hillside.  Fronia living next door would keep the town records.  Crossroad's population was 33, 16 adults, 2 students, and 15 young children.

  In spring of year 3 our population grew by 16, 12 adults and 4 children.  Two large paddle boats came down the river, we did not expect help so soon.  The small boat brought a descendant of the Baron who started the railroad in Plimoth years ago.  He too was a baron and with him was his young bride and her 2 siblings.  He brought workers to help prepare the town for the railroad worker's arrival.  We were a bit concerned about what we may be in for when he built a large manor house not far from the river and tunnel.  He build a house for his house staff and planted a small vineyard and spice garden.  We later learned the vineyard was a family tradition that started back in the Old Country, clippings from those first grape vines had been passed down from generation to generation.  Our concerns were further put to rest in autumn when the Baron's winter woolies were out on the line for everyone to see just like everybody else's.







Abandoned

Chapter 4


  That year and the next were busy ones.  Two of the families the Baron brought with him would live in hillhouses on the far side of the hill by the crop fields.  They would hunt and cut and plant trees, our seedlings were doing well.  We found a hedgerow with an old apple and chestnut tree while clearing the path for a road back to that area.  Another family would live in the ground level house across from the farmyard we planted behind the animal shed to grow corn to feed the cows and chickens.  That family would tend those crops and some of the chickens.  The Baron let it be known to the river boatmen that he would be interested in more livestock and he planned to build a trading post on our river.

  The Baron had been traveling when he got word from family in Plimoth that it was time he come here to supervise the next phase of the railroad project.  He was way up north in the mountains, a place called Morningside.  He had the paddle boats built there and traveled down one of the smaller rivers to Newport and from there to here.  He had quite a few plans for Crossroads that he learned in Morningside.  One of them was the greenhouse he had his people build for the coffee plant seedlings he brought with him.  The beans when brewed would make a delicious hot beverage that was especially good in the morning with breakfast and bakery.

  There we were one step ahead, we had just started building a hillside mill when the Baron arrived.  It was being built on the hillside just past the farm fields where the wind coming over the hills would catch the blades to turned the mill wheel that would grind the wheat.  After the Baron arrived and his hunter got to work, my sister-in-law Edmonique said she could make warm coats from wool and hides in a tailor workshop while I made the winter woolies in the woolen mill.  A tailor workshop was built by the pasture not far from her house. 

  The trading post was built not far from our house and Phill and I were pleased when the Baron had a stone wall built that would separate us from the port area. Everyone was impressed that he had our wall built before work began on his own.   I was very pleased not to have people cutting through our yard and seeing our winter woolies hanging out on the line.








Abandoned

Chapter 5


  The Baron discussed the railroad plans with us.  The tunnel would come through the mountain far south of town across the river and tracks would be laid straight across to the west mountain where another tunnel would be built.  There would be no turn around here.  The train would take passengers west and the return train would take much needed food and resources back east to Ironwood and Chattachoo.  We needed to increase our food supply and build housing for the workers.

  A gatherer's workplace was set up in the hunting and forester's valley.  A herbalist healer was built not far from the mill.  Some of the collected herbs would be used by the baker for herb bread.  Later there would be jelly buns and spice cake.  We needed workers.

  The first river boatman came to port in spring of year 5.  It was Billis the livestock merchant.  He wanted to know just what livestock the Baron wanted.  Billis would get what he could and would gladly take seedlings, tools, or clothing in trade.  He asked about the woolies he saw on the lines, he would sure like some of those for the winter river run.  He would let it be known we were in need of workers.   Yosella, the resource merchant, said much the same when he came a short time later.  By then the town had a beautiful chapel built with a walled cemetery to match.

  By late summer a bridge was built across the river.  Workers would have a long way to go to build the tunnel and tracks.  A road led straight west from the bridge to where a rooming house was built for the workers.  The main storage barn was straight north from there.  We just had to wait for the workers to get here.









Abandoned

Chapter 6


  In spring of year 6, 13 workers with 3 young children came over the mountains from the east.  They came from Ironwood as soon as they heard we were settled and had housing.  The tracks were laid across the Green Woods and work on the tunnel through our mountain had begun.  They would start laying tracks on this side. The 2 families with children said they would like hillhouses on the other side of the river, they would stay with us here, only the young singles would continue laying tracks to the west.

  The workers got busy building a trestle bridge across the river and clearing land, collection resources, and digging roads on the other side of the river.  The road going south on this side of the river was being extended and resources gathered too.  The railroad would take a lot of logs and iron to build. 

  By autumn a fishing pier had been built across the river and we all helped gather branches and wild foods.  The 2nd Hillside house was completed and the family settled.  They and the rest of the workers really appreciated our winter woolies as the temperature dropped and the snow began to fall.

  Two merchants came to port earlier in the year, Garald the general goods merchant and Llewel the food merchant.  Both expressed an interest in our production of woolies and we were surprised to hear they would be willing to give us 20 units of trade goods in exchange.






Abandoned

Chapter 7


  We should have traded for food and firewood when we had the chance, we struggled with both.  By spring both supplies were low and we spent a lot of time gathering, time that could have been spent helping to clear land for the railroad tracks.  However, the workers did find more fruit and nut trees, some were transplanted and some seedlings went into the greenhouse.  We moved a large plum tree and some hazel nut bushes over near the bakery.  Two chestnut trees and some spice plants were discovered behind the worker's rooming house.  We built a snack stand there on the corner.  There would be baked potatoes until closer to Christmas when chestnuts would be roasted.  Another chestnut tree and apple tree were found there too when wood was cut to built the new stone cutter's house.  He would tend the cemetery and the new potato field that was just cleared.

  In spring 13 more workers with 4 young children arrived.  The rooming house and the Baron's large houseboat were full.  The small houseboat was being used for storage.  It was good to have more workers and by late spring track laying began in earnest.  Tracks were being laid on both sides of the trestle bridge.  Living conditions were crowded and again the food supply was low.  Darrylee, the fisherman, said he could catch more fish if he spent less time going back and forth from the rooming house.  When he was working on the tracks his wife was doing the fishing.  The distance was hard on her and the children.  He built a house and bait shop, hoping others might want to help with the fishing.  He and his family would be staying in Crossroads when the track laying was done.







Abandoned

Chapter 8


  We were all sad when early the following year Darrylee's wife, Belene, died during childbirth.  Darrylee was grief-stricken but was glad to be released from track laying duties to take over the fishing and be close to home to care for the 2 children.  The neighbors helped out whenever they could.  Another hillside house and small storage barn were built nearby.

  Over by the rooming house a food store was built to save some travel time for the workers.  Overcrowding was relieved somewhat when a colorful two level two family house was built next to it.  The Baron who liked the hillside houses was impressed with this style of house too.  He had never been to Smallville so had not seen this two level house before.

  Even though the harvest was good, we collected a lot of wild foods and firewood on all sides of town so everyone had a good selection of foods.  Resource gathering had to be done again too, we were short of iron and stone.  Despite the shortages, work on the tracks progressed nicely.  The tracks almost reached the east mountain now.






Abandoned

Chapter 9


  I sympathized with the fisherman and other families on the other side of the river having long distances to travel everyday.  It was not easy with 3 children even with the sheep pasture, shed, and woolen mill close by.  Only 1 of our 3 children was in school.  I mentioned that to the Baron when we were talking about the houses in Smallville.  Crossroads population was 105, there were 16 students and 34 young children.  The children across the river would have a long way to go to school.  The Baron agreed and immediately had a tiny school built across the river.  He did not stop there, he also had an animal shed built so the children there would have enough milk and eggs.  Billis, the livestock merchant, still had not returned to port.

  What did come to port was 2 houseboats of families from the north wanting to go south where it was warmer.  After hearing stories of giant frogs and pirates they were having 2nd thoughts, they wanted to go west.  We invited them to stay with us.  There were 10 adults with 2 young children.   One family built a house and put up a Boat Rental sign thinking to rent or sell the houseboats.

  Another group of workers came from Ironwood but they would not stay with us.  They were headed west and would do what we had done, start a settlement and have food and housing for the track layers when they arrived.  They may not have too long to prepare, the tracks now reached the east mountain and a tunnel had been dug to connect to the Green Woods tracks.  A materials export station had been built not far from the tunnel.   The tracks to the west were fast approaching the west mountain.

  What was also fast approaching was Christmas and it was time we start giving it some thought.








Abandoned

Chapter 10


  As soon as the snow melted in early spring of year 10, Christmas preparations had begun.  A shop that had song booklets was built on Chapel Road near the school.  Each day the school children spent an hour in the Chapel learning Christmas Carols.  By summer some wreaths and Christmas lights began appearing around town.

Billis, the livestock merchant, finally returned to port and he had 6 farm animals with him that the Baron was really waiting for.  He saw them up north at a Hobbit festival and really wanted to have some.  I suppose we shouldn't have been surprised when he built a pasture in his own back yard for the pigs.  In his front yard he decorated one of the big pine trees for Christmas.

  More trees, wreaths, and lights began appearing around town.  Children were outside building snowmen and playing with their sleds. The greenhouse had a small trimmed tree and a snowman.  On the other side of the storage barn, the baker had an outdoor oven built special for baking gingerbread men cookies.   It was beginning to look like Christmas.








Abandoned

Chapter 11


  By early spring of year 11 the railroad tracks and tunnel to the west were almost finished.  We had no train but we were already having a lot of visitors in town.  Another group came through the east tunnel from Ironwood to help with the west tunnel and tracks, and the town on the other side.  Some travelers were going north where it was cooler and some were going south where it was warmer.   A few families came from the north and south to make their way west to Riverview Resort.  Several river boatmen left their boats by the rental pier, went to the Resort to visit family, then returned to continue their riverboat runs.

  We did not have enough rooms but most visitors did not stay long, some just over night.  We had a new coffee shop that became quite popular.  It was next to the booklet store that, by then, had a tree trimmed with Christmas decorations outside.  Almost everyone would ask about the winter woolies they saw on the washlines around town.  We built a gift shop down the road from the food store and tried to keep it stocked with woolies.  A candle shop was built next to it, it was also a popular stop for visitors.  Some also stopped at the baker for gingerbread cookies.  The baker was running short of spices so a spice greenhouse was built nearby.  Another hillside house was built too, there were now young couples wanting homes.

  The Baron thought it was time we built what he had seen and was impressed with in Morningside, a Bed and Breakfast hostel and a Breakfast Nook.  There was room for both on this side of the bridge that led to the boat rental.  Visitors could spend the night at the hostel and have a good hearty oatmeal breakfast at the Nook.  There would be bacon and eggs once a butcher shop was built.  Before going to bed, visitors could have a hot apple cider at the Night Cap brewing barrel.