My Pioneer Ancestors Grew Silk!

I live in pioneer country. My pioneer ancestors settled here in the high desert in the 1840’s. They spent years trying to create a lucrative cash crop to support their families. As a child, I spent fascinating hours at pioneer homesteads as they showed the process my ancestors used to spin silk. It came all the way from a worm, to a cocoon, to thread, to something as lovely as a silk scarf. It was almost enough to make me want to don a dress and bonnet and give it a go myself! I’m sure that the novelty would have worn off after a day or two. In the end, the pioneers decided that cotton was a better crop for our area. However, the fascinating history they left lives on today.