In addition to digging through the old newspapers in San Francisco, I was lucky enough to find two old almanacs from the years that Kye and Chance would have been living there. Not as much information as a newspaper offers, but lots of flavor.
An almanac, if you can find one for the correct year, is a great way to spice up your writing. This one had “receipts” (recipes) and home remedies along with advertisements. There were even a few jokes, some of which actually withstood the test of time and were still humorous.
Imagine how much more real your characters will seem if they spout the latest notions or head for the store to purchase the latest patent medicine.
What’s the weirdest medical treatment you’ve ever heard about?