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Miniatures Adventure => Old West => Topic started by: FifteensAway on February 07, 2016, 11:45:06 PM

Title: What town element am I missing?
Post by: FifteensAway on February 07, 2016, 11:45:06 PM
So, as some of you may know, I have a long-term scratch building project of a rather large, though small as in 15 mm scale, Old West town.  If it gets to full build out, there will be more than one hundred buildings excluding residences and there will be two or three dozen of those.  Mind you, we are not talking the spectacular level of, say, Colonel O'Truths efforts.  I'm going for simpler and functional but hopefully respectable.  And 104 of those will actually be on 54 'blanks' which are modular one and two story assemblies I've already built that will become either a single entity or two or three depending.  The balance will be stand alone buildings.

What I'm seeking from you is fleshing out my lists below as far as what is missing that should be included in an Old West town.  Anachronism, the name of the town, is a bustling frontier metropolis served by a railroad that is pushing westward as well as served by steam boats on the adjacent river.  It is also a jumping off point for wagon trains heading to points further west and freight wagons supplying the army posts.  And it is also a terminus for the cattle drives.  It is also a county seat but I can't tell you the name of the county until you see it 'emblazoned' on the finished courthouse (some of you just might be jealous!  ;))

Now, below is the list but keep in mind some of these entities will be multiples - the hotel, bank, and saloon (probably a dozen of that last, at least).  The one thing I'm sure of is that I've left something out, probably obvious, but I'm too close to this list now.  So, here goes, grouped by relation, more or less:

Courthouse, town Marshall's office, Jail, county Sheriff's office, Mayor's office, City Council, and a Fire Department.

Bank, hotel, newspaper, express office, telegraph office, land office, and assayer's office.

Apothecary, doctor, dentist, midwife, herbalist, lawyer, undertaker.

School and lady's finishing school (some of them dames were a bit rough around the edges, don't you know?)

Boot shop, men's hats, haberdashery, millner, dress shop, barber, Chinese laundry, bath house, seamstress.

Freedmen's Association, Benevolent Association, Cattlemen's Association, Women's Temperance Union, and the Grange.

Candy shop, cafe, tortilla place.

Passenger station, freight station, wood yard, stockyard for the railroad.  Passenger terminal and freight house and freight forwarder for the steam boat landing.

Feed store, grist mill, sawmill, cooper, wheelwright, blacksmith, tannery, hardware store, saddlery, gun shop, stage yard, livery stable.  

Opera house, photographer, church, Shaolin temple, gymnasium (seriously - they had them).

Saloon, billiards hall, casino, brothel, dance hall, joss house, cantina.

So, what have I missed - or even duplicated?  And if you say I've got it all covered, I think you are cheating!   lol
Title: Re: What town element am I missing?
Post by: Thargor on February 08, 2016, 12:03:04 AM
You've got Billiards Hall twice.

Bear in mind that some establishments would at least double up on trades - Barber, bath-house, dentist.  The Telegraph Office is likely to be at the Railroad Station.

Quote
Anachronism, the name of the town,

Quote
but I can't tell you the name of the town

So, is it Anachronism?   lol
Title: Re: What town element am I missing?
Post by: FifteensAway on February 08, 2016, 12:08:06 AM
oopsies, fixed now, name of 'county'! D'oh!  Okay, now back to the Super Bowl.
Title: Re: What town element am I missing?
Post by: StuRat on February 08, 2016, 02:08:29 AM
Is it Brisco County?
Title: Re: What town element am I missing?
Post by: bandit86 on February 08, 2016, 07:25:13 AM
brothel
Title: Re: What town element am I missing?
Post by: pops on February 08, 2016, 05:39:44 PM
Masonic Lodge - was all the rage but in days of yore!  Just about every town in the US had one
Title: Re: What town element am I missing?
Post by: hentzau on February 08, 2016, 10:11:04 PM
Might I recommend the excellent Knuckleduster Cowtown Creator? (http://knuckleduster.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=2&product_id=1)  I have turned to this book many times in coming up with businesses for my little town.
Title: Re: What town element am I missing?
Post by: Heisler on February 09, 2016, 05:51:07 PM
Looks like you missed the more generic General or Dry Goods Store along with the Post Office. Although its likely that the Post Office would actually be inside the Dry Goods store or in whatever building belongs to the person that was appointed to be the postmaster general.
Title: Re: What town element am I missing?
Post by: Cory on February 09, 2016, 06:29:10 PM
Cigar stores were common, often carried guns as well.

Hardware store, furniture store,

Tinner shops were essential but often small

Insurance and real estate (sometimes called land) offices were common, might be combined and would often be found on second floors over other shops as would other professional offices.
Title: Re: What town element am I missing?
Post by: FifteensAway on February 10, 2016, 02:19:43 AM
Hey, I like the post office idea - but I thought I had a dry goods store on the list and I know I have a brothel on the list.  Cigar store?  Hmm, maybe.  And, no, not Briscoe.  It isn't a real county name - or, at least, I hope not!  But I like it a lot but I'm not sharing until the building puts it in front of your eyes.  This year sometime, if all goes well.

Keep those ideas coming.
Title: Re: What town element am I missing?
Post by: pops on February 10, 2016, 04:11:55 AM
Boarding houses.  Were big in use.  Lots of boarders back then in cities, towns, everywhere. 
Title: Re: What town element am I missing?
Post by: sukhe_bator on February 10, 2016, 09:11:46 AM
Don't forget a water tower to replenish the locomotives. Stock pens etc. were usually situated not far away because of the proximity of the water supply to water the cattle (they need a lot!)
Title: Re: What town element am I missing?
Post by: FifteensAway on February 11, 2016, 06:30:01 AM
Oh, yes, a water tower for the main stock yard!  I was planning on having two but now I'll need three, at least.
Title: Re: What town element am I missing?
Post by: FierceKitty on February 11, 2016, 11:56:58 AM
Ice-cream store (choice of TWO flavors, y'all!).
Title: Re: What town element am I missing?
Post by: Marine0846 on February 12, 2016, 12:52:01 AM
How about a Chinatown.
It would give a different look.
Western buildings could be mixed with Chinese.
Title: Re: What town element am I missing?
Post by: FifteensAway on February 12, 2016, 05:14:17 AM
Living here in the California Gold Rush country as I do, I forget that not everyone knows the names of Chinese buildings - several items in my list are for my China town, the joss house would be an opium den, the Shaolin temple - well, I've always been a fan of the Kung Fu tv show, then there is the laundry, naturally, and the herbalist would be a variation on a Chinese drug store.  I've got some Peter Pig Vietnam civilians to play the role of some of the towns folk and Blue Moon have some Chinese figures in there Old West mix.  So, a Chinatown is in the mix.  The Mexican influence will be a satellite town.  But there will be a less affluent part of the town where the freed slaves who've moved west - and those who'd always been free - have settled in.  The multiculturalism might be sort of new but the west had a very diverse culture - European, native American, African American, Asian, even some Pacific Islanders.

I do thing I might need a Tong association.  Hmm?
Title: Re: What town element am I missing?
Post by: rebelyell2006 on February 14, 2016, 11:16:38 PM
You also need general goods stores and larger merchant stores.  And warehouses for those stores.  If the stores are not located next to the rail station (and consider a roundhouse and maintenance shed too), then you will need parking space for the freight wagons.  And don't forget a hanging tree or windmill for the vigilantes.  And a telegraph office.  If your town is post-1880, then consider a telephone office as well.  Church schools, perhaps a Jesuit school, and if the town is large enough then throw in a Normal school as well.

Is it a Spanish/Mexican land grant town, or did it start during the Gold Rush?
Title: Re: What town element am I missing?
Post by: FifteensAway on February 05, 2017, 05:43:42 AM
Well, since it's been a year, maybe someone new will look through my list and the responses and add some ideas.  Alas, not much progress on this collection.  But I did finish some FIW stuff last year and pretty much 'finished' collecting miniatures that are within the 'grand plan'.  Will take a decade and a decent lottery win - and a prolific contract painter to get it all painted.  One area old west has progressed is work on the trains, progress on Peter Pig conversions yesterday - the stock cars (cattle transports for you fer-en-ers) and tank cars (water transports, ditto).  Not done but pieces cut out with some to go before starting assembly, plus deciding how I'll do the ends - but keep simpler than the sides, I think, for the stock cars.

And still not letting on what the county name is until I can post up a photo of my court house - which languishes in the lead mountain range (mountain doesn't cover my stuff).

Oh, and I have warehouses in the plan, for the town, the railroad, and the docks - an important part of the planning.  And no doubt integral to some as yet unknown gaming scenario.