Census records for Caroline Reid reflect the various menial jobs she had, starting at age 13 working as "bleacher" in a thread mill. Later she was listed as "factory worker", and her death record says she was working as a "laundress". I don't have an indication anywhere that she worked outside, but it's very odd ..... I have written a novel about Caroline Reid. Of course I had to fill in the parts of her story that I didn't have records for. In the novel, there is one part that I have her working outside doing landscaping work, like planting shrubs and such. Maybe I was channeling her while writing about her! The other strange thing is this: When I was 3 yrs old, one of my earliest memories, the kid next door hit me in the forehead with a WOODEN RAKE! (said he wanted to see me bleed. this kid is probably in some max security prison now) Maybe I'm being dramatic ... ok, I am being dramatic, but those 2 coincidences have meaning for me. Make of it what you will!
