Jack and Stilts are born

Stilts is 8, contracts polio ("New York City Polio Epidemic"). After quarantine on community is lifted, Jack learns how to ride a bike

Invention takes shape. Jack (now 15 years old) has an invention to debut at the Fair, but is prevented by a new polio scare. Stilts had contracted the disease years earlier and so is immune, taking Jack's invention to the Fair in Stilts's place. Jack is extremely jealous.

Mill accident foreshadowing: Jack (18 years old) wants to impress Gwen, Hazel almost gets hurt, Gwen is angry because it's her sister, Stilts is angry because he has a crush on Hazel

Wooden Grandstand is built

MCs are 19

Stilts physicians cannot reverse effects of polio, people making fun of him, uses cane/chair/walker/crutches to fight back. Meanwhile, Jack finds himself able to bulk up and jump higher, sought out for track meets, different friend group forming

Jupiter Lane.

"The only entrance is on Jupiter Lane," Hazel insisted, looking to the side but not making eye contact with either Jack or Stilts. Her expression is concentrated, but her sentence trails off and fades like the thrum of a violin.

"Of course you would say that," Jack sighs, only a half beat later than Stilts anticipated. Stilts tries not to roll his eyes more than he had already rolled his ankle.

"Maybe it is, and maybe it isn't. Are we really going to go all the way around the muddy block just to find out? I don't know about you, but I would like to see the Fair from the inside today." This earned Stilts a look dark enough to bring the rain on their previously sunny day.

(real date of Fire was 16 Nov 1995)

Grandstand Fire - Structure burns down in less than 45 minutes

https://tinyurl.com/vrjpppm

Charity dinner-dance. Stilts asks Hazel, she says yes, but she really wanted to go with Jack, who has already asked Gwen. Stilts is then rejected. His building resentment from the disease, the fair, and girl troubles fan the flame and he slips away. He runs to the Fairgrounds a few blocks away in a state of inner rage and is not paying attention to where on the grounds he is going until he finds himself standing in front of the Grandstand. Lightning strikes in the distance and he is malevolently inspired to temper with the nearby fusebox. Wind and rain aid the electrical hazzard in the making, and within 45 minutes, the 330-foot-long, four-story structure will be burned to ash. Stilts runs back to the dance wanting to come off as a hero and shouting that, "The Fair is on fire!" The Fair Manager runs over to check things out but it is too late.

a) Stilts is incensed that his name wasn't even printed in the local paper! Front page story and they couldn't even print his name, it just says, "someone" as if it didn't matter.

b) Stilts didn't want his name to be known/printed so that he could deny any connection to the disaster. He would likely slip in and cry alarm, then exit as quickly - taking neither credit nor blame.

c) Perhaps it is a little of both. He is trying to remain anonymous but is also bitter that the Fair Manager didn't know his name/recognize him, especially after his contraction of polio at the Fair.

http://www.altamontfair.com/fair-history

Stilts and Jack 23 years old, graduate college school, looking to a future with difficult prospects of getting a job or paying for housing in the wake of the collapse of the stock market and economic turmoil.

They can't find a job, one/both start looking at Get Rich Quick schemes. Stilts fallout with Jack leaves him without a business partner and he tampers with the fuse box causing the Grandstand Fire (which historically was much later) out of resentment towards the fair.

Benton, NY Farmer killed in saw mill accident. This could be Jack's father and Jack would be in the role of Ronald. Successful farmer, dies with widow and son... denitely could be basis for this family.

Newspaper article snip source

Full citation pending.............

Characters are 24 years old

Jack reached for Gwen's hand as she oated backwards above the straw baler and her farm dress billowed out like a pillowcase in midair. Her arms, which could have kept their angle towards him or sought to cushion the blow ended up doing something else entirely. Forearms draped over each other across her chest, she fell the nal feet to her death hugging herself and closing her eyes tight.

Implements left standing for convenient machinations now posed as stakes and Jack jerked his head away so hard that his neck almost snapped. He could not seal his ears, however.

"Don't forget me," she breathed, and this turned out to be the most powerful spell of all, for it seemed no matter what he tried he never ever could.

Jack and Hazel finally together, somewhat to his chagrin and unofficially. Unplanned pregnancy that was supposed to be stopped by herbal abortion agent from vegetable garden (myth or wrong herb, wrong processing, etc.) comes to fruition. Hazel begs Stilts to take baby Rapunzel/Parsley away before Jack finds out and potentially decides to leave her or her family disowns her. Keyword search: "herbal arbortifacients"

Rapunzel is born.

Jack is trying to differentiate from Stilts and looks to other means of income - also, add Character motive: vanity; he hopes he will be called upon to rebuild the Grandstand as part of the Public Works Administration.

Stilts cannot find work, partly due to disability. In the magic show, he is one of the magicians. Maybe he cannot perform and teaches Hazel his act... she is the other magician?

Stilts bullied re: handicap and now also harassed for having a Jewish-sounding name.

Jack enters the war as an American G.I. with 10 year old Rapunzel and comes face to face with his old nemesis in canned form... beans.

It is reported in the News-Herald out of Coeymans, NY that many dairy farmers go out of business.

Full citation pending...................

Link

Jack returns to a changed United States. He, Hazel and Stilts are now 34 years old. Hazel and the baby represent more of a burden than a boon to him and he becomes enamored by stronger, condent women like Rosie the Riveter. The sooty coal-workers in blue denim are reluctantly coming off the line as veterans are funneled into their jobs. As attempt at compensation, one factory holds a grand cotillion. Women organize protests and appear in masks to point out that no one cares about their faces or true identities - only the use of their bodies (for work or for appearance).

One of these women coming off the line is Cinderella, used to wearing "masks" at home with her stepmother. Factory owner's son is 'prince' in this situation.