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acknowledgments I want to thank the following people for their professional guidance and assistance: Kathryn Yahner, Janet Lindman, Rachel Batch, Brian Black, Jean Soderlund, and the audiences at the meetings of the Pennsylvania Historical Association and the American Historical Association. I received excellent help from the student researchers at Susquehanna University; Amanda Hawk, Sarah Kern, and Holly Moncavage did superb work. This book was supported with money from Susquehanna University’s Faculty Scholarship and Development Committee, Provost’s Office, and Department of History . Portions of the book have appeared previously in Der Reggeboge and Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies. The researching and writing of this book were pleasures, acts of love. Its genesis came forth from my mother’s ability to tell a good story. Having been schooled by an expert storyteller, I learned to appreciate the tales that others had to tell me. I can’t thank her, my father, and my childhood neighbors enough for the wisdom they shared with me. The beauty and wealth of the coal region continue to inspire me. As always, my sisters Krisa and Kaleen were there. My husband, Paul, has always listened, and my children, Jonah and Pearl, are my greatest joys. My mother and father did not live long enough to see this book in print. Their generosity and love are boundless . I dedicate this book to them. ...

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