A Grizzly in the Mail and Other Adventures in American History

Acknowledgments

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank the following people, who all contributed to this book in some way. No one deserves my gratitude more than my parents, Orie and Kathryn Grove, who took me to visit many historical sites in my childhood and supported my budding interest in history in numerous ways. They encouraged me to pursue my dreams and never questioned how a person can earn a living in “history.” My cousin Nancy Sebastian Meyer blazed the publishing trail in our family and provided invaluable encouragement, guidance, and technical support. She offered critical review of the entire manuscript . Writers 2.0—my writers group: Joanne Redmond Beckham, Catherine and David Swinson, Chris Joyce, and Dave Todaro. Their constant encouragement and their review of many chapters at the beginning kept me writing. My Lewis and Clark colleagues Carolyn Gilman, Jeff Meyer, and Diane Mallow made that project the most fun I’ve ever had at work. Their professionalism combined with a tireless sense of humor resulted in an exhibition and Web site that I feel is one of my greatest achievements. I will be forever indebted to Ruth Hill, Nancy McCoy, and Mau- 232 Acknowledgments reen Kerr, my three supervisors during my Smithsonian years. They all took a chance with hiring me, assigned me interesting projects, and taught me much about the museum field. My time as program manager of the Hands On History Room, alongside my HOHR colleague Heather Paisley-Jones and the many dedicated volunteers who staffed the space, challenged me to think about history in new ways and gave me a perfect opportunity to observe people interacting with the past. Roy Underhill and Conny Graft helped make my short summer in Williamsburg a pivotal point in my career; Conny, Mark Howell, and Bill Peterson all graciously shared their experiences for this book. Bob Sutton, Chief Historian of the National Park Service, first taught me the history of the American West and encouraged me to pursue Lewis and Clark, one of the best decisions I ever made. Andy Gulliford led my first Lewis and Clark tour and gave me crucial motivation at the right time in my career. We endured the water battle on the Missouri together and discussed public history on a walk down the empty streets of Three Forks, Montana, and the horseback ride up to the Smoking Place. Special thanks to Barbara Decker, who provided a critical early review of my manuscript and much encouragement. My St. Louis friends Petra Blum, Jon Marsh, and Sara Swinson first encouraged me to write my stories. Their initial interest showed me that perhaps the adventures would resonate with a wider audience . In many ways this book exists because of them. My cousin Earl Grove loaned me a computer at a crucial stage of writing. My cousin Michael Lowery created the illustrations. Jeremiah Coder provided legal counsel. Kevin Mitchell and Siobhan Smith read early versions of the manuscript. The following people all reviewed various chapters and provided critical feedback: Bob Beatty, Tricia Brooks, Leni Buff, Carolyn Gilman, Conny Graft, Ruth Hill, Andrea Lowther, Nancy McCoy, Howard Morrison, and David Romanowski. Jay Blossom, Sandor Der, Dale and Susan Hoffmeyer, Hunter Acknowledgments 233 Irvine, and Paul and Jean Sebastian provided constant encouragement over many years. Thanks to my editor, Bridget Barry, for taking a chance on this book and the staff of the University of Nebraska Press, who embraced this project and guided it to completion. Two organizations that I’ve supported over the years deserve my thanks as well: the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) strives to foster excellence among its broad membership. Through my involvement with AASLH I’ve met wonderful people who have stretched my thinking about history. The National History Day organization, by teaching critical thinking skills through original research, is a leader in history education for students across the country. They are developing the history leaders of tomorrow and my involvement with their program is a continuing source of inspiration. ...