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Acknowledgments
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Acknowledgments When I was a first-term graduate student at the University of Minnesota, I requested Elizabeth and Madison’s letters from an archivist at the Minnesota Historical Society,and ever since,theircorrespondence has been essential to my career.While completing my master’s degree,I worked with these letters,which, for my doctorate,led me to investigate Nininger,Minnesota—Lizzie’s home during the CivilWar.For my dissertation,I analyzed how,in Nininger,gender shaped family migration,small-town boosterism,and financial hardship in the wake of an economic boom.When I first read these letters, I wanted to edit them and have them published,and with the generous assistance of many people and institutions , this hope finally has been realized. At the Minnesota Historical Society Press,Sally Rubinstein and Michael Hanson shepherded this volume through the publication process,and I thank them for their patience and editorial expertise. I am grateful to the anonymous reviewers , whose productive comments provided additional narrative and analytical direction.I also appreciate the assistance I received from the archivists at the Minnesota Historical Society and theArkansas Historical Society.Rebecca Snyder of the Dakota County Historical Society could not have been more generous in sharing her wealth of knowledge and resources with me over the years. Grants from the Minnesota Historical Society and Union College—as well as a sabbatical from the latter—meant that I could devote the time needed to transcribe and annotate these letters.Summer research fellowships from Union also allowed students ChristopherHartnett and Gina Markowski to helpwith primarysource research.Their assistance has been invaluable. My colleagues in the Department of History and in the women’s and gender studies programs at Union have been supportive both professionally and personally,especially Lori Marso, Teresa Meade,Joyce Madancy,and John Cramsie. I must thank professors Sara Evans,who taught the research seminar that catalyzed my initial work with the Bowlers’ letters;Lisa Norling,who challenged me to think critically about the letters; and Roderick Squires, who, with an ix encouraging smile,asked diIcult questions about my analysis.A number of my contemporaries in the history graduate program at the University of Minnesota helped to create an intellectually challenging yet mutually supportive environment for discussing my research on the Bowlers, especially Wendel Cox,Anna Dronzek,and Katie Pierson.I am grateful for their friendship. This volume would not have been possible without the generosity of Lizzie and Madison’s descendents,who donated the couple’s letters and other family items to the Minnesota Historical Society and thus made them publicly available. Bowler relatives even have sought me out,eager to share stories about their family ’s history. Clearly, Lizzie’s heartfelt commitment to family has been passed down from generation to generation. Finally, I thank my family for their support and love: my mother, Susan Andreini, and my father, Scott Matheny,who keep in touch, even when I don’t; my sister, Samantha Kleven, and her husband, Bryce, who are my Minnesota family and gracious hosts; my daughters, Louisa and Juliet, who have had to share my time with the Bowlers;and my husband,Joe,who has always been there, even when I haven’t. x go if you think it your duty [44.212.39.149] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 19:01 GMT) Go If You Think It Your Duty 1 Map of Dakota County,A.T.Andreas, Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Minnesota, 1874 2 ...