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I owe countless debts to the people who helped make this book possible. I was fortunate to have two extraordinary mentors at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Ray Guries took what must have sounded like an unwieldy project when I proposed it and helped mold it into a nearly ideal interdisciplinary collaboration. I owe much to his genius in translating the ecological history of a landscape for people who know less of the natural world than they should and to his uncanny ability to spot surprising trends, contradictions, and errors in the most complex GIS maps. Ray’s generosity and warmth set the tone for my time at Madison. Bill Cronon’s guidance and intense curiosity inspired me to be braver in my ideas than I was naturally inclined. His remarkable graduate seminar on the history of the American West became a turning point for my scholarship, which, though unabashedly interdisciplinary, had been in need of some discipline. Bill’s real gift to his students lay not in introducing everyone to brilliant ideas (though he did this) but in welcoming each of us into a family of scholars. I cannot express enough appreciation to Keith Rice and Hawthorne Beyer, my research collaborators at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point. Not only did they steer the GIS work from that end, Keith cheerfully smoothed the bureaucratic feathers that get ruffled when two campuses share a research project. Keith produced the GIS maps for this book. Over two summers Mike Stanek, Matt Dahlen, and Ben Gramling provided invaluable field assistance. My good friend Mike Barrett provided both research assistance and astute comments on many chapters. I am thankful that he never visibly tired of talking with me about the complexities of land tenure, a topic our families could not long endure. ix Acknowledgments Nancy Langston has been a strong supporter, a tough critic, and at all times a good friend. I am grateful to other people at the University of Wisconsin for their support and counsel, including Matt Turner, Steve Ventura, Don Field, Jess Gilbert, and David Mladenoff. Harvey Jacobs reviewed the entire manuscript, and his suggestions improved the book a great deal. I owe a special thanks to Wolfgang Hoffmann, who allowed me to use his stunning photos in the book and on the cover. Over the years, many colleagues have commented on chapters, articles, and papers; directed me to resources; and made time for long discussions. For their mental labor on my behalf I thank Marsha Weisiger, Brian Donahue , Don Worster, Rebecca McLain, Thomas Andrews, Tim Bawden, Mary Eizabeth Braun, Joe Cullon, Jim Feldman, Paul Hirt, Neil Maher, Jared Orsi, Bill Philpott, James Pritchard, Louise Pubols, Volker Radeloff, Greg Summers, and JayTaylor. I was fortunate to find a small but enthusiastic group that applies GIS to history, including Geoff Cunfer, Julia Haggerty, Anne Kelly Knowles, and Ken Sylvester. At Western Michigan University, Michael Chiarappa, John Cooley, Nora Faires, Buddy Gray, Sarah Hill, Dave Lemberg, and Kristin Szylvian all provided helpful feedback on my research. Mike Swords will see the results of our extended conversations about the amazing course we shared, “Values and Sustainable Society.” I cannot go far down my list of debts without thanking the terrific people who work and live in the Kickapoo Valley. They made my research possible. Department of Natural Resources forester Jim Dalton opened up his files, cleared away a desk, and even agreed to supervise field assistants . Marilyn Dalton went still further by opening the Dalton home to an assortment of researchers who traipsed in and out over the summer. Phil Hahn offered his help and technical skills throughout the project, and on one snowy Sunday morning at the Common Ground Café he impressed a group of my students with an inspiring talk on the conservation history of the Valley. County conservationist Jeff Hastings authorized a collaboration with us in the first place, while early on Jim Radke helped me make sense of the confusing system of local, state, and federal agricultural extension programs. Solving the historical maze of the Kickapoo Valley Reserve would have been exceedingly difficult without the professional perspectives of John Anfinson, Marcy West, and Glenn Reynolds. Along the same lines, Susan Lampert Smith assisted me with her unique professional perspective on Woodland Farms. Editor Terry Noble encouraged me to offer early versions of this work for public comment in his newspaper, TheVernon County Broadcaster. I thank them all for their time and openness...

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