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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This history of the preservation struggles at the
Manassas National Battlefield Park has benefited from the assistance of
numerous people. In the National Park Service, Park Historian Edmund
Raus opened the door to the battlefield park's historical records,
shared valuable information about recent events, and gave helpful
suggestions on the manuscript. Ray Brown, the park's cultural resources
manager, read drafts of the manuscript with a critical eye, while James
Burgess, the park's museum curator, provided helpful materials about the
park's history. Jeff Reinbold produced the map of the William Center
addition. Bureau Historian Barry Mackintosh gave access to the National
Park Service History Division files and answered numerous questions
about the history of the agency. National Capital Regional Historian
Gary Scott directed me to important land use files and maps. Mackintosh,
Scott, and former Chief Historian Edwin C. Bearss contributed their
comments on manuscript drafts. Tom DuRant, NPS photo curator, tracked
down negatives and furnished many of the illustrations. David Nathanson,
archivist for the NPS History Collection, located the Francis Wilshin
oral history transcript. Director of Strategic Planning Heather Huyck,
who had served as a congressional staffer for Rep. Bruce Vento's
subcommittee on national parks during the William Center controversy,
read the Manassas mall chapter and provided helpful insights. Chief
Historian Dwight Pitcaithley secured National Park Service funding to
support the research and writing of the original administrative history
and encouraged me to write for a broad audience.
Individuals at non-Park Service repositories aided in
the research for this history, including Jimmy Rush at the National
Archives, Scott Harris at the Manassas Museum, Don Wilson at the Bull
Run Library's Virginiana Room, and Joseph Sheehan at the Philadelphia
branch of the National Archives. Anne D. Snyder allowed free access to
her extensive document collection on the battlefield park. Bruce Craig,
formerly of the National Parks and Conservation Association, furnished
his files on the William Center controversy and the park's horse
program. Each of the people I interviewed provided invaluable
information that enhanced the documentary record and made the events at
the Manassas National Battlefield Park come alive.
I owe a special debt of gratitude to my former
coworkers at History Associates Incorporated for their many
contributions. Jacelee DeWaard served at my side throughout this
project, valiantly tracking down sources, conducting primary and
secondary research, locating photographs and maps, making the footnotes
conform to The Chicago Manual of Style, and adding her own humor
and insights to the project. Bob Bauman reviewed the Howard W. Smith
papers at the University of Virginia. Maryanne Glover addressed
interviewees' changes to the oral history transcripts and ensured that
early drafts of the manuscript read cleanly and consistently. Gail
Mathews and Darlene Wilt produced drafts of the manuscript, turning the
text into a professional document. Ruth Dudgeon and Rodney Carlisle
contributed their expert editorial skills to drafts of each of the
chapters. Phil Cantelon provided me with the initial push to pursue this
project and displayed continued support throughout its duration.
Peter J. Potter, my editor at Penn State Press, eased
the task of transforming the original manuscript into a book and sought
out additional funding. I want to thank Joan K. Davidson of the J. M.
Kaplan Fund, whose Furthermore grant program provided critical funding,
making it possible for me to conduct more oral history interviews and
follow new research avenues. I also thank James M. McPherson and an
anonymous reviewer for their helpful comments on the draft
manuscript.
Lastly, I acknowledge the encouragement and patience
of my husband, Stuart Weinstein, who has shown boundless enthusiasm for
my work on this history. To my daughter Sarah, whose birth coincided
with the decision by Penn State Press to publish this history, I thank
you for the good luck you have brought me and your father. I dedicate
this book to my mother Donna Zenzen and my late grandmother Alberta
Root, both of whom taught me the beauty of the national parks and
history.
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