Tell Me Your Story Research
Sadly I doubt I will ever be able to offer a comprehensive list of all the scattered sources that have provided me with details and tidbits that made it into the book. The poems and short stories were written sporadically over the course of almost a decade and my first encounters with many of the sources of inspiration go back even further. They came from the museum visits and historical fiction books I eagerly threw myself into as a child, the teachers who decided to spend a little extra time on some anecdote, and the family stories I heard at family gatherings. My research also includes my own experience with living history, sitting at a spinning wheel and feeling the fibers between my own fingers, noting the tricks and techniques of myself and others trying to get a fire burning, and so many other tiny details. Many sources have likely also blurred together in my memory. But the following are resources and places where anyone interested in learning more, and perhaps finding their own inspiration, can look.
Books
Sybil Ludington: The Call to Arms by V.T. Dacquino is the book the introduced me to Sybil Ludington’s incredible ride and also reveals much of her life before and after the Revolutionary War. Ever since reading it I knew I wanted to share her story with more people and led me to write “Sleepless Nights.”
Revolution on the Hudson: New York City and the Hudson River Valley in the American War of Independence by George C. Daughan explores the efforts of the British and American forced to control the Hudson River, of which Fort Montgomery and the attack Hugh witnesses in “Battle for the Hudson” was a part of.
Gilded City: Scandal and Sensation in Turn-of-the-Century New York by M.H. Dunlop delves in the late 19th century through newspaper articles and similar sources. It explored themes of class relations and the trend of wealthy Americans and noble, but often financially struggling, Europeans seeking out marraiges that are referenced in “Image and Identity.”
Children of the City: At Work and at Play by David Nasaw studies the late 19th and early 20th century New York City through the eyes of the children that lived there. It explores a wide range of children’s experiences and ways in which they could both grow and have fun as well as help their families or themselves, including newsboys like Thomas in “Image and Identity.” As a side note I would also recommend this one for any fellow fans of the musical Newsies as it has a chapter about the real life Newsboys Strike of 1899.
The Battle for Christmas by Stephen Nissenbaum is a fascinating overview of the evolution of Christmas traditions in America from the colonial period to the 20th century. The book provided details into the holiday banquets hosted for newsboys and other Christmas celebrations that are featured in “Image and Identity.”
Many different editions of How the Other Half Lives by Jacob Riis can be found and provide a great primary source for the turn of the century New York City. Wanting to draw attention to the harsh and often unsafe conditions the poor people in the city experienced Riis photographed tenement communities at work and play and published writings about his observations. While subject to his own biases formed during the period the photographs offer insight into the lives of people who may not have had many opportunities to make their voices heard in the historical record.
A Guide to the Battles of the American Revolution by Theodore P. Savas and J. David Dameron provides a summary of every major battle during the Revolutionary War including names of commanders, statistics, troop numbers and other data to help envision the scale and impact of the battles for those fighting in them as well as their impact on the war. As someone who has always been more interested in studying the civilian life than individual battles this was a incredible asset to reference when writing about the Battle of Fort Montgomery in “Battle for the Hudson” as well as any time I need some information on the military maneuvers or specific details from battles.
The American 1890s: A Cultural Reader edited by Susan Harris Smith and Melanie Dawson includes excerpts and articles from various publications during the 1890s. These primary sources range from discussion of fashion and cultural trends that characterized the decades and reveal the various opinions people had about them and discourse on social issues. This book provided me with a sense of what people like Edith and Henry might have been reading to improve their services to the newsboys and what fads a young girl like Grace might have been thinking about in “Image and Identity.”
Online Resources
New York State Historic Newspapers is a database of digitized newspapers New York based newspapers throughout history. Keyword search options can be organized by specific papers, cities, or counties, as well as within certain date ranges. This was an incredibly valuable resource to understand the world that Grace and her family lived in and what was happening around them. In fact it was while researching the 1890s through the site that a came across multiple articles about elopements (both successful and prevented) that were happening throughout the period that would prove a major plot point for “Image and Identity.”
The Library of Congress offers a database of national digitized archival newspapers. Although most of my research for Tell Me Your Story focused on New York it helpful to be aware of events going on in other parts of the country. Reading nationwide papers also provides more context for what words were in common use, slang, and popular products at any given time. The database includes papers dating from the 18th century to late 1960s and searches can be narrowed by keyword, state, and specific paper.
Much of the inspiration for “Wrapped in Memories” came from members of my family and their own lives, family letters in mine and relatives’ possession, and notes that came with the heirloom quilt. However, there were many gaps, particularly regarding family members from the mid-1800s who no living family members had known. Blue Mountain Heritage Society offers an online collection of genealogical records organized by surname which helped me form a clearer idea about the lives of these distant relatives, ones my own notes only included names and rough estimates of when they were born and/or died.
Places
The rifle that inspired and is the subject of the poem “Tell Me Your Story” was on display in Bergen County Historical Society‘s museum.
The Fort Montgomery State Historic Site includes a museum with an incredible array of artifacts from an archeological dig of the fort. On the grounds one can walk in Hugh Morrison’s (“Battle for the Hudson”) footsteps and see the foundations of the buildings that made up the fort, including where the Surgeon worked.
Although the remains of the Centennial Firehouse are long gone the Field Library archives includes old photographs and documents about its rich history as well as accounts and information about the collapse.
A statue of Sybil Ludington stands on the shores of Lake Glenida in Carmel, NY. Throughout the town and surrounding areas historic site markers can be seen marking the most likely route she would have ridden to rally the men of her father’s regiment.
