There are a number of people I would like to thank who not only made this project possible, but also enjoyable.
I cannot thank Dr. William J. Turkel enough for his endless patience and vital direction in this project. Dr. Turkel deserves a great deal of credit in taking a group of history students who were barely comfortable with e-mail and teaching them the ins and outs of web design, programming and even how to apply Global Positioning Satellites to the study of history.
Many thanks to Dr. Nancy Rhoden, for her kind and understanding guidance and suggestions to a student whose enthusiasm sometimes outpaced the actual work. Thanks also to Dr. Alan MacEachern, director of the Public History Program, who kindly reviewed pages of museum text for an accompanying display, in spite of a busy schedule.
Linda Hocking and the staff of the Litchfield Historical Society helped bring Joel Stone’s homeland alive for me, and could not have been more welcoming to a weary Canadian traveller. I am extremely grateful for the assistance Linda kindly provided in supplying images and volumes of information without which much of this work would not have been possible. Thanks also to Mr. and Mrs. Chute of Judea for bringing a surprise visitor into their home for a tour of the house that Joel built. My appreciation to Sarah Griswold, Historian at the Glebe House in Woodbury Connecticut, and her sisters Coralee and Marion for providing some great information on Jabez Bacon.
Thanks also to Susan Office and the staff at the Queen’s University Archives for their help in acquiring copies of their share of the Joel Stone Collection.
Finally, to the board and staff of the Arthur Child Heritage Museum of the Thousand Islands in Gananoque, Ontario, I offer my heartfelt thanks. Their indulgence of an aspiring Public Historian, allowing him to stretch his muscles and try out his new-found skills in presenting a lecture and preparing a museum exhibit on the same subject is greatly appreciated. To the Lindas, Marcia, Joy, Paul and everyone else, Thank You.
TC