Need a Historian for Hire?

I can help with that! I have almost twenty years of experience researching and writing about local history. I have particular experience with:

Architectural research like National Register of Historic Places nominations or Historic Tax Credit research
Documenting buildings with digital photography
Writing, preparing and leading a specified walking tour of Winchester, VA for a small group, or helping you design a self-guided tour to meet your needs
Writing historical markers or other explanatory texts and finding relevant historic images to illustrate your project (think Civil War Trails markers)
Tracking developments for a niche topic, especially in Winchester or Frederick County, VA
Editorial help for books and publications; fact checking and clarity are specialties
Transcribing cursive documents into typed format for easy reading and research
Bonus! Familiarity with creating files for print to multiple online providers to their specifications

A resume is available on request.

Does it seem like I could help you? Drop a note in the contact form (see the sidebar) and tell me about your project! Alternately, I have a profile on Upwork and commission slots on Ko-fi.

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A Fratricide in Clarke County: Part Two

When last we left the Little Family in Clarke County, Clinton Little had been murdered, his mother had been wounded, Oscar and Lycurgus were in jail in Berryville awaiting their trial, and Columbus claimed it was all a giant accident of boyhood exuberance ( Staunton Vindicator , Shepherdstown Register ). The postmortem and coroner's inquest determined Clinton's death was a case of premeditated homicide. Medical Updates Reports on the seriousness of the mother's injury varied, ranging from minor since no bone was broken and no artery was severed, though several sources reported that she developed erysipelas , or a bacterial infection in the skin, which was seen as potentially serious ( Shepherdstown Register , Staunton Vindicator , Virginia Herald ). It appears this was successfully resolved, however, and she came to no lasting harm. Columbus and Gilbert were allegedly hit on the head with a pistol during the struggle in the dining room but suffered no more than bruises fr...

A Valentine Romance

This story appeared in the Charlotte Gazette, Feb. 28, 1895 after being picked up from the New York Ledger (at a time when comic valentines were common but beginning to wane). The author, J.L. Harbour, appears to be a prolific late 19th century to early 20th century writer. By one account , he had written over 600 short stories by 1902. A sketch of his life written the same year states, "He began to send original stories, such as brought to view and tended to correct life's inharmonies, lapses and weaknesses, to eastern journals, and among others to the Youth's Companion , whose editors recognized his gift even in its immaturity." This short work appears to have been written before he became widely known for "Papa and the Boy" and "The Mourning Veil," but it provides a glimpse of his writing style and sensibilities in humor and character studies. Like many other authors we have investigated here, his work has generally been forgotten by today...

A Peace-Offering, a Valentine Story

This short story, aimed at young readers, appeared in the West Virginia Argus on February 27, 1885 . The credit line attributes this tale to Frances B. Currie, and the story was reprinted from the N. Y. Examiner. She appears to have been a frequent contributor to Frank Leslie's publications , but unlike J. L. Harbour, no biography has been found yet to shed more light on her life and output. Since this story should also be out of copyright in the US, we have reprinted the entire story for your enjoyment. A PEACE-OFFERING. A Valentine Story with a Moral, for Young Readers. Margery Wright was not a beauty. Even the most charitable person in the world could not admit that she had the smallest claim to such a title. The boys in the Delving Seminary said that Margery had a "squat” figure and a “pug" nose. They also alluded to her mouth in a way that brought angry tears into her eyes. They said it opened like a pair of oyster-tongs. These young gentlemen had lived for twelve...

Relic on the Lethe

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