Acknowledgments

I would like to thank the many people who helped me with this book: Oatman scholars Jennifer Putzi, who first told me about Olive; Kathryn Zabelle Derounian-Stodola, who consistently advised and encouraged me; and Brian McGinty, who was generous enough to share his knowledge and resources with a friendly competitor; my agent, Laurie Fox, of the Linda Chester Literary Agency, who was a tireless champion of this project; my astute editor, Heather Lundine, and the ever-efficient Bridget Barry, associate acquisitions editor, both at the University of Nebraska Press.

Many Oatman family descendents and their spouses contributed generously to this project: Walter Fields, who got me started and spurred me on; Edward and Dorothy Abbott, who opened their home to me; and Doris Clark, Richard Nolan, Patricia Carreon, Barbara Hawthorne, and Larry Oatman, who all provided important information.

I’m grateful for the wisdom of many Southwest and Native American scholars who fielded questions and offered input, including: Michael Tsosie, Pamela Munro, Timothy Braatz, and Deborah and Jon Lawrence. I was honored and fortunate to consult with Mohave elders Llewellyn and Betty Barrackman at Aha Macav Cultural Preservation, along with Kim Cameron.

I could not have written the book without the guidance of the following librarians and archivists: Tom Berman and the reference staff at the Nyack Library; Stephen Yale of the California-Nevada Conference Archives of the United Methodist Church; Lehman College librarian Susan Voge; and Ardis Kay Smith of the lds Church History Library and Archives.

Lehman College of the City University of New York made my work possible through a series of grants, including three Shuster Fellowships, a 2004–5 Faculty Research Award, and a 2006–7 PSC CUNY GRANT.

The collections at the following institutions were crucial to this project: the Arizona Historical Society in Tucson; the University of Arizona in Tucson; the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records; the Sharlot Hall Museum in Prescott, Arizona; the San Diego Public Library; the Huntington Library in San Marino, California; the El Monte Historical Society Museum in El Monte, California; the Siskiyou County Historical Society in Yreka, California; the Bancroft Library at the University of California–Berkeley; the New York Historical Society; the New York Public Library; the Newberry Library in Chicago; the Oregon Historical Society Research Library in Portland; the Research Library of the Southern Oregon Historical Society in Medford; the Knight Library at the University of Oregon in Eugene; the Eagle Point Historical Society in Eagle Point, Oregon; the Jackson County Public Library in Medford, Oregon; the Rogue Valley Genealogical Society in Phoenix, Oregon; the American Antiquarian Society in Worcester, Massachusetts; the Berkshire Athenaeum in Pittsfield, Massachusetts; the St. Lawrence County Historical Association in Canton, New York; the Bloomfield Academy Museum in Bloomfield, New York; the New York State Library in Albany; the Potsdam Public Museum in Potsdam, New York; the Troy Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church in Saratoga, New York; the Beineke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University; St. Catharines Museum in Ontario, Canada; the Brock University Library in Ontario, Canada; the Berrien County Historical Association in Berrien Springs, Michigan; the National Museum of the American Indian Cultural Resources Center Archives in Suitland, Maryland; the National Anthropological Archives of the Smithsonian Institution in Suitland, Maryland; the Jerome Library at Bowling Green State University.

Thanks to my friends: Michele McCarthy, who gave me sage advice; Kerrie Chappelka, who entertained me after long days at the Bancroft Library; and Bill Mullen, who mentioned the right book at the right moment. My mother, Lynne Schloesser, provided hot and cold babysitting and warm support. I thank my husband, Mark Dery, for critiquing multiple versions of my manuscript, and for listening.