John F. Steinle - Colorado and the Silver Crash: The Panic of 1893

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

It has been difficult to complete the amount of research needed for this book during the Covid-19 pandemic. Libraries have closed, travel has been disrupted and personal contacts have been minimized. Despite these handicaps, many people have assisted vitally in enabling me to complete this book.

The staff and volunteers of the Jefferson County Public Library system have heroically remained at their jobs, making sure that the libraries are run safely and that patrons can get the books they need. They deserve kudos along with other front-line workers who have been lauded during the pandemic. I would not have been able to acquire the research sources I needed without their help.

Jeanne Gripp, assistant to the director of the Cripple Creek District Museum, gave generously of her time and advice in choosing wonderful photos from the museums collection during a delightful visit to that outstanding museum complex.

The staff members of the Colorado State Library who organized and created the Colorado Historical Newspapers Collection have built a resource that will remain essential for anyone studying the states history. Kudos to them and to all the volunteers who have corrected the text!

At the Stephen H. Hart Research Center, History Colorado, Jori Johnson, collections access coordinator; Bethany Williams, collections access coordinator; Tamar McKee, manager of Stephen H. Hart Research Center; and Katie Bush, digital imaging studio manager, have all been tremendously kind and helpful in providing access to the photo and manuscript collections.

At Denver Public Library, Tom Williamson, cataloging assistant, Western History and Genealogy Department, has been instrumental in providing photos from the librarys incredible collection.

Holly Henning, head of local history at the Lake County Public Library in Leadville, worked overtime to produce usable images from the librarys Colorado Mountain History Photo Collection.

Lisa Keys, digital specialist for the Kansas State Historical Society, searched out an excellent image of Populist firebrand Mary Elizabeth Lease.

Miles Gallagher, curator of the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum in Leadville, gave my wife and me a wonderful guided tour of this fantastic museum and much valuable background on the development of mining in Leadville. On his advice, we paid a revealing visit to the remaining mining infrastructure in California Gulch.

Voracious reader and expert proofreader Karen Meyer went through the manuscript with a very fine-tooth comb, pointing out my frequent mangling of grammar, spelling and punctuation.

The immense Library of Congress images collection presents a visual panorama of American history available to all without restrictions. This is one of the most valuable historical resources on the planet.

Finally, I would like to pay tribute to the old-time newspaper editors and reporters who offered the news of the nation and the world to their readers, along with a heaping dose of personal, salty, vivid commentary. They left no doubt as to where they stood on the issues of the day, whether Republican, Democrat, Populist or Feminist. Because of them, we can glimpse the personal lives of their readersthe true reality of history.