I'm beginning to think nostalgically about JFK and 9/11 -- not because those were easy, but because they were such well-explored phenomena that there was a wealth of secondary literature. Maybe you couldn't talk to everyone, but you could find an interview done by someone who did. Even the people who were dead had mostly gone on the record at some point.  And with secondary sources come bibliographies, witness lists, photos, links, all the stuff you take for granted in research these days.

This is turning into something much more difficult than I ever anticipated, and it looks now like the only approach is an old-fashioned canvass. I will confess, I have never done one of these, and the prospect of actually turnign something up after almost 40 years is depressingly small. But one thing I do have going for me is fairly good voting and tax records, and if I can fillter out newcomers and find some long-term residents who might have first-hand knowledge, it might be worth it.

It's certainly all I can do short of plannign a trip to Washington. That will need to wait until I can save some money. Unless all you readers -- yes YOU -- want to pitch in and feed the kitty. Buy an extra copy of UM and ITB for your friends. Great for Dads and Grads. Buy early, buy often.



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