Acquisitions.

I’ve doubled-down on my research investment, purchasing several items, including a surprisingly clean copy of a rare atlas from 1875. There's a lot more to it than what historicmapworks.com shows, and I really can't be arsed to get to NYC or Philly (if Philly even has a copy) just to get glimpses at the data I want. Besides, they have all sorts of limitations on the material's use, but now that I have an original copy, I can decide my own limitations, and have all rights. It cost an arm and a leg, but it was worth it. It falls neatly between Federal Census years, and lists landowners, names of businesses and restaurants, and has a number of other intriguing details to help fill out the portrait...

An idea of how rare this atlas is? I have it, but ancestry.com does not, and I come up empty when Googling for auctions for it. The crazy stuff you'll turn up on ebay on a lark. :)

I also picked up a copy of "Missie" (1947) by Annie Fern Swartwout -- a niece of Annie Oakley's who traveled with her for a time as her assistant. It's said to be fact and myth in equal measure, but it may provide some good flavor. I'd tried to get a cheap copy, but someone sniped me, so I bit at a signed copy w/dustjacket. Probably didn't get any other bids because the seller labeled it poorly, not even mentioning Annie Oakley in the heading, so even if it's absolutely horrible, I can turn it around for an easy $25-50 dollar profit when I want, likely more. Similar copies have gone for more than twice what I paid, so I'm pleased.

I’d only received Walter Havighurst's book the week prior but it has probably proved the most useful when looking for a style from which to take inspiration. The man's got a way with words and really nails dialect and accent. Plus, he cites Annie talking about a family she’d stayed with in terms I’d not heard before, reminding me that there’s still some personal writing of hers I’ve got to track down.