Thanks to the Custodians of History

My new book on “Pirate” Bill Johnston (due out this year) would not exist without the dedication and generosity of the custodians of our history—those people who work in libraries, archives and regional museums.

In 1973, the curator of the Thousand Islands Museum in Clayton, New York, responded to my written request for information on Johnston by mailing me 120 photocopies—the complete serialized biography of Johnston published in the Watertown Daily Times in 1938-39.

Genesis of the Bill Johnston Biography

The genesis of my soon-to-be published biography of "Pirate" Bill Johnston occurred in 1973 when a journalism prof at Humber College in Toronto told his students to write a 5000-word feature article on any historical topic.

While browsing through reference material at Toronto’s central library in those pre-Google days, I first read about Bill Johnston. One reference mentioned the Thousand Islands Museum in Clayton, New York. I sent a letter (email did not yet exist) requesting additional information. The curator responded with 120 photocopies—the complete serialized biography of Johnston written by John Northman and published in the Watertown Daily Times in 1938-39. (No longer available.)