Frontier forts of Iowa Indians, traders, and soldiers, 1682-1862

Whittaker's essays remind readers that the frontier era is only 150 years past, in Iowa as well as in much of the rest of the US. Equally apparent from these brief studies is the ephemeral nature of most physical remains from the two centuries under examination. If actual data are difficult to recover, even more so is any real sense of the peoples--Indians, traders, and soldiers--to whom the title refers. Any scholarly undertaking of this breadth demands the cooperation of scholars and interested nonprofessionals at every level. When there is literally a race against a construction deadline, as was the case in the Sheaffer Pen Company site, on top of the ruins of Fort Madison, the imperative to set aside rivalries becomes paramount. If nothing else, this publication should remind scholars to work with every possible agency to secure treasures yet hidden, lest oversight, negligence, or jealousy render them forever lost. Happily, this collection's last chapter provides a model for all similar publications by including directions titled "Visiting Forts." The greater the information available to the public, the higher the level of citizen interest and hopefully concern for the protection and salvage of remaining sites. Summing Up: Recommended. All levels/libraries. J. H. O'Donnell III Marietta College