Copyright © 2016-2024 Favis Literary LLC
AUTHOR’S NOTES FOR SOUL SEARCH
Plott Hound History
The story of the Plott Hound’s origins is true and has been adapted from Bob Plott’s history of the breed (reference below). Only a little dramatic license was taken when describing how the Plott brothers acquired the breeding stock before emigrating to the Colonies.
Bob Plott. (2007). The Story of the Plott Hound: Strike & Stay (Second edi). The History Press.
Psychosis
Information regarding Folie a deux and childhood psychosis were derived from the following references.
Joshi, P. T., & Towbin, K. E. (2002). Psychosis in Childhood and Its Management. In K. L. Davis, D. Charney, J. T. Coyle, & C. Nemeroff (Eds.), Neuropsychopharmacology:The Fifth Generation of Progress (pp. 613–624).
Newman, W. J., & Harbit, M. a. (2010). Folie a deux and the courts. The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 38(3), 369–375.
Sclerosis, M. (2010). Helping Children and Youth with Psychosis Information for Parents and Caregivers. Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. Retrieved from http://www.cheo.on.ca
Moravian and Delaware Indian History
The grave of John Lewis Luckenbach can be found in the Moravian Burial Ground in Hope, New Jersey. Information on the burial ground and the Moravian community in Hope can be found in the references cited below. I suggest visiting the graveyard to get the full effect of history and to reacquaint horror fans with the scenery depicted in Friday the 13th. Jason and his victims really did run amuck in both the Moravian Burial Ground and the Blairstown Diner.
Some license was taken with the historical dates associated with the Moravian missionary efforts with the Lenape in order to maintain the accuracy of the information found on the headstones in the cemetery and for the sake of the story. While the Moravian community in Hope did suffer a smallpox epidemic in 1799 (one of several factors that led to the failure of the community and the return of the Moravians to Bethlehem, PA), this outbreak did not coincide with missionary efforts by the Moravians. In fact, the Lenape had been forced by treaty to give up their ancestral lands in 1758, which led to a diaspora and a resettlement of the Delaware People in Oklahoma and Canada.
Rosenfeld, Lucy D. and Harrison, M. (2006). History Walks in New Jersey (pp. 76–79). New Brunswick, New Jersey and London: Rivergate Books.
Sarapin, J. K. (1994). Old Burial Grounds of New Jersey: A Guide (pp. 92–94). New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press.
Changewater Murders
The Changewater murders described in Soul Search were extensively documented at the time of the killings and although two men were executed for the crimes, their guilt was not widely accepted by the community. In deference to the victims, the descriptions of the people and the circumstances surrounding their demise were kept true to the historical record described in the references below. In deference to the descendents of possible suspects, I did not endeavor to play detective. Too much time has passed and too much evidence has been lost to make any definitive assessments regarding culpability. Since the historic Reverend Jacob Castner did much in the way of railroading two innocent men to be executed for the crimes, it did not disturb my conscience to make him the villain in the story.
Meeker, S. and R. (1998a). The Changewater Murders: A True Historical Account. Budd Lake: Legacy, of America.
Meeker, S. and R. (1998b). The Changewater Murders: Case Closed. Budd Lake: Legacy, of America.
Baseball Trivia
Eddie Gaedel’s famous at-bat is a piece of baseball lore that is so well-known that even a non-participant like me has heard the story. The details of the story were derived from the reference below.
Cellania, M. (2011). The Strangest At-Bat in History. Retrieved from http://www.neatorama.com/2011/08/19/the-strangest-at-bat-in-history/
Hikers on the Appalachian Trail
Additional characters that can be found hiking on the AT are best described in the citation that follows.
Wallace, M. (2015). The 10 Hikers You Meet on the Appalachian Trail. Retrieved from http://appalachiantrials.com/the-10-hikers-you-meet-on-the-appalachian-trail/
Search and Rescue
While many of the locations described are real, no actual case histories of searches are used in Soul Search. The descriptions of the searches are drawn from my imagination and conglomerations of personal experiences, as well as stories related to me by SAR friends. Having been part of the search community for over 10 years, I am committed to protecting the privacy of the missing and their families. Zackie (true name Zackie-O), Merlin, and Simber were real search dogs and are included in the story with the permission of the handlers. All of these canines served the Search and Rescue Teams of Warren County. Their appearances and personalities were depicted as accurately as I could manage. Their handlers in the story are completely fictitious. Type your paragraph here.