Erica Barnes, a teacher and historian, was a contributing writer for the Cazenovia Republican newspaper and is currently an educator in Okaloosa County, Florida.

Jason Emerson is an independent historian and journalist. He is the author or editor of seven books about Abraham Lincoln and his family, and the former editor of the Cazenovia Republican newspaper. Emerson has also published dozens of history articles in both popular magazines and academic journals, and he has been a history expert on multiple television shows, including Book TV, American History TV, and shows on the History Channel, H2 and CNBC.