I have met or corresponded with a couple of the "Ph.D.s" working for or consulting with the URRFC over the past couple of years. From what I have gathered, those scholars who were hired or contracted with have had quite a struggle themselves. While I certainly do not know the whole story, it is my understanding that much of the focus of the Museum has been marketing, not scholarship - whether it was from Ph.D.s or from local historians or grass roots organizations. One of the few things the "Ph.D.s" have been able to do is have conferences and symposiums. Now the museum is scrambling to fill in the historical details and get artifacts for the exhibits and opening events. I guess that while the marketing folks were busy raising money, they forgot they needed real history to tell people when the museum opens. The Museum has had several people leave out of sheer frustration. Seems like no one (on the outside, anyway) has any idea what history will be told - what URR histories, etc. Will they be including some of the pathbreaking research that has been done over the past few years, some of which has been presented at those conferences and symposiums? Will it concentrate exclusively on Ohio, or more broadly inclusive? Selfishly, I have been wondering what the museum will be doing about Tubman. I believe she is part of an exhibit, but are they including the new research on her life, or just the same old juvenile myth stuff for the children's exhibit?

As far as the National Park Service is doing, I commend them for trying to be as broad and inclusive as possible, although some designations do seem to stretch the credibility factor. Perhaps a clearer demarcation between "Freedom" sites and "URR" sites would be more appropriate? I also know that the NPS feels tremendous frustration by the lack of participation by some communities. The lack of interest, and therefore lack of applications, stems from many reasons, but perhaps the most significant is: private property. I know of many important URR sites on the Eastern Shore of Maryland that cannot be identified by the NPS because they are privately owned and the owners do not want the attention (for a variety of reasons.) I would love to see signs all over the Eastern Shore indicating a network to freedom operated there (with and without Tubman), but it would be nearly impossible to get people to agree to have their property identified. There are efforts locally to set up general roadside markers, but that is different than becoming part of the NPS Network to Freedom. Those sites mentioned in an earlier posting benefited from people who were eager, willing, and able to fill out the applications and were able to meet all the criteria and qualifications.