Journal of the Early Americas is a family owned and operated project of the Criswell and Tesdahl families of Colorado.  Originally from Indiana, the Criswell's have been involved with historic re-enactment since 1974.  The Tesdahl's hail from Iowa and have been near the heart of historic re-enactment since 1990.  One evening in August 2010, over dinner and a little wine, the family decided to launch a publication to fill a void they saw in the market.  They envisioned a publication that strives for accurate historical information, that was easy and fun to read, acted as a gateway for veteran and novice re-enactors, and respected the community.  Thus, the Journal was born.  Please read more below to meet our staff!

Casey Criswell was raised on an Indiana farm and – like all boys who were raised on an Indiana farm – thoroughly enjoys shooting and hunting.  He graduated from Purdue University with a bachelor's degree in agriculture and a minor in history.  Casey attended his first historical re-enactment in 1974, and bought his first black powder rifle in 1975.  He ended up taking his future wife on a first date to a re-enactment in 1979.  Casey enjoys having the opportunity to contribute to the re-enactment community as the editor and publisher of Journal of the Early Americas.  His favorite part of re-enacting is the preservation of skills and practices essential to earlier peoples.

Feel free to contact Casey at editor@journaloftheearlyamericas.com

Summer attended her first re-enactment when she was 2 years old.  The first event she actively participated in was Feast of the Hunters' Moon in 1999, and she has enjoyed developing her French American persona ever since.  Summer has been interested in the arts since she could hold a crayon.  She graduated from Colorado State University with a bachelor's degree in fine arts.  As Creative Director of Journal of the Early Americas, Summer is in charge of the design, layout, and all other artistic endeavors of the publication.  As daughter of the editor, she keeps her father on task.  Her favorite part of re-enacting is dressing up in historical clothing.

Feel free to contact Summer at design@journaloftheearlyamericas.com

Gene grew up on a north-central Iowa farm where driving horses and traditional recipes were part of everyday life.  He hated pitching manure until – as a nine-year-old – he helped interpreters do it in 1840s fashion on a trip to Living History Farms in Des Moines.  He was hooked.  Gene began fur trade re-enacting at the age of 12 and has honed his coureur de bois character "Henri Francois Letannier" over the past 15 years.  Gene has participated in events from Ontario to Virginia and New York to Colorado.  Gene graduated from Luther College with a bachelor's degree in history with a minor in museum studies.  He received his master's in early American history from Miami University in 2003, and is All But Dissertation on his PhD in history at the University of Colorado in Boulder.  Gene is in charge of fact-checking, historical editing, and documentation for the publication.  People – especially his loving family – are his favorite part of re-enacting.

                                                                   Feel free to contact Gene at gene@journaloftheearlyamericas.com

Jasmine was destined to join the re-enactment community.  She attended her first event as a spectator when she was 2 weeks old, and began participating when she was 15.  Jasmine met, went on a first date with, and became engaged to her now husband, Gene Tesdahl, all of which took place at various re-enactments over the last 9 years.  Some of her favorite locations include Fort DeChartres in Illinois and Fort Niagara in New York.  Jasmine is fluent in French and would love to see more first-person language use at events.  Her favorite part of re-enacting is spending quality time with good friends.

Feel free to contact Jasmine at jasmine@journaloftheearlyamericas.com

A relative newcomer to the re-enactment scene, David was first introduced to rendezvous in 2009.  He was immediately struck by the strong sense of friendship, family, and attention to detail present within the re-enactment community.  David graduated from Northern Arizona University with bachelor's degrees in finance and computer information systems, and a master's degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing analysis and distribution management.  A family friend, David makes sure all the systems behind the scenes of the publication are running smoothly.  He's also responsible for building and maintaining this website.  David's favorite part of re-enacting is developing new relationships in an amazing historical context.

Feel free to contact David at david@journaloftheearlyamericas.com

Peggy attended her first historical event in 1979 on a first date with her now husband, Casey Criswell.  She has been constructing clothing for historical re-enacting since 1994 using period-correct materials and methods.  Peggy also enjoys heirloom sewing, English hand smocking, gardening, and canning.  Her favorite part of re-enacting is learning about and bringing colonial culture to life through the practices and traditions of family life, but her MOST favorite part is the sewing.

Feel free to contact Peggy at peggy@journaloftheearlyamericas.com