Supervisor Sharon Bulova, Mary Lipsey and John Browne
Supervisor Sharon Bulova, coauthor Mary Lipsey and map expert John Browne were interviewed for BookCast by Fairfax County Public Library Director Sam Clay.
Braddock's True Gold: 20th-Century Life in the Heart of Fairfax County
Began in October, 2004 as a series of three programs entitled "A Look Back at Braddock: The Miniseries," sponsored by Sharon Bulova, the Braddock District representative on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
A task force was formed to prepare a book based on residents' recollections and old stories. The task force also decided to produce a history map, a short video and a writing competition for middle and high school students.
During the summer and early fall of 2005, more than 50 oral histories were recorded. This yielded fascinating information about events such as the successful fight to stop the building of an international airport in Burke.
The book's title refers to the legend of Braddock's gold. In 1775, General Edward Braddock supposedly buried two cannons filled with gold coins to lighten his load on the way to Fort Duquesne (now Pittsburgh). He planned to retrieve them on his return, but died after being mortally wounded in battle. The location of the buried cannons has been lost, but is rumored to be somewhere in the Braddock District.
About the Book's Collaborators:
Sharon Bulova
Braddock District Supervisor Sharon Bulova was first elected to the Board of Supervisors in 1987 and has served for almost 20 years. She is presently the Vice Chairman of the Board. Mrs. Bulova spearheaded the effort to research and publish Braddock's True Gold.
Marion Meany
Marion Meany is the editor and a coauthor of Braddock's True Gold. She is a former writer and editor for newspapers in California and Idaho. Meany has been a resident of Fairfax County for more than 30 years.
Mary Lipsey
Mary Lipsey is a coauthor of Braddock's True Gold and was responsible for coordinating the oral history interviews for the book. She is a retired seventh-grade American History teacher and has lived in Fairfax County, Virginia most of her life.
John Browne
John Browne is the book's map expert. He is retired from the Department of Navy and has lived in the Braddock District since 1979. He combined his interest in local history with a love of maps to create maps of the Braddock district at different time periods.
Gilbert Donahue
Gilbert Donahue served as the digital archivist and photographer for the book Braddock's True Gold. Gil is retired from a career with the State Department and is currently a senior associate with Harlan, Lee and Associates. He has been a Fairfax County resident since 1980.