The Diaries of John Hunton - Made to Last, Written to Last - Sagas of the Western Frontier, Hicksville resident Mike Griske's abridged version of a six-volume set of books written by his grandfather, Wyoming historian Pat Flannery, was recently selected as a national finalist in the 2006 Awards Program sponsored by the American Association for State and Local History. The AASLH conducts this program annually to "establish and encourage standards of excellence in the collection, preservation, and interpretation of state and local history throughout the United States." The late Mr. Flannery was a historian from 1953 when he retired from politics until he passed away in 1964 at the age of 70.

Terry Davis, AASLH's president and CEO, stated in a letter to Griske, "To be a national finalist is a testimony to the fine work of your nomination. We very much appreciate your participation in this program and the fine work you are doing in the field of state and local history."

Greg Lalire, editor of Wild West magazine, and Gene Gressley, former director of the University of Wyoming's American Heritage Center, both noted historians and authors in their own right, were among those who provided narratives in support of the book's nomination.

Lalire said he is " ... always eager to see firsthand accounts and diaries written by Westerners because they add a dimension to the fascinating story of the frontier that is absent from most articles and books written in later years."

"I was happy to include in the August 2004 issue some of the writings of Wyoming pioneer John Hunton and his newspaperman friend Pat Flannery, and I'm delighted to see that . . . some excellent excerpts from those impressive works now appear in . . . The Diaries of John Hunton: Made to Last, Written to Last, Sagas of the Western Frontier," stated Lalire. "I salute Michael D. Griske in his effort to make this material available to a modern audience, including current historians doing research on historic Fort Laramie and the surrounding area."

Dr. Gressley declared, "The Hunton diaries are not only one of the finest historical sources for Wyoming history, but they represent one of the best primary sources for the transformation of the agrarian economy of the West . . . Sans any risk, I can say that the Hunton diaries will have appeal and value for a wide audience of secondary students, academicians and the general 'enthusiasts' of western history . . ."

He continued, "Michael Griske has adroitly and seamlessly interwoven his grandfather, L. G. 'Pat' Flannery's comments, John Hunton's diary entries and his own comments into a smooth, flowing narrative. By opting for a topical approach rather than his grandfather's chronological methodology, Michael Griske has provided an ease of research access whether the reader is probing the diaries for The Grattan Massacre, the story of Fallen Leaf or 'Wild Bill' Hickok. Michael Griske has placed all of those interested in Wyoming and the West in his permanent debt."

Last year, Griske's articles containing edited excerpts from his manuscript that were featured in the Torrington Telegram, a Wyoming newspaper, were honored with a first-place Wyoming State Historical Society award and Jeff Robertson, publisher of the Telegram, received an honorable mention award from the society for his commitment to sharing Wyoming history with the paper's subscribers through this series. The Diaries of John Hunton is also the only book currently listed under social studies resources in item "VI. Sources on Wyoming History" on the state's Department of Education website.

Last January, Carol Bowers, AHC reference manager and lecturer in the department of history at the University of Wyoming, stated she plans to use Griske's work as an educational resource: "I have already shown the book to my History of the American West students and will also introduce it in my upcoming class on the History of Women in the West, which I will teach in the summer and fall semesters this year," she stated.

The Diaries of John Hunton was published in October 2005 by Heritage Books and is available through Heritagebooks.com, Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com as well as at the Fort Laramie National Historic Site bookstore. Information about discounts offered by the publisher may be obtained by calling (800) 876-6103.