How we handle the record
You should be able
to check our work.
Every account has a source, a context and a limit. We keep those together so you can decide whether the conclusion holds.
The source is within reach.
Stories link to the documents behind them, including public records released by the Town of Barnstable. Production references and source pages stay attached.
Search the Town records →The limits stay visible.
A draft is evidence of preparation. It does not prove that a letter was sent or a proposal adopted. Partial captures, research summaries and unverified OCR carry their own labels.
Understand the labels →Disagreement belongs in the story.
Substantive denials, explanations and corrections appear beside the account they address. Words remain attributed to their speaker. A displayed Facebook name does not establish who operates an account.
See an example →Changes leave a trail.
Substantive corrections retain the earlier wording, the new wording, the reason and the supporting source. You can follow the change from the affected entry.
Read the change log →Something missing?
Questions make this record better.
Questions, corrections and source notes go to Nathan Herschler by email. They are reviewed privately and are not automatically published.
Independence, privacy and source review
Nathan Herschler independently prepares this project. The project’s interpretation is distinct from the source material. Public-records correspondence contains responses already in the record; those are not presented as fresh interviews.
Town redactions are retained. Irrelevant contact details and private family information are excluded from commentary. Source quotations are checked against page images; searchable OCR remains a finding aid.
Questions are not votes or endorsements. A reader’s email address is used for their correspondence, not automatically added to the public archive. Please share public sources or descriptions of relevant records and avoid sending sensitive personal information.