About Us

Primary Source History Services provides historical research, analysis, and writing for individuals, communities, companies, and government agencies.

We also seek opportunities to influence public discourse through history-oriented articles and op-ed pieces in newspapers and other popular publications.

When conducting research for outside clients, we work on a per-contract, per-day, or per-hour basis. Contact us for pricing details.

The company is owned and operated by Anne Mitchell Whisnant and David E. Whisnant.

Anne Mitchell Whisnant earned her Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has fifteen years' experience doing historical research and writing. Her book on the history of the National Park Service's most visited site, the Blue Ridge Parkway, appeared in the fall of 2006 from the University of North Carolina Press. Visit the web site for Super-Scenic Motorway: A Blue Ridge Parkway History here. She has also published several historical articles and reviews for both scholarly journals and the popular press, and she has served as a consultant to the National Park Service on several projects. Read more about Anne's work here.

David E. Whisnant earned his Ph.D. from Duke University and spent thirty years doing teaching and research at the University of Illinois, the University of Maryland at Baltimore County, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is the author of four books and scores of articles and reviews on traditional and vernacular culture, the politics of culture, and cultural policy in the American South, the Appalachian region, and Latin America. He has also been a consultant to many public sector folklore projects including the Smithsonian's National Folk Festival. Read more about David's work here.