David Fooks is uniquely qualified to write this book. He is a sailor, folklorist, and loves a good story. David’s professional life included being the Executive Director for the Kutztown Folk Festival, the oldest folklife festival in America, for almost 20 years, and he spent 40 years involved in folklife festivals across the country. He was a folklife researcher at Kutztown University Foundation, and Assistant Director for the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center at Kutztown University.
David was a professional woodcarver; he worked at a wooden boatyard on the Chesapeake Bay, and worked with the USF Constellation Foundation. He has spent most of his life on or about boats, and restored and sailed his own boats for over 30 years.
His fascination with the Age of Sail has led him on a lifetime quest to research every rumor or story he has heard or read that wasn’t commonly known history, and he has heard a lot of them. The ones he could verify are in this book.
Historic Stories 