Jon-Erik Gilot

Jon-Erik has been an ECW fan since its beginnings, carefully following the blog and eventually writing guest posts for a few years. His interest in the Civil War goes back to childhood, growing up in a small historic town in eastern Ohio steeped in Civil War history. The local historical society encouraged him from an early age, sparking an interest in working hands-on with historical records and artifacts.

He studied History as an undergraduate at Bethany College and for the past fifteen years has made a career in the field of archives, earning a Masters at Kent State in 2011. Jon-Erik currently works as an archivist and records manager in Wheeling, West Virginia, where he lives with his wife and daughters. Together, they are restoring a ca. 1901 house in a national historic district.

Jon-Erik also works closely with local and regional history organizations. A longtime interest in historic buildings preservation led to a role as a Historic Landmarks Commissioner for the city of Wheeling, West Virginia, and a board member position for the West Virginia Independence Hall Foundation, an organization instrumental in the restoration of the original custom house in Wheeling.

His research has been published in numerous books, magazines, and journals. His first book in the Emerging Civil War Series, John Brown’s Raid, is scheduled for a Fall 2022 release.