Tom Rafiner is an independent researcher having devoted twenty-one years recovering and documenting Missouri’s Burnt District (Jackson, Cass, and Bates counties) history. A University of Missouri graduate, he later earned an MA from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Following a business career Tom turned full attention to the Burnt District. To date he has published two histories and one biography, all anchored in antebellum and Civil War western Missouri. Tom has spoken in over 30 Missouri counties as well as numerous venues outside the state; historian and storyteller he captivates audiences of all ages and interests.