Map of Buchanan County

Second view of map

INTRODUCTORY

ALL history is local. Even the strictest biography interests itself, more or less, in the birthplace and early home of its subject, and in all the scenes of his later achievements. Every man is closely identified with his surroundings. He becomes a part of them, and they of him; and it would be as easy for him to exist separate from space as for a historian to write a history of his life entirely disconnected with that of the place in which he lives.

As with the history of individuals and peoples, so with that of all popular movements, whether in civil, religious, military or political affairs. The history of a government or a war, of a reformation in religion or a revolution in party politics, can not be written separate from that of the territories in which they occur. All events are local, and so must their history be. But the most of the great histories of the world are local in name, as well as in fact. The history of France, of England, or of America, pertains, if we follow the literal sense, even more to the territory than to the nation. We may say that the chief interest attaches to the people; but it is only as the soul is more interesting than the body. If the two could be separated, the history of both, together with all human interest in them, as constituting a living entirety, would come to an end. but though all history, strictly speaking, is local, yet the name "local history" is applied exclusively, we believe, to those historical collection which have of late become so common, and which are limited to small territories—those of towns corporate, townships, or separate counties.

Local histories, therefore, do not differ from others so much in kind as in extent. The history of a county contains, or should contain, all the elements which enter into that of a State, or of a nation. Every history pertaining to a limited territory, whether great or small, should contain a description, more or less minute, of its physical features and natural advantages; an account of its aboriginal inhabitants, of its settlement and subjugation by the people who now occupy it, of its gradual development of its resources, of the growth and extent of its internal improvements, of its advancement in art, science, literature, morality and religion; in short, of the progress which its people have made in all that goes to make up that complex social condition to which we give the name of Christian civilization. As subsidiary to all this, it must contain an account of its civil divisions, and biographical sketches of those who have occupied, within its borders, prominent positions in social, financial, civil or military affairs. And if it is illustrated with portraits of its deserving citizens and, views of its finest edifices and most picturesque scenery, these illustrations will aid the descriptions of the historian in producing their most vivid impression upon the mind of the reader.

The history of a State can contain little, if any thing, more than the expansion of the elements thus briefly sketched; and the history of a county should contain nothing less. There are, however, certain characteristic differences between county histories and those which embrace more extensive territories; but they are such as should commend the former to the especial regard of the people at large. All these differences, which it is worth while to mention here, may be comprised in this one statement: County histories can descend to a minuteness in details which is quite impracticable in National or State histories. And this fact, we repeat, should give to the former an especial value in the estimation of the people.

In such histories there is room for descriptions and illustrations of much interesting scenery, which State or National historians, on account of limited space, must necessarily pass unnoticed; for narratives of pioneer life, which are of great interest to the descendants and successors of those to whom they relate, but which, were it not for the pen of the local historian, must slumber in oblivion; for biograpical [biographical] sketches of many who were true heroes in their limited sphere, who nobly wrought for the good of their neighborhood, their town, or their county, but who, nevertheless, would have gone down to the grave and been forgotten, but for the local history which, in preserving the memory of their deeds, has perpetuated the beneficent influence of their example. Local history, therefore, is emphatically the people's history.

But, though it is thus seen to be the peculiar province of local history to preserve, in comparitively [comparatively] small localities, the memory of events which more pretentious histories must necessarily leave unnoticed, it must not thence be inferred that the former is essentially less dignified and important than the latter. It is a very common, but, nevertheless, a very great mistake to suppose that only the history of the so-called great is worthy to be written. Even the authors of the great world histories are compelled to recognize this fact by the necessity they are under of giving immortality to many subordinate characters, from the mere accident of their coming in contact with the more prominent actors in the great events which they narrate.

But the difference between the great and the small, the important and the unimportant in human history, is, to a

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great extent, factious. No human life is devoid of interest. An eloquent modern writer has truly said: "It is interesting to reconstruct any genuine life drama, to pluck from time and oblivion the inconspicuous story that has a human soul for its basis." Every human life is important, either as an example or as a warning; and, painted in such colors as the touch of genius could throw around it, every human life would be found replete with incidents of historic, and even of romantic interest. The possibility of even what the world calls greatness, lies hidden in every soul whose strength is unfettered, and whose light is unobscured, by some of the various forms or degrees of idiocy. The influence of what we call accident (which is but one of the forms of divine providence), not only in developing human character and fixing human destiny, but also in lifting obscure names into the sudden light of historic prominence, is too often lost sight of. Of the many thousands of men in the United States, who are capable of filling respectably the office of President, it is not unusually the one who has the most prestige before the people, an din whose behalf the most earnest, persistent and direct efforts are made, that succeeds in securing the nomination. And the influences which combine at last to secure it for the fortunate candidate, are, for the most part, at least, such as cannot be controlled and concentrated by management and foresight. And the favorite Presidents have been those who have sprung up from among the people, whose early lives were spent in obscurity of rural homes, and who, in the self-training which fitted them for their high position, have literally been led, "by a way that they knew not."

But not only the means of preparing for a high position and the opportunities of securing it come through the intervention of what we call accident. Almost every page of history reveals the fact that combinations of circumstances, entirely fortuitous, as far as the actors in them are concerned, have often brought into permanent celebrity the names of those who never enjoyed either the necessary training for an exalted station, or the opportunities for obtaining it. Williams, Paulding, and Van Wert, the captors of Andre, were common militiamen, who would never have been heard of in our Revolutionary annals, but for the accident which placed them in the path of the returning spy, just as he was on the point of making good his escape within the British lines. But the constancy and fidelity which prompted them to spurn the offered bribes of their captive, and thus made their names immortal among those of their country's saviors, would have given their souls the stamp of genuine heroism, even had no opportunity been offered for rendering themselves famous. In the humble sphere which they were called to fill, those noble qualities would have found ample scope for exercise; and their example would have been just as beneficial to those who witnessed it as it is now to the multiplied number who read it.

And herein is seen one of the important offices of local history—and that is, to perpetuate the examples of worthy men and women, in the locality in which those examples were set. It aids the children of worthy parents in obeying that most touching of all the Commandments: "Honor thy father and thy mother," and affords them the finest opportunity of securing the promised reward—the prolongation of their days in the land which God has given them, by the perpetuation of their own names along with the memory of their parents' examples. These observations, of course, apply generally to all times and eras in a county's history. There is no generation that does not produce some men in every county whose character and position justly entitle them to historic commemoration, and give both to contemporaries and posterity the right to demand that such commemoration shall be made. In every generation too, there will be, in every county, many events in all the departments of human activity and interest, well worthy to be placed on record by the pen of the historian. Striking events in social life will occur. Important political crises will be passed through. The march of improvement will be kept up. New commercial thoroughfares will be opened. Financial enterprises "of great pith and moment" will be undertaken and carried on to success, or end in failure. Schools, churches, and charitable institutions will be established. The great battle between right and wrong will be fought and won; or lost and renewed again. Immigration and emigration will continue, and populations will change. And all this is the stuff of which history is made.

As often, therefore, as once in forty or fifty years at the most, the history of every county should be thoroughly written. Copies of every such work should be preserved in all the public libraries and offices of the county, and in all private houses whose owners can by any means afford the necessary expense. No sentiment of mock modesty should prevent prominent and wealthy citizens from furnishing, for the illustration of such works, both portraits, views of residences, and materials for biographical sketches. The most generous encouragement should be extended to those who undertake the labor and incur the risk of such publications, provided ample guaranty is given of ability and fidelity in the execution of the work. Local histories, thus patronized and executed, to whatever era they may refer in the historical development of the locality described, must be regarded as second in importance to none that can be written.

But the observations made above, in regard to the importance of local, or county histories, refer especially to those which are written first, while some of the early settlers or their immediate descendants survive—or, at least, while all the facts worthy of record concerning the first settlement of the locality, are easy to be obtained. The people have an instinctive desire to know as much as possible concerning those who first opened up the region in which they dwell, to the occupancy of civilized men. The pioneers in the settlement of any uncultivated region, woodland or prairie, are always men of mark. None but brave, hardy and energetic men would undertake such a work. And it is the record of deeds which spring from these qualities, that constitutes the romance of history. It is true that the pioneers may

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not have possessed these qualities in a higher degree, inherently, than their successors; but the circumstances surrounding them—the very necessities of their position—were calculated to develope [develop] these traits in an extraordinary degree, and thus to produce a type of character not to be looked for in later and more quiet times. But even if pioneers were commonplace men, the accident which made them pioneers would give them a prominence justly entitling them to historic mention—just as "the first white male child" born in a county, though he may never do any thing worthy of fame, nevertheless becomes famous by the mere accident of his primogeniture.

In speaking of the importance of local histories, we must not omit to mention the fact that they often afford valuable material for those more extensive historical works, which pertain to the State or the nation at large. Characters with only a local reputation, entitling them to biographical sketches in county histories, may afterwards win a national fame; and the subsequent historian, called to write of their life and times, may be able to find in such histories alone the record of their early career. Events also having at first only a local significance, and recorded only in local histories, may subsequently, by their connection with later events, become of national importance. And yet, if they had not been rescued from oblivion by the local historian, no authentic accounts of them would ever have been transmitted to posterity.

We will add but one other consideration showing the importance of county histories, and that is the very obvious one that such histories, if written even with a moderate degree of fidelity and ability, will increase more and more in value, the older they become. Of most other histories this is true only to a very limited extent; and of very many others it is not true at all. The history of Ancient Rome, or of any modern nation, written at the present time, will be no more valuable on account of its age forty or fifty years hence that it is now. Any such book, when it becomes very old, or very scarce, may increase in value as a curiosity; but the history of which it contains will probably be no more highly prized a hundred years from now that it is at the present time. but the history of a county, going back to its first settlement and organization; containing the names and personal history of its early settlers, and a record of the most interesting events that marked the first half century, or so, of its progress, will be much more highly prized by succeeding generations than by that to which , in part at least, it relates.

'Tis distance lends enchantment to the view.

Events which occur at or near our own time, are commonplace as history, with whatever eagerness they may have been devoured as news; and it is not until they have become surrounded by something of the halo of antiquity that we begin to appreciate their full value. The writer of this might not, perhaps have set a very high value upon a history of his native county ("Old Oneida," in Central New York) if written thirty-five years ago, while he was still a resident within its borders; but if such a work had been written then, on the plan and in the manner already described, containing sketches of the county pioneers (among whom were his own ancestors) and embellished with portraits of individuals and views of scenery familiar to his boyhood, he would now consider such a work, if still accessible, cheap at double the price set upon the present volume. A natural desire, therefore, to gratify, instruct and benefit posterity, as well as that (already mentioned) to bestow honor upon ancestry, should induce all the citizens of a county to encourage, by every means in their power, any timely and trustworthy effort to perpetuate, in a suitable form, the history of the locality in which they live.

It cannot be denied, however, that this species of writing is the subject of a very common prejudice. This fact is due partly to the lack of proper appreciation of the importance of such works, and the general repugnance toward all enterprises which are thought to place the people under contribution—and partly, it must be confessed, to the well-nigh worthless character of many of the works put forth under the name of "County Histories." It is probably too much to expect that either of these causes of the existing prejudice of which we are speaking, will very soon disappear. But an intelligent examination of the subject, in the light of the considerations therein set forth, could hardly fail to prove an antidote to the first; and the second could not long survive if every citizen would thoroughly scan both the credentials and the antecedents of any parties proposing to issue a county history, before giving them his sanction.

These remarks, by way of introduction, have seemed to us important, in order to remove from the minds of our readers at the outset, if possible, any indifference or prejudice with which they may have been preoccupied, in regard to the dignity and importance of a local history. Whether or not the present volume has to any extent realized the picture which we have drawn of such a history, we shall leave them to determine.

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