PUBLISHER'S FOREWORD. _________ SEVERAL years ago, when the writer was editing the Red Oak Express, he recognized the great desirability of compiling and publishing an adequate history of Montgomery County. It was clear that the longer this was deferred the more important material, especially concerning the early days, would be lost forever. I saw that in case such a history were written soon, there were many men in the county whose lives had covered almost its entire history and whose reminiscences whould constitute a much more interesting and in some cases more reliable sources of history than anything that has been published or made of record. The greates difficulty in carrying out this plan was to find the man who was qualified to write the history. In giving the matter a little consideration, it occurred to me that one man of all others was best qualified from almost every point of view to do this work, an dhe was our well know citizen, Hon. W. W. Merritt. He has been closely identified with the history of the county almost from its inception and he moreover possesses the philosophical turn of mind and the literary ability that is necessary for a successful historian. I approached him several times on the subject, but owing to his business affairs and general disinclination to undertake such a difficult and necessarily laborious task, the matter was deferred from time to time. Finally, however, he consented, but the work necessarily proceeded very slowly, and nearly four years elapsed after it was undertaken until the book was ready for publication. I believe that it marks an era in the publication of county histories in Iowa; that it sets a much higher standard for these works than they have hertofore attained. Mr. Merritt has not attempted to write a history of the universe and tack a few pages of local interest on as an appendis, the usual plan that has been followed in county histories. He passes over the general history of the western country leading up to the organizaiton of the county very rapidly, and the history is what it purports to be — a history of Montgomery County. It not only is meritoriuos from an historical point of view, but is valuable as a literary work. It contains not only bare historical fact that might be expected in a history, but it is full of incidents and reminiscences, often amusing, that make it far more readable than a mere recital of historical data could bpossibly have been. In order that the facts be not neglected in any way, Mr. Merritt has compiled from official sources and from newspaper files a complete chronology of the county by years from its first white settler up to date. This will be of interest to htose who desire the facts in a concise form. The mechanical excellence of the book is well in keeping with it contents. It has been printed in the very best style of the art from entirely new and very handsome type. The illustrations are all printed on plate paper inserts an dnumerous enough to be a very important feature of the book. While a moderatley large edition has been printed, it none too large and since no re-issue will probably be made, it behooves every citizen of the county to secure one or more copies of the book when the opportunity is offered to him. THOS. D. MURPHY
|
