PREFACE

    All life and achievement is evolution; present wisdom comes from past experience, and present commercial prosperity has come only from past exertion and sacrifice. The deeds and motives of the men whohave gone before have been instrumental in shaping the destinies of later communities and states. The development of a new county was at once a task and a privilege. It required great courage, sacrifice and privation. Compare the present conditions of the people of the people of Plymouth county, Iowa, with what they were six decades ago. From a trackless wilderness and virgin land, they have come to be centers of prosperity and civilization, with millions of wealth, systems of railways, eductional and religious institutions, varied industries and immense agricultural and dairy interests. Can any thinking person be insensible to the fascination of the study which discloses the aspirations and efforts of the early pioneers who so strongly laid the foundation upon which has been reared the magnificent prosperity of later days? To perpetuate the story of these people and to trace and record the social, religious, educational, political and industrial progress of the community from its first inception, is the function of the local historian. A sincere purpose to preserve facts and personal memoirs that are deserving of perpetuation, and which united the present to the past, is the motive for the present publication. The publishers desire to extend their thanks to those who have so faithfully labored to this end. Thanks are also due to the citizens of Plymouth county, for the uniform kindness with which they have regarded this undertaking, and for their many services rendered.
    In placing the "History of Plymouth County, Iowa," before the citizens, the publishers can conscientiously claim that they have carried out the plan as outlilned in the prospectus. Every biographical sketch in the work has been submitted to the party interested, for correction, and therefore any error of fact, if there be any, is solely due to the person for whom the sketch was prepared. Confident that our effort to please will fully meet the approbation of the public, we are,

Respectfully,
THE PUBLISHERS