Montgomery County IA Archives History - Books .....Preface P. Iii-iv.  1881
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Alice Warner http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00015.html#0003503 March 26, 2008, 1:48 pm

Book Title: History Of Montgomery County Iowa, Containing A History Of The County, Its Cities, Towns, Etc.

Preface

In preparing this history of Montgomery county the aim has been to make a book
that should be interesting to every citizen of the county to read now, and at
the same time contain matter of a sterling and reliable character, which should
make it a standard book of reference for all future time. And to this end no
pains has been spared to collect information as full and complete as possible
both from public and private sources. 

The matter in regard to "coal prospects" was collected from original sources
specially for this work, and has a highly practical as well as a scientific
value. In his report ot the State Academy of Sciences at Des Moines on the
Moriarty coal boring at Red Oak [see pages 422-23] Prof. Reid says:

"This is really the most important scientific development that has yet been made
in southwestern Iowa; and yet the record of it was a mere scrap of paper tucked
away with many other papers and deemed of no special value to anybody; it was
only made to account for workmen's time; it had served its objective and nobody
thought it of any futher use. But it throws more real light on the coal problem
there than a whole volume of facts and inferences from 'surface geology' could do."

In collecting materials for this History a discovery of glass sand was made [see
pages 417-418] which is of practical importance. Our map is the most thorough
and complete one that has ever been made of this county. One of the most
difficult things in a work of this character is to get the hundreds of names
printed correctly. The lists of members and officers of churches, lodges,
granges, fire companies, military companies, township boards, and other
organizations throughout the county, were sometimes so poorly written that it
was utterly impossible for any mortal being to say positively what the right
spelling should be; but every care has been taken taht could be, by comparison
and collation of different lists in which the same name might occur, to get them
correct. And illustrations are given in some of the township histories to show
what conflicting reports have been sent to the historian in regard to historic
events within a single neighborhood. it is believed, however, that careful and
judicious use has been made of the materials thus furnished, so that the matter
as finally printed is substantially correct. 

All persons called upon have shown a ready willingness to give what information
they could; but there are a few who have taken special pains and made extra
effort to assist us in gathering correct data for this history, and among these
are J. B. Packard, Rev. W. W. Merritt, Hon. Z. T. Fisher, and Capt. E. A.
Harris, of Red Oak; also O. A. Cramer, county auditor; W. H. Hunter, in
December, and W. E. Pattison, in January and February, county clerk; J. A.
McLean, county superintendent; E. Cleaver, county surveyor; H Pegram, county
recorder; T. H. Lee, city clerk; and R. Wadsworth, president of the city
council; likewise, mr. John M. Killits, editor and proprietor of the Red Oak
Express, from the early files of which much historical matter, or clues thereto,
was obtained; and Stidger Brothers, the energetic and enterprising publishers of
the /i/Red Oak Daily Record/i/. All the foregoing gentlemen reside in Red Oak
city or Township. Out thanks are also due to Messrs. Powers and Kennedy of the
Villisca Review, for loan of early files of their paper containing important
historical matter; and the Adj't Gibbs of the Fifth Regiment, I. N. G.; Col. W.
W. Ellis and J. S. Boise of Villisca; to J. T. Patterson of Washington township;
to Samuel M. Smith of Douglas, E. Kretchmer of Grant, and Rev. Geo. C. Hicks of
Walnut. 

There is nothing embodied in this work which does not belong there, as having
direct relation either to the history or resources of Montgomery county. And
herewith it is submitted to the considerate judgment and use of its patrons by

THE PUBLISHERS.

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