This early history covers the period up to about 1812 and is drawn from many years’ collection of documents and correspondence. The author’s approach was to let the pioneers speak for themselves wherever possible. He wrote in the preface that, “…I am more ambitious to preserve history than to write it, and have therefore freely transcribed from papers, letters, verbal statements, and casual publications, relating to the early times. The originals are certainly more authentic, and more entertaining, than a reproduction would be, in the language of another.”