The author attempts to convey the history of Indiana solely through a series of “life sketches” and stories, without the usual historical narrative. Chapter headings are: -The Very First Inhabitants -The First Human Inhabitants -Traits and Habits of Wild Indians -Early Explorers -Early French Life in Indiana – Pontiac -Clark’s Capture of Ft. Vincennes, and other Incidents -Tecumseh – the Prophet – Tippecanoe -A Daring Man – Narrow Escapes -An Itinerant Pioneer Preacher -Flatboat Days -A Great Man’s Boyhood and Youth -Black and White -A Genial Hermit -The Romance of New Harmony -A Distinguished Oddity -Frontier Pests and Afflictions -Characteristic Incidents and Anecdotes -The Period of Canals and Plank Roads -The Birth and Growth of Free Public Schools -A Raid into Indiana -Richard Jordan Gatling -The Writers of Indiana -The Latest Developments in Indiana