PREFACE. SOME One has very properly written that the country is already overloaded with histories of itself; and the same writer as properly adds: "Not one of them pretends to constitute a general history of the United States in volumes, embracing a complete history of each State separately-a work that would be of incalculable value to the archives of every Commonwealth of the American Republic." It has been offered in reply to this, that "the early history of the United States is so consolidated and intermingled as not to admit of being divided into volumes that would adapt themselves respectively to each State." The last argument holds good only in so far as the task of compiling such a work is a difficult one, involving much labor that can scarcely hope for just compensa tion. The work presented in this volume is threefold in its character, embracing a general history of Michigan, from its earliest settlement to the present time (unincumbered by the records of a neighboring Commonwealth), including illustrations and brief descriptive sketches of the most prominent features of the Peninsular State, with portraits and short biographical sketches of its present leading business and professional men. With regard to the first and most important feature, it is proper to state that the works which the author has consulted freely, and to which the perfection of this book is most indebted, are Lanman's History of Michigan, Sheldon's Early History of Michigan, Bancroft's History of the United States, Parkman's Conspiracy of Pontiac, Lanman's Red Book of Michigan, Tackabury's New Atlas of the State of Michigan, Way's History of the Boundary Difficulty, and numerous other volumes. The great aim has been to condense from these works, and from more recent records, a plain and truthful history of the State from its earliest settlement to the present time. In the second and third features, the aim has been to depict, by descriptive sketches and engravings, the more prominent modern features of the State, and to present the portraits with brief biographical sketches of some of its leading citizens. In doing the latter, care has been taken to select representative men in all the departments of trade, and in the learned professions, without regard to the accident of political prominence. The latter consideration has not, of course, been ignored in making the selection, but preference has been given to those who have, by unaided industry and native force of character, placed themselves in prominent and leading positions in their chosen field of labor. The labor of compiling this volume has been immense, and not always pleasant. The object has been to furnish to the citizens of the State a more complete history of the Commonwealth than has yet been written; and at the same time to give to the world, in a condensed and popular form, reliable information in regard to the resources of a State now truly imperial in wealth, population and power. How well this task has been performed we leave to the judgment of an indulgent and discriminating public. It will be observed that the portrait engravings in this volume are inserted without reference to chronological order. This became necessary for the reason that printing was commenced before the engravings were finished. The only order observed is that in which the engravings reached the hands of the printer. |