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Loren P. Waldo originally read his address on the early history of Tolland before the Tolland County Historical Society and many of his listeners expressed a strong desire to see his address in print. As the society proposed to have it published, the author revised his work and prepared it for publication. His purpose was "to speak of the early history of the town of Tolland, and to gather up and preserve some mementos of the persons who first peopled its territory." The author's passion for Tolland's heritage is evident in his writing. "The territory now called Tolland, prior to the year 1700, formed a part of the vast wilderness that covered the western continent before the track of civilization ever visited these shores, and was inhabited only by wild beasts or wilder men." A wide range of topics are covered, including detailed descriptions of seventeen lots of land (with lists of petitioners and grantees), meeting houses, ministers, military (with lists of volunteers, rolls, payrolls, pension applicants and more), burying grounds, the post office, town clerks (with a list of names and dates of service), census of Tolland, members of the House of Representatives (which lists representatives in the General Assembly spanning October 1748 to May 1861), justices of the peace (with a list of names and dates of service from settlement to 1861), and selectmen (with a chronological list of names, 1717-1860). Family records with varying amounts of genealogical information augment most of the chapters. A full-name index has been added to this work.

The Order of Red Men takes pride in preserving "the history, the customs, and the virtues of the original American people,-a people conceded by the early travellers and writers to have been intelligent, brave, and free, loyal in its friendships, generous in its hospitalities, and with many traits of character worthy of emulation..." "The primary objects of our Order are to promote among men the exercise and practice of the true principles of benevolence and charity, the care and protection of the widows and orphans of its members, and the cultivation of friendly relations with those who have entered its circle. The democratic influences which attended its birth, the idea that all men are equal, are the tenets of the Order; and what a man is, not what he possesses, constitutes his claim for recognition among the brotherhood. Friendship, fraternity, and hospitality are exemplified as cardinal virtues, and nowhere are hearts brought closer together than around the council fires of the Red Men...Our Order is a brotherhood of individuals whose personal characteristics are not sacrificed, but whose common interests are maintained and strengthened as the members harmonize around our council fires." Chapters include: Outline of Subject; Primitive Red Men, Their Characteristics and Customs; Patriotic Societies at and prior to 1776; Societies of Red Men from 1812 to 1834; Organization of the Improved Order of Red Men at Baltimore, Md.; The Great Council of the United States: its Origin, Powers, and Laws (1847 to date of publication); State Great Councils; Biographies of Prominent Members; Digest of the Decisions, Laws, Rulings, etc., of the Great Council of the United States; Legislation, Constitutions, etc.; Degree of Pocahontas; Chieftains' League; The Degrees of the Order; and, Nomenclature of the Order and Calendar. Numerous illustrations enhance the text. A subject, place and every-name index makes access to information easy for the researcher.

The purpose of the Homestead Act, signed by President Lincoln on May 20, 1862, was to encourage settlement in the western states on unappropriated public land. Any person who was twenty-one years of age, or head of a family, or met certain military requirements was eligible to apply for a homestead. The homesteader had to live on the land continuously and cultivate it for a period of five years in order to obtain the patent. Any person who had borne arms against the U.S., or given aid and comfort to its enemies, was not eligible. This was a significant point since the Homestead Act was passed during the years of the Civil War. The patents read much like any deed. When family information such as marital status or relationship was included, it was abstracted and included along with the name of the applicant. Column headings include: Applicant and Family Information, Filing Date, and Vol.-Pg. In some cases, what was apparently the maiden name of a woman was found in the homestead application.

This volume is the seventeenth in a series devoted to presenting a transcription of the surviving serial manuscript records for the town of Wilmington, Essex County, New York, in the High Peaks region of the Adirondack Mountains. Genealogists and family historians should find these Wilmington church records of considerable value for determining if a church-going ancestor was in Wilmington. Additionally, whether a person was a Methodist Episcopal or a Congregational member will better define their particular religious belief. The transcriptions in this volume include: Church Records of the Congregational Church; Methodist Episcopal Church, Book I (1836-1862); Methodist Episcopal Church, Book I.B. (1842-1862); Methodist Episcopal Church, Book II (1862-1882); Methodist Episcopal Church Record of Marriages; Methodist Episcopal Church Alphabetical List of Members; and a Comprehensive Church Record of the Jay and Wilmington Methodist Episcopal Churches. The Wilmington Congregational Church records were transcribed from privately-owned original documents. These records include detailed biographical information, such as whether an individual was married or single. These records span 1834 to 1883; however, the coverage is not continuous and the records are not strictly chronological. The Methodist Episcopal Church records were transcribed from the extraordinary set of records preserved at Wilmington's Whiteface Community United Methodist Church. The ME volumes, other than Book I, are not limited to the Town of Wilmington Methodist Church. The members of the Circuit varied between 1842 and 1862; at various times these records include churches in the towns of Wilmington, Jay, AuSable, Saranac, Keene and the village of AuSable Forks. Entries include church status for members, a record of quarterly Circuit meetings, and detailed information on some members such as: residence, whether single or married, "remarks" (baptized or sprinkled, joined, received in full, came by letter, dropped, removed, withdrew, moved, removed by letter, dead or died). The entries have been transcribed as presented; the original spelling has been maintained. A full name index adds to the value of this work.

These agricultural census records name only the head of the household; however, they do yield unique information about how people lived. Often, individuals who were missed on the regular U.S. census will appear on the agricultural census. Six of the agricultural census's original forty-eight columns are transcribed here: name of owner, improved acreage, unimproved acreage, cash value of farm, value of farm implements and machinery, and value of livestock. This volume covers the counties of: Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, LaClede, LaFayette, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Linn, Livingston, McDonald, Macon, Madison, Marion, Mercer, Miller, Mississippi, Moniteau, and Monroe. A surname index augments the records.