1887 Hamilton County History:

Page iii

PREFACE

OUR history of Gallatin, Saline, Hamilton, Franklin and Williamson Counties, after months of persistent, conscientious labor, is now completed. Every important field of research has been minutely scanned by those involved in its preparation, and no subject of universal public value has been omitted save when protracted effort failed to secure trustworthy results. The impossibility of ingrafting upon the pages of this volume the vast fund of the counties' historic information, and the proper omission of many valueless details have compelled the publisliers to select such matter as are deemed of the greatest importance. Fully aware of our inability to furnish a perfect history from meagre public documents, inaccurate private correspondences, and numberless conflicting traditions. We make no pretention of having prepared a work devoid of blemish. Through the courtesy and generous assistance met with everywhere, we have been enabled to rescue from oblivion the greater portion of important events that have transpired in past years. We feel assured that all thoughtful people in the counties, at present and in the future, will recognize and appreciate the importance of the undertaking and the great public benefit that has been accomplished.

It will be observed that a dry statement of fact has been avoided, and that the rich romance of border incident has been woven with statistical details, thus forming an attractive and graphic narrative, and lending beauty to the mechanical execution of the volume and additional value to it as a work for perusal. We claim superior excellence in the systematic manner of collecting material by workers in specialties, in the subdivision into topics, and in the ample and comprehensive index. We also, with pride, call the attention of the public to the superb mechanical execution of the volume. While we acknowledge the existence of unavoidable errors, we have prepared a work fully up to the standard of our promises, and as accurate and comprehensive as could be expected under the circumstances.

THE PUBLISHERS.

July, 1887