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PREFATORY NOTE.

In laying before our patrons the history of Preble county, the publishers wish not only to return thanks to all who have given them encouragement in their undertaking and assistance in carrying out their plans, but to make especial acknowledgment of services afforded, and courtesies extended by many citizens of Eaton and of the various townships of the county. Some measure of assistance in collecting and compiling the materials which compose this volume, it is safe to say, has been received from, at least, a thousand persons. Fully that number of people have been interviewed by our historians and note-collectors. While we wish all to feel themselves the recipients of our gratitude, we desire also to address our thanks personally to a few individuals who have been qualified and enabled, through the possession of, or ability to secure information upon, certain single topics, to lend the members of our writing corps invaluable aid. To the clergy generally, the editors of the several newspapers and the always painstaking and obliging county officials we extend our sincerest thanks for many favors received. Among individuals we feel it our duty even at the risk of being invidious, to mention gratefully as those from whom important assistance has been secured, Thomas J. Larsh, esq., Judge John V. Campbell, Levin T. McCabe, Judge Curry, S. H. Hubbell, R. G. D. McKemy, Jacob Chambers, Alfred Demy, C. W. Moore, Frank Mitchell, Dr. F. M. Michael and Robert W. Quinn, esq., all of Eaton, as well as Col. George D. Hendricks and Joseph D. Tracey, late of the same place, and that old-time and always esteemed citizen of Eaton, now and for many years a resident of Indianapolis—Mr. George Bruce. To the late Dr. W. H. H. B. Minor, whose death has occurred since the inception of this work, we have been largely indebted for facts in connection with the history of Eaton.

We also tender expression of our obligation to Messrs David Barnett, Clinton Chadwick, George Jones, John H. Ross, J. A. Huffman and O. P. Brown, of Somers township; to Abraham Halderman, the Rev. H. M. Herman, Mrs. Abraham Black, James Campbell and Oscar Sheppard, of Lanier; to John Rape and Nathaniel Benjamin, of Twin; to Richard Morrow, sr., and Ebenezer Paddock, of Jackson; to James Elliott, Jesse Simonson, James B. Gentle and A. R. Conger, of Dixon; to James Ireland and S. W. Richey, of Jefferson; to John Ramsey, of Israel; to John Chrisman, Jesse Stubbs, Christian Sayler and John Maddock, of Gratis; to Henry Shidler, of Gasper; Abdiel Etzler, Henry Surface, Benjamin Aikman and Dr. Miller, of Harrison; Esquire Shurley, Peter Disher, John Juday and William G. Smith, of Monroe.

Credit is given to the following published works which have largely been made use of: Henry Howe's "Historical Collections of Ohio;" Judge Dillon's "History of Indiana;" Drake's "Indian Biography;" James R. Albach's "Annals of the West;" Squier and Davis' "Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley;" the "Centennial Address" by the late Judge Abner Haines; the "Ohio Geological Report ;" "Ohio Railway Commissioners Report for 1874;" the reports of the several secretaries of State; Gazetteers of Ohio; United States census; the "Biographical Cyclopedia of Ohio" and the files of the Eaton Register and Democrat.

The publishers feel, in placing this work before the public, that they have faithfully fulfilled all pledges which they made at the outset, and that they have produced a history of Preble county which will be found both valuable and reliable. Certainly no pains have been spared to make it all that it should be. We believe that it preserves from oblivion, in appropriate form, the essential facts in the history of the territory of which it treats.

The task of collecting, from a thousand sources, the history of a county like old Preble is always an onerous one, and has here been increased by the fact that only a modicum of the annals of early years has been handed down through the medium of the types by those who were best qualified to do that service for posterity and the historian. But on this account additional care has been taken, not only to harvest, but to glean the field; and that it has been done, despite the difficulty, carefully, conscientiously and with due regard for the dignity of the work, we have no hesitancy in saying. That a work which chronicles ten thousand facts and contains twice

ten thousand names should be absolutely free from error no one has a right to expect; and we do not claim for the History of Preble County the attainment of such perfection; but that it is free from serious error of statement we have reason to know.

The, publishers, in addition to the history proper, have grven a valuable history of the State of Ohio, embracing over one hundred pages of the book. They believe the purchaser of this volume will appreciate this act, which was done without promise to a single subscriber.

The volume is placed before the public in the confident belief that it will stand the test of candid criticism.

CONTENTS.

HISTORICAL,

.

BIOGRAPHICAL,

GONTENTS.

ILLUSTRATIONS,