These volumes usually contain chapters on the natural history of the county, early settlements, descriptions of towns, townships and local institutions and biographies of some of the inhabitants. The biographies included in the local histories are typically limited to people who paid to be included. Local histories are useful for several reasons. First, the biographies often include information on the parents and origins of the featured person. Third, local histories are an easy way to look up information about the community, such as the existence of orphanages, newspapers, churches, hospitals, cemeteries, and businesses.
Local histories vary a lot in the amount and type of information they provide.