The Portland daily press., 1879-02-13
An Illustrated History of Cumberland
County.

monuments serve to emphasize certain
events, or to keep in recollection the excellen-
cies of those who were very dear to their
friends, or wrought good for the race. Origin
al letters and manuscripts of the departed pre-
serve, In frail but interesting form, ideas of the
authors in the very handwriting in which those
ideas were first EXPRESSED. To the printing
press we owe the power Of fixing for all time,
and with certainty, the facts of the past. When
these facts, happening within given locality,
are collected and placed in logical, readable,
and accessible form, then history is born, and
thenceforth she stands out forever as the
grand, imperishable and Interchangeable witness
of the events of time.
There is no country one hundred years old
but that has history, not only interesting but
worth recording. In this land, 30 rapid are the
changes that are constantly occurring, that
history can with difficulty keep up with her
duty of recording the facts of life, as they fol-
low from day to day, and from hour to hour.
But tits in the beginnings Of history that the
most difficulty is always experienced. In this
country our ancestors were so much occupied
In supplying their daily wants that they did
not, in all cases, preserve the most ample rec
ords of their doDgs. For this reason it is not
always easy to explain satisfactorily the incep-
ton of the settlement Of any given locality.
But let this work b. once we'll done, and it is
done forever, and thenceforth all that is requr-
ed is that files of newspapers and town and
family and public records shall be carefully
preserved.
sit will doubtless be gratifying to many Of
our readers to know that certain gentlemen
have in contemplation the preparation of a
History of Cumberland County, provided sufi-
Gent encouragement is obtained for the prose-
cution Of tho work. The plan will embrace a
description of the general historical events per-
tanning to the territory embraced within the
limits of this bailiwck, from the earliest time
to the present.; also geographical, Topographic
cal, and geological data, with descriptions Of
streams, lakes, mountains, roads, and points of
especial interest. There will also be given as
full lists as can be Obtained of those in this
county who took part in the Revolutionary
war, in the war of 1872, and in the civil war of
186l-1865 10 addition to this, the work will
embrace lists of county officials and correct
statement of the organization of the county gov
eminent.
IneH VIII IoltoW thorough ACCOUNT OF
every town in the county, with local events of
Importance pertaining to each, and lists of town
officers. These town histories will b, made es-
pecially entertaining by the careful manner in
which points of interest will be elncid ated, and
by the presentation of sketches of the lives of
men prominent 10 connection With the pros
perity of particular towns.
"The work, toe, will contain pictures of emf
nent men, views of houses. manufacturing es-
adjustments, public buildings and places of
historic interest Any one can sec that work
carried out on the plan designate cannot fail
to be valuable and interesting. Its classified
ton is to be such as to reu6er reference to its
pages easy, and the mass of Information which
it will contain cannot but render it great de-
sideratum for every intelligent man ia the
county. In shape, the work, If prepared and
published, will be in quarto form, and will
probably contain from 400 to 500 large pages,
exclusive Of maps and pictures, equal to about
1000 ordinary octave pages.