Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1902-07-16
HISTORY OF MOsoNGALIA.
A Work Now in Hand and Soon to be
Published.


A history of Monongalia County
will be given to the public in the near
future, coming from the press OF the
Acme Publishing Company OF Morgan
town, and written by Hu Maxwell
OF this city. Work on the new book
has been IN progress for some months,
and now the collection OF the family
history has commenced and Will be
pushed until completed sometime
next fall. 1t is expected that the
work will come from the press about
the close Of the year, and 1t will be a
book Of several hundred pages, illus
trated with pictures, maps and por-
traits. Much labor and expense are
required to prepare and publish a book
of this kind, and it cannot be done
too rapidly, or its accuracy would
suffer. In local history one of the
principal objects is the attainment of
accuracy. Mr.. Maxwell has already
written, wholly or in part, four coun-
ty histories and history of West
Virginia. The last named is used as
text book in the public schools and
has been pronounced by competent
critics as most excellent and accur-
ate work. His county histories have
been, Tucker, Hampshire. Randolph
and Barbour All of these have been
put in the list of supplementary read
ing for the schools, by the state super
intendent. This is high endorse
ment of their OF their excellence and
value.
The forthcoming history of Monon-
gala County ought TO surpass those
that have gone before. not only be-
cause experience tends toward perfec-
| tion, but because this county has the
| field for historical research of all the
counties of the state Itonee cover
ed nearly one third Of the present
state of West Virginia, and the found
alton for wide range of history was
laid within its borders.
Except Wiley's history of Monon'
gala County, published nearly gen.
GRAFTON ago, and long since out OF
print, was the only work worthy the
name of history this county has ever
had. That work had serious defects,
not in contents, but in arrangement.
There have been two or three books
published that were only biographical
| sketches, and in no way worthy to be
called history. The field is open for
a good history, and this one will nc
doubt be all it promises. The com
pany which is getting it out could
! F0A a fn h II fhinn hpf
the best, nor is there any reason why
it should be anything but the best.
The Acme Publishing Company has
already brought out two county his
| tories-Randolph and Barbour, and
has done its work well. This book
will be similar in all respects TO these
county histories, so far as pressworb
and binding go. The arrangement
of the subject matter will also be the
same. This arrangement was first
used by Mr.. Maxwell, and has beer
found the best for county history
where SO many details, and of so many
kinds, are combined in one volume
The book is made up of three parts
one of which treats exclusively o.
family history, another deals with
county affairs and industrial develop
ment. and another takes up such his
tory as relates to the county only iT
connection with the surrounding ie
gion. Two Of these parts are now
practically complete, and the chic
work for the next few months will
consist in collecting family history
Experienced men are now in the field
going from neigh borhood to neighbor.
hood and from house to house &c col
lect data for this part Of the book
which, in many respects, is the mos
important part.
Much labor and expense are required
to bring out work like this, and il
can be made successful only by the
hearty cooperation of the people o
the county who can appreciate al
honest, careful, well-written histor,
Of the county.