Some years ago, a half a dozen probably, a few of the old timers met by appointment to discuss the desirability of collecting and reducing to some form of permanent record, the, fast fading scenes and incidents of the early days of this community. It was agreed that it ought to be done and then and there a committee was named to get the work under way. Each member of that committee was imbued with a personal ardor to push the work thus planned and they parted that night assuring each other that each would take up his or her share of it "in the morning," and keep it in hand until finished. Yet -- such is the uncertainty of human proposals -- that committee never met again as a body, nor communicated with each other as individuals, regarding the progress of the great work to which they had pledged their best endeavors. I had been selected as the historian and was clearly the person most to blame. And so it, came about that when business cares and responsibilities were lifted from my shoulders, the sense of this obligation became more insistent and finally led to the compiling and publication of these "Recollections."' At the inception of the original plan there was no thought of "getting into print" and consequently no thought of illustrations but once it was decided to put the story between covers the matter of illustration became an essential feature, and this principally because Mr. L. A. Huffman -- himself one of the original committee -- had in his possession an abundance of material for this work; "shots" snapped on the spot and at the time written of, having an intrinsic merit that cannot attach to "fake" pictures, no matter how skillfully posed. Thus the story told in the text is illustrated by pictures practically "taken on the spot."

And so, this book and its pictures, is in a way the accomplishment of the task undertaken by the committee of long ago, and while it appeals almost entirely to the sentimental side of the old-timers, it is hoped that it will prove to be of interest to those who will in time become "old-timers" and who will feel the same pride in "Old Milestown" that its founders now have.

April, 1918. S. G.

Part I: Story of Main Street >>