The opening of Preface
In the preparation and compilation of this history, no effort has been made to interpret the logic or spirit of events that surrounded the birth and progress of Atchison county. The work was undertaken with the idea of compiling a narrative plainly told, of the people and the institutions here. I was interested in putting in permanent form chronologically the events that have transpired in the past sixty years, that have made for the political, social, moral and commercial development of the county, but, had I realized in advance the many hours of labor and patient study it required, the work of completing the task in six months would not have been attempted. I am very deeply conscious of the imperfections of the completed work, but had there been more time for research and study, much might have been included that does not appear.