Contributions to The Early History of the Presbyterian Church in Indiana

Like many other church histories, this volume seems to be mostly made up of biographical sketches of ministers. However, these are enlivened by extended quotes from journals and letters, and by the author's determination to describe the communities and frontier environment in which these ministers lived and worked. He wrote in the Preface about them that, "The study took me into an unknown land. I was surprised at every step. Courage, self-sacrifice, piety, were to be expected; but I found besides a beautiful social life, uncommon learning, undoubted genius for affairs, and gifts of utterance in every way memorable."