ISHING to adhere to the time-honored but often unnecessary custom of introducing books with a preface, we now proceed to thus formally present the Portrait AND BIOGRAPHICAL ALBUM OF MECOSTA COUNTY, MICHIGAN. We promise, however, that the introduction shall be brief. In reference to the value and importance of biography, of which this work is largely composed, we wish to say a word. It is conceded, not only by the best philosophical writers, but by intelligent practical men the world over, that there is nothing which creates an aspiration so noble and laudable within the heart and mind of the young man who is struggling against adversity, poverty, and an humble position in society, as to read how other men have risen to eminent and honored positions from the self-same lowly walks of life he now occupies. It is a source of great encouragement to them. It is also a duty that each generation owes to the succeeding ones, to record and preserve the personal history of its leading and active men. There is no better way to preserve the history of a nation than in the lives of the men who make such history. Our forefathers were very largely negligent of this duty to posterity. We now only know the names of our ancestors, and often not even so much has been preserved. We know nothing of their lives, long and useful though they were.

In the preparation of the personal sketches contained in this volume, unusual care and pains were taken to have them accurate, even in the smallest detail. Indeed, nothing was passed lightly over or treated indifferently in the entire book, and we flatter ourselves that it is one of the most accurate works of its nature ever published.

In reference to the history of the county, which is very fully treated, we wish to call the attention of the reader to the extraordinarily rapid growth and development of the county since its first settlement. But a few years ago the primeval forest was occupied only by the wild beasts and the Red Man. To-day prosperous cities, busy factories and mills, fine farms, school-houses and churches are to be seen everywhere throughout its borders. Nowhere has the busy activities of our days, the march of progress, the wonderful advance of science and art, contributed more to the rapid and remarkable development of any portion of the Northwest than in the County of Mecosta.

As one of the most interesting features of this work, we present the portraits of numerous representative citizens. It has been our aim to have the prominent men of to-day, as well as the pioneers, represented in this department; and we congratulate ourselves on the uniformly high character of the gentlemen whose portraits we present. They are in the strictest sense representative men, and are selected from all the callings and professions worthy to be represented. There are others, it is true, who claim equal prominence with those presented, but of course it was impossible for us to give portraits of all the leading men and pioneers of the county.

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