Review of
A
Glimpse of Iowa in 1846, by John B. Newhall
Five out of five stars
This book is
exactly as the title implies, a brief look back at Iowa at the point where it
became a state. While there are snippets of historical background, much of it
is laudatory and repetitive, especially as the author goes through county by
county in describing the terrain. There are many instances where there are
phrases like, “For beauty of scenery, extent of cultivation, and fertility of
soil, Van Buren county stands unrivalled; . . .”
Much of the
content consists of listing the facts, such as short city directories of
merchants, churches and local government officials. Although brief and a bit
too subjective, this book is a look into the status of Iowa at a time of major
transition.
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