From the introduction to the book: “For Jefferson County and Madison, history oftens means the town’s Golden Era of the late 1840’s and early 1850’s. Stories, such as the Swedish singer Jenny Lind’s concert at a pork-packing house, have been repeted endlessly. But there are other stories. And there were important men in Madison other than James F. D. Lanier, who becames an admittedly great businessman, although his most prosperous years were after he moved to New York. Average residents did not meet men like Lanier. They were concerned with earning a living, attending church and providing an education to their children. I have covered thses trends, balancing them out wtih the accomplishments (and failures) of the leaders.”

The book includes an index of people and a separate index of “other than people.”