Local histories and antiquarian projects gained momentum in the nineteenth century. They offered opportunities to uncover historical relics and preserve archives; they also enabled reflections on one's place in the world, one that was increasingly mobile and globalised. This work was produced as a guidebook for the 1875 national convention of the Ancient Order of Foresters. Never shy to promote their own, it also includes business advertisements. John Adams' listing as an "export" bookseller catches the temper of the times.
