Delaware County NY Genealogy and History Site

Here is the complete review of Munsell's history taken from the Delaware Republican newspaper when the book was first published in 1880. As you can see, it is a glowing review, which is a mixed blessing. On the minus side, researchers may be tempted to rely too heavily on the book, without adequately checking other sources. But on the plus side, the many people who have worked so hard getting the book onto the web site will I hope feel rewarded to learn that the book was so well received, by one reviewer anyway, at publication. - Jeff Golden, January 3, 2000

From the Delaware Republican newspaper, May 15, 1880, p. 3:

This long expected work, from the publishing house of W.W. Munsell & Co., is at last out, and we take pleasure in giving the readers of the Republican our opinion of the book a few days in advance of its delivery. A copy was shown us this week, and we are agreeably surprised to find, on personal examination, that the publishers have produced a volume most emphatically superior to their own representations of what they would do.

It is a magnificent volume of 360 pages of print, exclusive of the engravings, put up in a substantial and handsome binding, which will make it welcome to a place as a fine specimen of the publisher's art. The paper is such as is used in the most expensive books, and the letter press work is equally good.

Not much need be said of the subject matter of the work. It is all it claims to be-a history of the county. It was written largely by people who have lived in the periods of which they write, and as the result it is as full and accurate as the most sanguine could expect.

The State history, which serves as an introduction to the work, is a well-arranged summary of the principal events concerning New York since the discovery of the country. The general history of the county, which occupies nineteen chapters, treats of the events concerning the county at large, and then follows the town and village histories in alphabetical order, each subdivided under appropriate titles, and all carefully indexed.

Delhi has a space in keeping with its importance as the capital of the county, and is carefully and thoroughly written.

The numerous illustrations are well made, showing public and private buildings in every part of the county, while the admirable portraits of such men as Judge Murray, Senator Graham, Gen. Jacobs, W. Youmans, Sheriff Clark and other county officers, the late Judge Keeler, Gen. E. Root, Hon. S. Gordon, Hon. A. Douglas, Dr. Allaben, D. Ballantine, R. Morse, and others, give to the work a value to posterity which can not be over-estimated.

The publishers have made a great mistake in printing only the limited number of copies ordered, for a generation is yet to be born which will prize this work more highly than we, and there are scores of people who will surely regret that they are not subscribers to the work when they see how well Messrs. Munsell & Co. have kept their promises with all of us who are.