How does a town remember itself?
In Annals of Richfield, Henry A. Ward gathers the evidence. History, told at street level. Names. Dates. Lives.
Part town annals and chronicle, part american local history book, this volume draws on historical community records to trace the making of a place in 19th century America. Ward records pioneer settlement history alongside the steady rhythms of small-town American history: civic growth, faith and schooling, local enterprise, and the turning points that shaped neighbours into a community. The narrative is grounded in family genealogy references and detailed notices that bring community events and biographies into sharp relief, equally inviting for the curious browser and practical for researchers. Read it through and you feel how shared memory is made; open it anywhere and it becomes a working guide to local identity. It is, in effect, the complete annals of Richfield.
For genealogists and local historians, it works as a local history reference collection, standing comfortably beside county histories and gazetteers as a dependable guide to people and place. For collectors of classic Americana, its value lies in the genre itself: the municipal annal, where history survives in documented particulars. Such historical community records are foundational for family genealogy references, linking generations to place and giving modern readers a clear sense of belonging. Republished by Alpha Editions in a careful modern edition, this volume preserves the spirit of the original while making it effortless to enjoy today - a heritage title prepared for readers and collectors alike.
