SHERMANVILLE ILLINOIS
Gold Member
- May 22, 2005
- 7,205
- 60
- Primary Interest:
- Other
Could help in research. 
ABOUT GOODSPEED'S
The Goodspeed Publishing Company of Chicago sold
and published, in that order, county, regional and state
histories throughout the south. The Goodspeed salesman
had arrived in Giles County between late 1885 and early
1886, by which time he had begun his "interviews" of
local residents and government officials for what are today
known as "vanity books." In return for a "subscription"
(probably $5.00), the salesman took biographical family
histories for a promised book. Because these biographies
were usually autobiographical, the biographical accounts of
ancestors were occasionally more fact than fiction whereas
the history section for each county was generally factual.
Researchers are, as always, encouraged to verify all "facts"
in the Goodspeed biographies against applicable extant records.
Just Google "GOODSPEED'S "
all have a good un......
SHERMANVILLE
ABOUT GOODSPEED'S
The Goodspeed Publishing Company of Chicago sold
and published, in that order, county, regional and state
histories throughout the south. The Goodspeed salesman
had arrived in Giles County between late 1885 and early
1886, by which time he had begun his "interviews" of
local residents and government officials for what are today
known as "vanity books." In return for a "subscription"
(probably $5.00), the salesman took biographical family
histories for a promised book. Because these biographies
were usually autobiographical, the biographical accounts of
ancestors were occasionally more fact than fiction whereas
the history section for each county was generally factual.
Researchers are, as always, encouraged to verify all "facts"
in the Goodspeed biographies against applicable extant records.
Just Google "GOODSPEED'S "
all have a good un......
SHERMANVILLE
