Letters to the Editor: Two Hundred Years in the Life of an American Town

Doesn't matter where you live, people are the same wherever you go.

I picked this book up while on vacation, and wanted to see what other people thought of it as well. This is an amazing portrait of a community. This reminds me so much of the community where I grew up that I can't imagine others won't find the same where ever they may live. The stories, the people and the history are so real and vivid I feel as though I lived through all this myself. Bravo !

I live in this area (the area the book comes from), but it was full of surprises. Who would imagine that simple history could be so rich. Some chapters had me laughing aloud, others -- especially the one "Citizen Abroad" -- actually made me cry. Looking back through this "people's history," it is amazing how much technology changes, and how little humans do. A great book.

Jerry, et al, you've done a great job of recreating the history of a community from those collected lines. I found the letters much like many I have from my own family archives. When I read the letters from the various periods, I was struck by how the writing style reflected each era. Thank you for taking the time to collect, edit and reprint this picture of life. I am so happy that you obliged those who recommended your pursuit. It is amazing how one town's history could be replicated in many towns, not only in the river valleys of Pennsylvania , but in Anytown, USA.