Table of Contents Title Page & Preface Table of Contents Chapter I, 1855 - 1856
Part 1 -- The Parson's Vacation || Land Speculation || Getting the Land || Planning the City
Part 2 -- A Journey West || Trials and Labors || Trying to Farm || Building a School-house
Part 3 -- A Thunder Storm || New Arrivals || Discouragements || Surveying the Land || Colonists Scattered || Prairie Fires Chapter II, 1856 - 1857
Part 1 -- Building Saw-Mills || An Anti-Slavery Recruit
Part 2 -- The Great Snow-Storm || Mr. Turner's Visit || Wintering at the Mill
Part 3 -- An Odd Accident || A Pioneer Cabin || Lo! Spring Approaches || Spring Doings || Laying Out the Town Chapter III, 1857
Part 1 -- Re-inforcements || An Attempted Rivalry || Settling the Town || A Maiden from Boston
Part 2 -- Getting Married || New Colonists
Part 3 -- Home Making || July 4th, 1857 || Nichols, Jones and Fales || 1857 Farming || Harris and Stephenson Get Farms || A Blue Streak || The Mill Property
Part 4 -- Religious Meetings || Early County Roads || Turner and Smith in Nevin || Passing of the Mill || Digging of Wells || Hotel and Store
Part 5 -- M. J. Hazeltine || Richard Sells to Alvin || First Bridge || A Matron from Boston || A Sudden Death || Thanksgiving, 1857 || New England House Occupied || Underground Railroad || Cemetery and College Lots || Kenada Timber Chapter IV, 1858
Part 1 -- The Fuel Question || Colony Township Organized || A Surprise Party || Amasa Child || Early Births || The Harlows
Part 2 -- The Chamberlains || Coming of the Jewetts || Mr. Turner's Steamboat || A Lawsuit || Religious Meetings Resumed || First School in Nevin || Rev. N. Harris's Visit || White-Mason
Part 3 -- Hoskins Family || Nevinville Postoffice || Ten New Comers || Independence Day || A License to Marry || The Beaths
Part 4 -- Uncle Mack || "Sir" Richard || The Congregational Church || The Harris's || Carl and Hebron || An Honest Dutchman || First Fair at Quincy
Part 5 -- Mr. Lawrence's Whale || Farming and Crops in 1858 || First Bricks || Job and Ruth || The Party at Atkin's and Pratt's-A Poem || Stray Items Chapter V, 1859 and Later
Part 1 -- Literary Societies || Mrs. Norman's Letter || Grant and Sawyer || Dr. Taylor
Part 2 -- The Deacon's Sheep || Alexander || Crops in 1859 || Church Conference || The Fair of 1859 || The Southalls
Part 3 -- Three Whipple Brothers || The Spragues || Atkins Brothers || Contrabands || The Buell Family || The John Bixbys
Part 4 -- Austin-Ballou || Jewett-Bugbee || Stephenson-Color-line || The Ellis Family || The Great Tornado || A Bovine Ride
Part 5 -- A Trip to Grand River || A Mistake in Horses || A Whisky Peddler's Escape || To Des Moines in Winter
Part 6 -- Militia || Passing of the New England House || Old Settlers Association || Nevin Soldier Boys || Methodist-Brazee Meetings || The Dickinson Revival
Part 7 -- Church Buildings and Parsonages || Ordinations || Some Ministers || Streets and Landmarks || Nevin-Nevinville
Part 8 -- Mrs. Chamberlain's Poem || Auld Lang Syne-A Poem | 
