Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Niagara County, New York. Editors: Samuel T. Wiley and Winfield Scott Garner. 640 pages. Measures 11 x 9 and 2 1/2 inches thick. Decorative endpages. All edges gilt.

Classic example of a late 19th-century "mug book"—a popular genre of local history and genealogical compendiums designed to chronicle the prominent citizens and frontier growth of regional America.

The book is structured into two main parts, prefaced by an editorial philosophy stating that "history is the synthesis of biography, and biography is the analysis of history."

1. Historical Sketch of the Region

The initial chapters provide an overview of Niagara County's evolution. This includes:
  • Geological Origins: Analysis of the county's 500 square miles of Upper Silurian geological structures and the Niagara Falls region.
  • Early Civilizations: Documentation of archaeological remains along Ridge Road left behind by ancient "Mound-builders."
  • Native American History: The territory and strategy of the Iroquois and Seneca Nations.
  • European Contact & Frontier Conflicts: French exploration (such as René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle building the Griffon ship above Niagara Falls) and the establishment of Fort Niagara. It covers the inter-colonial wars, the French and Indian War, and the transformation of the Niagara frontier into an agricultural powerhouse.
2. Biographical Sketches & Portraits

The vast majority of the volume features hundreds of biographical entries of the "prominent men and leading citizens" of Niagara County during the late 1800s. These profiles generally include:
  • Full ancestral lineages (often tracing families back to New England, Pennsylvania, or European immigrants).
  • Detailed career trajectories in local industries (farming, milling, legal practices, and commerce).
  • Military service records, particularly focusing on veterans of the American Civil War and earlier frontier conflicts.
  • Political affiliations and community achievements.
  • High-quality steel-engraved portrait plates of the county's most affluent or notable figures.
Published 1892 by Gresham Publising Co, Philadelphia. Very good condition. Good cover with some wear. Firm binding and strong hinges and clean text.