Book excerpt: Excerpt from A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of Elkhart County, Indiana That \mericans are becoming aware of the fact that they have a historv is a matter of frequent observation and remark among writers and men of afl'airs generally. It was one of the changes in American thought considered worthv of especial note hv Hon. James llrvce, on his recent visit to this country after an absence of twentv-iive vears. This keen student of American institutions thus expresses the result of his observation: Reverence for the past and a desire to maintain every sort of connection with it is a strong and growing force among educated people. L'ttrtlierinore, this is one of the hopeful signs of the times. Well it is, for the nation as for the individual. When its career is anchored at both ends. Is descended from a sturdy and virile ancestry and looks forward to a not less worthv posterity. Rejoices both in the memories of a splendid past and in the hopes of a brilliant future. Such a nation or individual holds true in the course of best ideals and en deavors. Is in the line of progress of the greater destiny. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.