The title describes this work quite well. It opens with a sixty-page outline history of the state from aboriginal times down to the date of publication, while the balance consists of brief histories of all the counties and towns as of 1845. Early settlers and prominent citizens are frequently mentioned. The illustrations are mostly village scenes, old homes, etc., but a few are maps of Revolutionary War battles. A new index to names of people and places has been added which makes the work much more useful as a reference.