On the cusp of wilderness between 1833, when Iowa opened for settlement, and 1840, when the City of Solon was platted, people settled in the area. I seek to understand that time period, and it is hard to find reliable information about the views and culture of those immigrants. There are several later histories — and I want to search them for narratives of this period. What I’m seeking may not exist.

The last couple of weeks, I identified more than a few books that may shed light on the culture of Iowa pioneers. I sort of dread opening it, but George F. Parker’s two volume Iowa Pioneer Foundations may be where I start. I say “dread” because the books have been sitting on my shelf unopened for longer than I can remember. State Historical Society publications like these fell out of favor at an undetermined point where society moved on. It is a historians job to open these dusty old volumes and read them.

The Ely Historical Society has done great work on Fackler’s Grove. A leaflet they produced with the names of people buried in the pioneer cemetery is here: Fackler’s Grove Publication. The Ely Historical Society has a web page about Fackler’s Grove here. In addition, I have 165 emails mentioning the word “Fackler” beginning in January 2013 when I started investigating the cemetery as part of my work on the township board of trustees. I also took a number of photographs there on Feb. 15, 2013. These items are primary sources for anything I write.

This will be a big project, more than a single blog post. I need a formal work plan to stay on track with it.