"How important is personal history?
For years, Canadians studied almost exclusively the social and political history of others. Recently, a growing post-Expo pride in ourselves had kindled a desire to study our own history. The emphasis thus far has been on the larger issues: discovery and exploration. colonization and rebellion, Confederation and compromise.
Individuals were important, but only those who had touched larger issues.
So why examine in such detail the founding of one township?
John Robert Colombo recently remarked that Canada is not a land of heroes but a land of common folk. Hence in film, our forte is the documentary, whose subject matter is ordinary people.
And hence, this very Canadian book, which deals with the folk of [Eldon Township].
Our township's past, brief though its 150 years have been, deserves recollecting. It is interesting and exciting. It contains the flaunted deeds of the great and the quiet dreams of the unknown.
It contains us.
Let us not forget ourselves."