A lifelong resident of Jonesborough, the author was official historian of Washington County and a prime mover in the Historic Jonesborough restoration program. Beginning this volume with a chapter entitled "Prehistory", he goes on to chronicle the Indian troubles and other hardships suffered by those settling the frontier, their early government, development of trade and commerce, travel and the coming of the railroad, growth of churches and religion, as well as education and publications, finally recording several pages of leftover bits of information under "Miscellany".
His history of the oldest town in Tennessee was written in 1972, with financial aid through a Federal grant, and covers approximately the same period then under study for Jonesborough's preservation and restoration plans. In this Second Edition the original text remains intact, but more than one hundred photographs have been added along with a complete index.
A strong supporter and willing advocate of Jonesborough's unique place in history, Mr. Fink hoped to give the reader a greater understanding of the daily lives of early inhabitants and the forces that motivated their actions.
