L. P. Powell has gathered and edited two volumes entitled _Historic Towns of the Middle States_, and _Historic Towns of the Western States_. Seven suggestive books are: Parker’s _Rochester, A Story Historical_, and H. O’Reilly’s _Sketches of Rochester_; _The Niagara Book_, by W. D. Howells, N. S. Shaler, and others, and F. H. Severance’s _Old Trails on the Niagara Frontier_; Urann’s _Centennial History of Cleveland_; W. P. Strickland’s _Old Mackinaw_, 1860; and A. T. Andreas’ _History of Chicago_ (3 vols.). The Buffalo Historical Collections have much material about the Erie Canal, as has W. W. Campbell’s _Life and Writings of De Witt Clinton_. J. L. Barton’s _Commerce of the Lakes and the Erie Canal_, William Norris’ _Map of the Railroads and Canals in the United States and Canada, August, 1834_, _Early Chicago Railroads, 1838_, and W. K. Ackerman’s _Early Illinois Railroads_, in _Fergus Historical Series_, No. 23, pp. 3–62, and a little book, _Instructions for Running Railroads_, 1862, are all good for the years of rapid development about the lakes. Two other books on railroads should be included: F. H. Spearman’s _The Strategy of Great Railroads_ and Mott’s _Between Ocean and Lakes_. There are two contemporary lives of Stephen A. Douglas, one by J. W. Sheahan, published in 1860 for campaign purposes, and another, _The Life and Speeches of Stephen A. Douglas_, by a “Member of the Western Bar.” Allen Johnson has recently brought out a valuable life of this Illinois statesman. Nicolay and Hay’s _Abraham Lincoln, A History_ (10 vols.) is the standard work on Lincoln. J. W. Headley has written on _Confederate Operations in Canada and New York_, giving an intimate account of events in which he played an active part. F. J. Turner is the authority on the fur trade, which he has described in _The Character and Influence of the Indian Trade in Wisconsin_, Johns Hopkins Studies, Vol. IX. _Gazetteers and Travels_ In the numerous guide-books and records of travellers of the past one hundred and twenty-five years is written most vividly the story of the Great Lakes. Each one of those we mention contributes something to the account of the region.