Uncle Jim is a composite character based on people, their personalities, actions, and adventures in Wayne County, Tennessee, especially in the town of Clifton. I mainly knew these people during my childhood or when I was a young adult. Most of the Uncle Jim stories have some semblance of truth, some more than others, of course, but very few of the stories are totally fictional. If asked what these stories are about, I would mention the love of the outdoors as shown by Corey Ford, the feeling of being lost as reflected in the Nick Adams stories by Ernest Hemingway, and the ironic humor found in the writings of Mark Twain and O. Henry. But, as the reader will discover, regardless of the influences, Uncle Jim is his own man. These stories were originally published in the WAYNE COUNTY NEWS and CLIFTON LEDGER (defunct since 1980). A special “thank you” is extended to the Gillham Foundation.

In the most comprehensive biographical study of John Purdue (c. 1802-1876) to date, Purdue's great-great-grandniece describes her travels to the diverse places where Purdue had lived in order to learn about the mysterious relative known in her family as Uncle. Using fresh, unpublished source materials-including Purdue's personal correspondence, business ledgers, and the family oral histories-the author examines Purdue's beginning among illiterate, immigrant, Pennsylvania mountain-hollow folks. Uncle challenges a commonly held belief that Purdue was a cold-hearted business mogul. Instead the author shows Purdue as a human being and as a generous family man with a visionary nature.

Grandparents are story tellers. Early-day lessons are learned while listening in their laps . . . in the rocking chairs . . . by the winter fireplaces . . . on the summer porches. These pages just pass on some tales my grandparents, uncles, aunts, and others of their generation told. And a few of mine. The tales were sent one at a time via e-mail to my children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and friends scattered from Texas to California, Canada, Virginia, and Florida. As the yarns were received and read, the readers responded, provided critical comments, and helped compose a book of remembrances for those yet to come. There may have been some enhancement in the lore and spiel of those who came before me. There might be a wee stretch in some of my contributions. But mostly this is the way it was.