The New England farming community of Fullertown may have a hard scrabble past, but it was never in short supply of reasons to smile. And no one captured the humor and heart in quite the way Harry H. Brown did, a farmer and folklorist who penned the popular story collection, Stories of Yesteryear–Horse and Buggy Days . One of the last of the swamp Yankee storytellers, Brown breathes new life into the now long gone day-to-day world of Pilgrim descendants at the turn of the twentieth century. With wit, warmth, and whimsy, this compilation of fifty-three stories and forty-five illustrations charts the town from its early settlers in the 1600s to the horse-and-buggy days of the early 1900s. Along the way, Brown paints a convivial, authentic portrait of the early settlers as they came together to create the American spirit. It’s an Americana nostalgia trip populated with Indians, gypsies, farmers, tramps, and even living ghosts. Anyone craving some good, droll fun will savor every one of these short and sweet stories. They are perfect for a family read-aloud or a quick bedtime chuckle. A reissued debut book presents a set of vignettes on life in rural Massachusetts. “Most of the stories are true. Many, I experienced. Others are ones passed on by friends, neighbors and relatives,” writes Brown in the Preface of his collection, first published in 1982. (The author, born in 1907, died at 102.) These are folk tales in the truest sense of the word; they tell the reader not only funny or intriguing happenings, but also the everyday events of bygone years: how people went about their business and why. The stories range in time from the early colonial days of the mid-1600s to the early 1900s, sketching out the evolution of the close-knit community of what became Fullertown, Massachusetts. The opener, “Wolf Rock,” tells of the first recorded settler of the area, John Tomson, and his perilous trip through a wild forest. “Luke Short” is the sketch of a remarkable early settler, who “lived through the reign of eight British monarchs,” served in Britain’s colonial army in India, sailed across the ocean, and eventually made his way to the New World. The relationship between the native population and the settlers is explored in “The Indian Watchman,” and an influx of Acadian immigrants brings some changes to the community in “Halifax French Gardens.” On the lighter side are fishing tales like “Uncle Gus Loses His Fish,” which delivers a pretty surprising twist, and an entertaining yarn about early dentistry—“Farmer Brown Goes to the Dentist.” “Fresh Meadow Hay” and “The Gypsy Moth Hunters” aren’t so much stories as reports on how hay was harvested or the way the town dealt with moth infestations. And there are tales of communal joy, such as “The Day the Gypsies Came to Town.” A matter-of-fact storyteller, Brown pays special attention to the details and minutiae of daily life, making these vignettes uncommonly informative and in-depth, even if they barely run over one or two pages. Many of the offerings display a deft comedic touch, and ironic endings abound. The effect is something like talking to an old relative about the past and listening to someone who is instantly familiar and extensively knowledgeable. New England residents and lovers of the region’s history should find a treasure trove in this collection. Harry H. Brown was a historian, author, farmer, youth leader, dowser, and community volunteer who lived to be 102 years old. He was born and raised in Halifax, Massachusetts. The author was a founding member of the Halifax Boy Scout Troop and Halifax Boys Baseball League. He was also a Grange Master and member of the Farmers Club and the Halifax Historical Society. Professionally, he was a chauffeur for more than forty years. Noted for telling folk stories, Brown wrote and illustrated Stories of Yesteryear-Horse and Buggy Days , which was reluctantly abetted by his wife of sixty-two years, Mildred B. Brown.