Unlike most migrants within the United States who moved in groups, the forebears of Robert H. Stoddard decided individually to venture to new land in the Midwest. Fortunately, several of them wrote letters, diaries, and journals that were preserved. From these, readers can discern the influences of the time period. Stoddard explores the factors and motivations that caused particular individuals to migrate from their homes in the eastern United States and ultimately settle in Nebraska, resulting in the juxtaposition of their lives.