Begun as a senior term paper by the compiler in 1979 and drawing on local records, interviews, and newspaper accounts, this work describes the settlement and history of East Chain, Minnesota from the 1850s to the present.

This book answers the question, "Why is there a 'North Star Cemetery' out on this lonely church road?" Turns out, the road wasn't always so lonely. North Star was one of the many "church, store, and creamery" hamlets dotting southern Minnesota in the late 1800s. The area's potential as a town-site, the factors that thwarted its growth, and the reasons the site was ultimately abandoned are covered in depth. Detailed information is provided on the establishment,...