County histories were created at different times in history, originally during the time of Grant's presidency to commemorate the country's centennial and to bring people together after the Civil War. Publishing dates included the 1880s, late 1890s and 1912-1920. You should also conduct searches for village and town histories at the time of their centennials.
Publishing companies in larger cities sent representatives into the countryside to interview (mainly) farmers. They were charged a fee to be in the book, another to have a photograph included and one more charge if they wished to purchase the history.
Residents were asked about their family history back to the original settler in the county. The biographies also included information about siblings and children. These histories are a wonderful resource, particularly in providing maiden names of the women in the family.
Search Internet Archive, FamilySearch books, USGenWeb, the FamilySearch Wiki or just Google "Online County Histories."
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