A little-known account of early colonial life: A well written story of what we call the Midwest was actually the wilderness frontier accompanied with all its fright-full sources of danger.

About the Author: Randall Parrish was an American author, born in Kewanee, Illinois. In 1886, while managing editor of the Grafton (Nebraska) Leader, he entered the Congregational ministry. During the winter of 1902 Parrish resumed newspaper work in Chicago, being first connected with the Associated Press, and later engaged in commercial journalism. The following spring he published his first work of fiction, When Wilderness Was King, which met with great commercial success.

When Wilderness Was King is subtitled, A Tale of Illinois County. It is a romance set during the time of the massacre at Fort Dearborn, a frontier post in 1812 on the site of Chicago. One reader has stated "Very interesting story about the Fort Dearborn Massacre. The basics about the massacre are historically correct. One questions if the addition of the Indiana farm boy saving the girl is an embellishment, or a true story." Very good read. It was hard to put down. One could imagine living in the moment as the story unfolded page by page.