Jane DeForest Shelton (1843-1914) was one of six children of Edward Nelson Shelton and Mary Jane DeForest; the town of Shelton, Connecticut is named for her father, an active industrialist and developer in the 19th century. She wrote articles for the "Magazine of American History" and "Harper’s Monthly," earning a solid reputation as a local and national historian. "The Salt-Box House" is her best known work, first published in 1900. The story of the book is an account of the Shelton family of Derby, Connecticut and neighboring towns from colonial times through the early 19th century. She based her work on family papers and stories passed down to her, to portray an historically accurate account of life in and beyond the colonial period of New England. Given her nearness to the time and spirit of that period, and her sympathy and love for the people she wrote about, reading this book today provides us with a rich and vivid sense of a long distant time in our history. This edition includes an introduction by Bill Hosley, Director of the New Haven Museum and Historical Society that helps place the book in a context meaningful for any contemporary reader interested in American history.
