The book briefly delves into "the Great Thumb Fire of 1881," the tragic life of some of the people and "Sporting Characters" of the times, how they lived and how they died. It particularly explores the notorious murders of two people: Nancy Kudles and Andrew Forthoffer. These killings are unsolved to this date. Several other murders and odd or suspicious deaths are also mentioned briefly. It also explores the lives of several characters that became famous, both locally and nationally. Most of the dialogue is, of course, speculative but the facts of the stories are based on actual events and real people.