Editor William T. Coggeshall (1824-1867) was a journalist and publisher, and editor of The Genius of the West, a literary magazine in Cincinnati. He served as State Librarian of Ohio from 1856 to 1862.

The editor wrote in his Preface that it was his intention to include in the collection every person “…legitimately belonging to the West, who has gained recognition as a writer of reputable verse.” It contains selections, with biographical notices, from the writings of 97 men and 55 women. 60 were residents of Ohio, 23 of Indiana, 14 of Kentucky, 13 of Illinois, 5 of Michigan and 4 of Wisconsin. Not more than 10 of these poets pursued literature as a profession. The volume contains poems from about 1815 to the early 1860s.

The book is very substantial in size and the biographies are sometimes surprisingly detailed. Entries are in chronological order, and the first ones contain valuable background detail about the early literary life of Cincinnati.