8.2.15 pitr/00000001.history

While testing an 8.2.15 pitr procedure I see this postmaster log entry on startup of the
recovered cluster:

2010-03-24 12:38:36.357 EDT,,3,,, LOG: restore_command = "cp /home/postgresql/fms/wals/%f %p"
cp: cannot stat `/home/postgresql/fms/wals/00000001.history': No such file or directory

pg goes on to restore from other wal segments, but I wonder if someone could explain
the significance of this history file? Should I have such a file?

Also, are there objects I can query to check the current cluster status compared to the
beginning of the recovery for such things as next transaction ID, next OID, checkpoint record,
and redo record?

2010-03-24 12:38:36.438 EDT,,6,,, LOG: checkpoint record is at 28/D9000020
2010-03-24 12:38:36.438 EDT,,7,,, LOG: redo record is at 28/D9000020; undo record is at 0/0; shutdown FALSE
2010-03-24 12:38:36.438 EDT,,8,,, LOG: next transaction ID: 0/9160987; next OID: 16874

Thanks.