REPORT FROM EVANSTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY. Capt. J. H. Burnham, Bloomington, Ill. : EVANSTON, Jan. 16, 1904. DEAR SIR-Being unable to attend the meeting of the State Historical society at Bloomington on the 27th, 28th and 29th of January, I will briefly give some account of the Evanston Historical society, which will possibly be of interest to you and the other members. Since our orgainzation some five years ago we have laid the foundation for a collection of historical material, which I will briefly describe. As you know a collection of this kind embraces a great variety of written and printed papers, portraits, views, diplomas, charts, maps, engravings, objects, etc., as well as books on local, State and western history. Our attention was first given to making up written accounts, or sketches of the earlier residents, some of whom are still living. We obtained photograph portraits of many of these, also letters and other writings whenever possible. Those who were no longer living or had moved away were described by their descendants or former neighbors. It was necessary to hasten in this work for every year the survivors were becoming fewer. As the settlement of our region on the shore of the lake north of Chicago, which is our field of work, began in the early 30's; we searched the town and country adjoining far and wide for those who were here at that early time, or in the subsequent decade. We had pictures of them taken, pictures of the pioneer houses, such as remained of them, narratives written at their dictation, describing their journeys and arrival in the new country; their experiences, their mode of life, and many other things of interest. We even made a directory of the names of those who lived here 50 years ago. Our amateur photographers found a fresh field for their efforts and worked with great enthusiasm; our literary people coöperated in writing memoirs; and the old residents and their descendants awakened to the fact that they were objects of interest and found themselves famous. We next turned our attention to gathering information on the physical aspect of the country in the early day and the changes which had taken place since that time. We traced the old roads, boundary lines of Indian treaties, old shore line of the lake (which we found had worn away as much as a quarter of a mile inland at some points); located school houses, roadside taverns, log cabins, (some of which had long since disappeared); took in scriptions from old tombstones; and made written descriptions of them all. We also found a large number of interesting trees-some bent by Indians when they were saplings and made to take strange shapes which they retained after becoming full sized, and so called "Indian trees;" some of immense size and height; and views taken of them and preserved. We also found remains of Indian camping grounds and villages, located an ancient burying ground, and collected flint implements found in the neighborhood. The topography of the region became a most interesting department of study. In two respects our situation is remarkable. First, this region is the southern limit of glacier action in North America, at least in this longitude; and while north of us are the evidences of such action, south of us none exist. Second, our region is on the divide between the waters that flow to the Alantic ocean through the river St. Lawrence on one hand, and those that flow down the Mississippi and the Gulf of Mexico on the other. Maps are in our possession marking the height of land above the sea level at numerous points, so that the height of bluffs, ridges and undulations of land is accurately known. Among the narratives of thrilling interest is that of the steamer "Lady Elgin" lost off our shores in 1860, wrecks of many other ships and steamers, thrilling rescues; and the long tale of life saving through many years by the crew located in the United States life saving station at this point. We have extended our collection of books and pamphlets beyond those on historical subjects, and included the works of all authors who have resided here-now or at any other time. Some have a world-wide reputation, and many are well known in the world of letters. So that we not only have sketches and portraits of a great number but their books as well. This por tion of the collection is now quite incomplete but progress is making, but when one considers that we found the names of 160 authors it will be understood how formidable the task was to collect their works. A part of our work is the dissemination of historical information. To this end we have had some two or three meetings a year to which the public has been invited. At these meetings lectures have been given on some subject appropriate to the work of the society. On one notable occasion a lecture was given and illustrated with lantern slide exhibition, showing portraits of many of the pioneers, the houses they lived in, diagrams of growth, and views of remarkable natural objects. Publication of the results of our work has not yet been undertaken beyond an annual report on two occasions and a pamphlet on the Indians' occupation. The expense has prevented us from doing more than this, but as the newspapers report our meetings in full, and eagerly print our sketches of persons and places with views and portraits reproduced, we have been able to have a great deal of our own manuscript put in print. This outline of our activities might be filled out with much interesting detail, such as methods of preservation and care, system in arrangement of matter, classification and indexing. We desire to tender our best wishes to the Illinois State Historical society, and we hold ourselves always ready to coöperate cordially in their work. Very truly yours, J. SEYMOUR CURRY, Secretary of the Evanston Historical Society. LOUISIANA PURCHASE EXPOSITION REPORT. REPORT OF CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE. To the Officers and Members of the Illinois State Historical Society: The society, at its last meeting held in Springfield in January 1903, requested me to continue to act as chairman of the committee to wait upon the members of the Illinois Commission appointed by the Governor to act for the State in expending its appropriation for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. The directors of this society, at a meeting held in Springfield, June 17th, also requested me to attend a meeting of the commission at St. Louis on the following day. I was present at the St. Louis meeting and also attended another there on the 9th of July. Other members of the committee sent letters to the board urging appropriations for the Illinois building, to be expended for the purposes and objects which had been proposed by the officers of the Illinois State Historical Society. Our plans were approved by the members of the Illinois Commission, who appeared anxious to see portions of the Illinois building decorated or ornamented by busts of the great men and women of this State, historic landscapes, photographs of some of our most important monuments or other objects of historic interest and so forth. But it seemed that the people of the great State of Illinois, represented by various educational, commercial, cattle growing, horticultural and a multitude of other organizations, presented such urgent requests for liberal appropriations, that the commissioners were only able to appropriate $2,000 to be expended by the State Historical society under the direction and control of the commission. This amount is so far below the sum which had been, by our committees, deemed necessary for a fitting exhibit under the auspices of the State Historical society, that, personally, I fear that the public's disappointment at the slenderness of our display would have a worse effect upon our society's good name, than will be felt if we decline to make any attempt to use the appropriation. I have not been able to contrive any plans and specifications to fit the case, and will make no recommendations either for or against the acceptance of this appropriation, In case it is declined, however, I wish to urge that this declension be couched in language that will fittingly explain our kindly appreciation of the efforts made by the commission to treat fairly all of the different interests applying for portions of the State's appropriation towards an exhibit at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. J. H. BURNHAM. Meeting of the Board of Directors of the ILLINOIS STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, JAN. 28, 1904, 7:45 P. M. AT THE ILLINOIS HOTEL, BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS. All members of the board of directors present except, Mrs. Jessie Palmer Weber, Rev. C. J. Eschmann, J. O. Cunningham, Prof. E. E. Sparks, Hon. Wm. H. Collins and Dr. E. J. James. Dr. J. F. Snyder was elected president of the board of directors. Hon. Alfred Orendorff was elected temporary secretary. On motion of Alfred Orendorff, Mrs. Jessie Palmer Weber was elected permanent secretary and treasurer. The standing committees as heretofore constituted were continued, subject to the approval of the president. The following committees were appointed: Publication committee-George N. Black, chairman; Jessie Palmer Weber; E. B. Greene; Alfred Orendorff. Program Committee-E. B. Greene; chairman; Jessie Palmer Weber; M. H. Chamberlain; J. H. Burnham; E. E. Sparks; Mrs. 8. P. Wheeler. World's Fair committee-Continued. Finance committee-George N. Black; E. J. James. Constitution and by-laws committee-David McCulloch, chairman; J. H. Burnham; J. O. Cunningham. Committee on legislation--George N. Black, chairman; Alfred Orendorff; E. J. James; J. McCan Davis; Wm. H. Collins. This committee was given authority to add to its membership. Committee on local historical societies—J. H. Burnham, chairman; J. O. Cunningham; Prof. O. Clark; George W. Smith; David McCulloch; W. W. Davis. Judge David McCulloch and Gen. Alfred Orendorff were appointed a committee to visit Galesburg and appear before the meeting of the Illinois Press association at its meeting in that city in February, to perfect arrangements agreed upon by the committee of the Press association which had met with the Historical society this day (Jan. 28, 1904,) that editors of papers are to send their papers to the Illinois State Historical library and in return are to be furnished with the publications of the Illinois State Historical library and the State Historical society. An invitation from the Quincy Historical society was read inviting the Illinois State Historical society to hold its next annual meeting, January 1905, in the city of Quincy. The secretary was directed to extend to the Quincy Historical society the thanks of the society for the invitation, but to decline it, explaining that it is the rule of the Illinois State Historical society to meet alternate years in Springfield. On motion of George N. Black, the city of Springfield was designated as the place of holding the next annual meeting of the Illinois State Historical society, the time of the meeting to be the last Wednesday and if necessary the succeeding days of January, 1905. There being no other business presented, the meeting of the board of directors was, on motion, adjourned. PROGRAM OF EXERCISES. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 1904. In the rooms of the McLean County Historical society, in the court house. 2:00 p. m. Meeting of the board of directors, in conference with Committee of the Illinois State Press association. 3:00 p.m. Business meeting of the society, secretary's report for the board of directors, treasurer's report, reports of committees, election of officers for 1904, miscellaneous business. Memorial Address ... Dr. J. F. Snyder, Virginia. .Dr. Bernard Stuve, Springfield, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 27, 7:45 P. M. Circuit court room, McLean county court house. Music. Address of Welcome to the Society..... Response... Mr. George P. Davis Memorial-Hiram W. Beckwith.. E. J. James, Ph. D. President Northwestern University, Evanston. (Read by Prof. David Felmley.) Annual Address-Personal Recollections of Some of the Eminent Statesmen and Lawyers of Illinois. .... Hon. Charles P. Johnson, A. M., St. Louis THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 9:30 A. M. Resolutions of respect for the late Hon. John N. Jewett, President Chicago Historical Society... In Memoriam-John Mayo Palmer, Chicago.. Illinois in the War of 1812-1814 Read by Dr. Richard Edwards Hon. Alfred Orendorff, Springfield A Trip from Pennsylvania to Illinois in 1851... W. W. Davis, A. M., Sterling Newspapers and Newspaper Men of Illinois.. Hon. E. A. Snively, Springfield 2:00 p. m. The Part of Illinoisans in the National Educational Movement, 1850-1862 .Paul Selby, A. M., Chicago Music. Illinois in the Councils of the Nation..... ..Mrs. John A. Logan, Washington, D. C.; read by Mrs. John M. Palmer The Country Lawyer.... ....Hon. James. A. Connolly, Springfield; Rufus Blanchard; In Memoriam, F. L. Wells, Chicago. The Salines of Southern Illinois.... Prof. George W. Smith Southern Illinois Normal School, Carbondale, Illinois. 8:00 p. m. Reception to Illinois State Historical society in the parlors of the Illinois hotel, by the McLean County Historical society, the Letitia Green Stevenson chapter Daughters of the American Revolution; the Woman's club of Bloomington; the Bloomington Amateur Musical club, and the George Rogers Clark Chapter Sons of the American Revolution. FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 9:30 A. M. *The Destruction of Kaskaskia by the Mississippi River..... Music. J. T. Douglas of Chester and Frank Moore of Sparta Daniel Berry, M. D., Carmi ... Morris Birkbeck and His Friends..... Hon. R. E. Rombauer, St. Louis; read by Prof. J. A. James 2:00 p. m. Hon. Robert A. Gray, Blue Mound; read by J. H. Burnham The Scotch-Irish in Illinois In Memoriam-Dr. H. H. Hood, Litchfield....Miss Olive Sattley, Springfield *Omitted. |