A county history will soon be published which will contain many of the papers of this society, which has done very important local historical work.

Maramech Historical Society of Kendall County, Plano, Ill.President, John F. Steward, 1889 Sheridan Road, Chicago, Ill.; Secretary, Avery N. Beebe, Yorkville, Ill.

This society has organized itself into divisions for practical work, and is likely to be one of the most successful societies in the State. Madison County Historical Society, Alton, Ill. (No report this year.)-President, 1903, E. P. Wade, Alton, Ill.; Secretary, Miss Julia Buckmaster, Alton, Ill.

Whiteside County Historical Society, Sterling, Ill.-President, Moses Dillon, Sterling, Ill.; Secretary, W. W. Davis, Sterling, Ill. "Established January, 1903; about 300 books, files of pamphlets, old magazines and papers, ten show cases of early local cards, circulars, pictures, ballots, badges, programmes and posters, relics and curios of every name. In fact enough material to start a museum. Few societies of two years standing can make so good a show. W. W. Davis, Secretary."

Woodford County Historical Society, Eureka, Ill.-President, Col. B. D. Meek, Eureka, Ill.; Secretary, J. C. Jeanport, Eureka, Ill. This society holds annual meetings.

Logan County Historical Society. Lincoln, Ill.-President, J. T. Hoblit, Lincoln, Ill.; Secretary, Lelia B. Collins, Lincoln, Ill. This society will soon be in a room in the new court house now being erected at Lincoln, and in connection with the Daughters of the American Revolution, will soon be doing good work in Logan county.

McLean County Historical Society. Bloomington, Ill.- President, George P. Davis, Bloomington, Ill.; Secretary, E. M. Prince, Bloomington, Ill.

This was the second county historical society to be organized in Illinois. It has published three volumes of its transactions and has other material in course of preparation for future publication.

Green County Historical Society, Carrollton, Ill.-Organized October, 1904-President, H. C. Withers, Carrollton, Ill.; Secretary, Charles Bradshaw, Carrollton, Ill.

Morgan County Historical Society, Jacksonville, Ill.-President, Carl E. Black, Jacksonville, Ill.; Secretary, Frank J. Heinl, Jacksonville, Ill.

The work of this society will have special reference to Morgan county as originally organized, comprising the counties of Cass, Scott and Morgan.

Jackson County Historical Society, at Carbondale- not fully organized or named.

It may take the name of Jackson County Historical Society or the Southern Illinois Society.

Peoria Historical Society, Peoria, Ill. This society was organized in 1903 President, David McCulloch, Peoria, Ill.; Secretary, Helen M. Wilson, Peoria, Ill.

The Peoria society is not a county society; its field of research is intended to be primarily the Illinois valley, though it will also perform the functions of a county society; being at one of the centers of historic interest, its papers, several of which are already prepared, will have much more than local interest, and it is to be hoped that our State Society will have an opportunity to publish some of the most important of these papers.

It will thus be seen that at more than a dozen different points in Illinois, may be found centers of local, or much more than local historic interest; centers from which, if properly nursed and cultivated by the State at large, by the State Historical Society and by the people most vitally interested in the success of the local societies, it may well be expected that new recruits may at any time be discovered for our State Society, and very important influences at widely separate points, may at any moment be set in motion to promote the interests of the Illinois State Historical Society, and be the means of causing this society to take the rank it so richly deserves among the leading historical societies of the union.

J. H. BURNHAM,
GEO. W. SMITH,

J. O. CUNNINGHAM,
D. MCCULLOCH,
W. W. DAVIS.

MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, ILLINOIS STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, JANUARY 25, 1905.

The Board of Directors of the Illinois State Historical Society met at 12 o'clock noon on January 25, 1905, at the close of the morning (first session) session of the annual meeting of the society. Present, General Alfred Orendorff, Hon. David McCulloch, Professor E. E. Sparks, Professor E. B. Greene, J. H Burnham, J. W. Clinton, Dr. M. H. Chamberlin, George N. Black, Professor George W. Smith, Mrs. Jessie Palmer Weber.

General Alfred Orendorff was asked to preside as temporary chairman and on motion of Mr. George N. Black he was made the permanent chairman of the board of directors. Mrs. Jessie Palmer Weber was elected permanent secretary and treasurer. The reports of the secretary and treasurer were read and approved. The appointments of committees for the year were called for. The members of the program committee were announced as follows: Mrs. Jessie Palmer Weber, chairman, Dr. J. F. Snyder, J. H. Burnham, Professor E. E. Sparks, Paul Selby, Smith D. Atkins, Mrs. S. P. Wheeler. This nomination was on motion, carried.

The finance and auditing committee was nominated and elected. Its members are: George N. Black, E. J. James, Jessie Palmer Weber.

The president named as the publication committee: E. B Greene, chairman; Geo. N. Black, M. H. Chamberlain, Jessie Palmer Weber, Alfred Orendorff, ex-officio. This nomination was confirmed.

The constitution and by-laws committee was continued.

It was voted that the committee on legislation be composed of the three trustees of the Illinois State Historical Library and three members to be named by the president, This committee has power to add to its own membership.

A discussion of the question of local historical societies was held and was quite general. The committee on local historical societies was named by the president and approved. It was composed of the following persons; J. H. Burnham; chairman, J. O. Cunningham, George W. Smith, David McCulloch, W. W. Davis, Frank J. Heinl. The Peoria Historical Society, the McLean County Historical Society and the Polo Historical Society applied for membership as affiliated societies. Judge McCulloch representing the Peoria society. Captain J. H. Burnham the McLean county society and Mr. J. ** W. Clinton the Polo society. The applications of these societies were approved and accepted and the societies were received as affiliated societies of the Illinois State Historical Society.

It was moved and seconded, and the motion was carried, that the president be a member of all committees.

On the motion of Dr. M. H. Chamberlin, Mrs. Mary F. Deneen, the widow of Professor Samuel H. Deneen, and the mother of the present Governor of the State of Illinois, was elected an honorary member of the society. On motion of George N. Black, Hon. Richard Yates, the retiring Governor of the State of Illinois was elected an honorary member of the society.

Professor E. B. Greene asked that the question of the place of holding the next annual meeting of the society be considered and stated that he desired to ask the society to meet at the University of Illinois. This question and the invitation were on the motion of Mr. Chamberlin postponed until the next session of the board of directors to be held at the call of the president the following day (Thursday, January 26, 1905).

There being no further business presented, it was moved by Captain J. H. Burnham, that the board of directors adjourn to meet the following day at a convenient time and at the call of the president. This motion prevailed and the meeting adjourned.

MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, 12 O'CLOCK NOON, JAN. 26, 1905

The Board of Directors of the Illinois State Historical Society met in the rooms of the library at 12 o'clock noon, January 26, 1905, at the close of the morning session of the annual meeting of the society. Present, General Alfred Orendorff, Rev. C. J. Eschmann, George N. Black, Professor George W. Smith, Hon. David McCulloch, J. W. Clinton, Captain J. H. Burnham, Mrs. Jessie Palmer Weber.

It was moved by Mr. Burnham, that Congressman George W. Smith be asked to procure for the society from the proper officer of the United States such charts, or plats as may be available of the Mississippi river and its deviations, near Kaskaskia, Ill. This motion. was carried.

The question of the study of the history of the State of Illinois, in the public schools was discussed. It was moved by Professor George W. Smith that the society urge on the present session of the General Assembly of the State, that a bill be passed requiring teachers in the schools of the State to pass an examination in State history and that the society endorse the views expressed by Professor Henry McCormick in his paper, read before the society, entitled "The Value to Both of a Closer Connection Between the State Historical Society and the Public Schools." The matter was referred to the committee on legislation. It was moved that Professor Henry McCormick be made a member of the committee on legislation. This motion was seconded and carried.

. The bills of General Alfred Orendorff and Judge McCulloch for expenses in attending the meeting of the Illinois State Press Association at Galesburg were presented and were allowed. The treasurer was ordered to pay them.

There being no further business presented the board of directors adjourned to meet later in the day at the call of the president.

The Board of Directors of the Illinois State Historical Society met. in the library rooms at 4 o'clock P. M., Thursday, January 26, 1905. Present-General Alfred Orendorff, Capt. J. H. Burnham, J. W. Clinton, Dr. M. H. Chamberlin, Hon. David McCulloch, George N. Black, Mrs. Jessie Palmer Weber.

President Orendorff presided. It was voted that the invitation of the University of Illinois for the next annual meeting of the society to be held at Urbana be declined, as it was decided that Springfield was the best place for holding the meeting, and it was decided that the annual meeting be held in Springfield on January 24 and 25, 1906. It was moved by Dr. Chamberlin that the president and secretary be authorized to send representatives to assist local historical societies, or to visit them on the occasion of meetings when it seems necessary, and that the president, as occasion demands it, authorize the treasurer to pay the expenses of such agents from any fund not otherwise appropriated. This motion was carried.

It was moved and seconded, and the motion was carried, that Dr. Chamberlin and Father Eschmann be appointed to visit the Missouri Historical Society and confer with the officers or other representatives of it for the purpose of formulating some plan for a memorial to Father Pierre Gibault. The secretary was directed to procure a proper seal for the society. The board of directors endorsed the plan suggested by Mr. J. P. Dunn for a memorial volume to be issued jointly, by the States of Illinois, Indiana and Missouri in honor of Father Pierre Gibault.

The president announced the following named persons as a special committee on membership of the society-Prof. E. E. Sparks, chairman, J. W. Clinton, Polo, Charles L. Capen, Bloomington, J. Nick Perrin, Belleville, Arthur V. Harvick, Vienna, Mrs. Thomas Worthington, Jacksonville, Miss May Latham, Lincoln, Dr. A. W. French, Springfield, Alfred Orendorff, ex-officio. This committee as announced was approved by the board of directors.

The president announced as the committee on legislation-E. J. James, George N. Black, M. H. Chamberlin, J. McCan Davis, E. A. Snively, Henry McCormick, Andrew Russell, Alfred Orendorff, exofficio.

There being no further business presented, the board of directors adjourned to meet at the call of the president.

MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, FEBRUARY 21, 1905.

The Board of Directors of the Illinois State Historical Society met in the library rooms on February 21, 1905 at 2:00 o'clock p. m. Present-General Alfred Orendorff, Dr. M. H. Chamberlin, George N.· Black, Hon. David McCulloch, Mrs. Jessie Palmer Weber, and by invitation Prof. Henry McCormick and Mr. E. A. Snively.

The resignation or declination to serve on the board, of Dr. J. F. Snyder was announced and Hon. L. Y. Sherman was elected to fill the vacancy.

There being no further business the board of directors adjourned to meet at the call of the president.

Meeting of the Legislative Committee of the Illinois State Historical Society. February 21, 1905, in the Illinois State Historical Library at 3 o'clock, p. m. Present-General Alfred Orendorff, E. A. Snively, Hon. David McCulloch, George N. Black, Prof. Henry McCormick.

General Orendorff was made chairman of the meeting and Mrs. Weber was asked to act as secretary. Judge McCulloch read a copy of a bill recently introduced in the Legislature, which if passed would create the office of State Historian. Mr. Snively read a proposed bill which proposed reorganizing the State Historical Library and the State Historical Society, etc. Both of these bills were discussed at length. By request Mr. Snively again read the bill relating to the library and society. Professor McCormick suggested that the bill be re-written and moved that a committee be appointed to draft the bill. Mr. Black made some remarks opposing some features of the proposed bill and Professor McCormick withdrew his motion. The president suggested that Messrs. James, Chamberlin and Black be appointed a committee to draw up a bill. Doctor Chamberlin declined to act. There was no second to the motion and it was not offered. Mr. Black moved the postponement of the entire matter. Professor McCormick moved, and it was seconded, that Doctor Chamberlin, Judge McCul loch and the president be appointed a committee to carefully consider the provisions of the bills which had been offered and to draft a suitable bill, if in their judgment it was expedient to offer a bill to the Legislature at this session. The president declined to act on such a committee as he expected to be away from Illinois for a time. The motion was amended that Doctor Chamberlin and Judge McCulloch act as the committee. This motion was carried.

There being no further business before the committee, it adjourned.