Oregon Historical Quarterly/Volume 6/First Report of the Conference of State and Local Historical Societies
FIRST REPORT OF THE CONFERENCE OF STATE AND LOCAL HISTORICAL SOCIETIES.
By Frederick Wightman Moore, Secretary of the Conference.
Reprinted from the Annual Report of the American Historical Association for 1904.
In accordance with an invitation emanating from the programme committee of the American Historical Association, a conference of state and local historical societies was held in Chicago on the morning of Thursday, December 29, 1904, in connection with the annual meeting of the national association.
The conference was called to order at 10.30 a. m. in the library of Reynolds Club House, University of Chicago, by Reuben Gold Thwaites, of the Wisconsin Historical Society, who had been designated by the committee as chairman of the meeting. Frederick W. Moore, of the Tennessee Historical Society, was selected by the delegates as secretary.
The chair briefly stated the objects of the gathering to be an informal consultation concerning the problems which beset the societies and the state departments of archives and history. The invitation extended to the organizations and departments had in the main been restricted to those of the West and South, because, in the opinion of the committee, the eastern societies were not as a rule confronted by the questions which troubled those in the newer States. Institutions invited to attend had been asked for suggestions. Many had replied, their letters covering so wide a range that it was apparent that a two hours' meeting would unfortunately not suffice to touch upon a tithe of the interesting discussions proposed. It had therefore been determined by the committee to restrict discussion at this first conference to two points—the best methods of organizing state historical work and the possibilities of coöperation between societies.
Under the first head—forms of organization and the relation of the work to the state government—Thomas M. Owen, director of the Department of Archives and History of Alabama, opened the discussion. Mr. Owen enlarged upon the duties which each State owes to its archives and history, and advocated the organization of a state department of archives and history charged with the duty of caring for the archives of the state departments and the local government, as well as the collection of miscellaneous historical material and the diffusion of historical knowledge. The possibility of establishing a practical, nonpartisan department was illustrated by the example of Alabama, where the personnel of the first board was specified in the creating act, and that board made practically self-perpetuating, subject to confirmation by the senate.
Warren Upham, secretary of the Minnesota Historical Society, presented arguments in favor of this work being performed by well-established societies and done at public expense. Professor Upham spoke as follows:
Although in some of the States, especially where historical work is now for the first time being actively and systematically undertaken, a department of archives and history may be found most efficient and practicable, I believe that even there historical societies should be formed for cooperation with the state department of history, and that in most or all of the States which have long had such societies their services are more comprehensive and valuable than can be rendered by an official state department.
The society enlists the interest and aid of its large membership, representing personally many or all of the counties or other large districts of the State. Each member is expected to aid by gathering details of the pioneer settlement and subsequent history of his county, township, or region; by donating local publications, mostly pamphlets, as reports of the schools, churches, local societies, fairs, etc., for the society's library; by securing historical relics for its museum and portraits of early settlers and prominent citizens for its state portrait collection, and by writing- on themes of the local history for its meetings and publications. Through invitation and solicitation by the secretary and other officers of the society it may thus receive addresses and papers on any theme of the state history, or that of any county, city, town, or village, by authors having accurate knowledge, responsibility, and pride for the district or the subject so presented.
In their relations to the state governments and to state support by legislative appropriations the state and local historical societies of the older States receive little or no state aid, while yet rendering great services to the people in each of the New England States, in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia. Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and Michigan. These societies, through financial support by their membership, supplemented in many cases by State assistance for printing, have gathered very important historical libraries, museums, and collections of portraits, and have issued extensive series of publications on the history of these several States.
Contrasted with these eastern historical societies we have in five of the Western and Northwestern States, namely, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas, societies which have long received nearly all the means for their very extensive work from state appropriations, being thus on the same footing with the other institutions of public education. Besides the collection of all published books, pamphlets, maps, etc., relating to the state history, these five societies gather the current newspapers from all parts of their respective States and preserve them in bound volumes, doing this more fully than has been attempted elsewhere in the United States, but similarly with the British Museum, which thus preserves all the newspapers issued in Great Britain. The newspaper departments of these state historical libraries are priceless treasuries of materials for future historians, showing the development of these States and of their counties and separate townships from their beginnings.
Each of the States, whether aiding their historical societies little or much, is served continuously and zealously and gratuitously by the boards of officers and by the membership of these societies. Several features of this service are notable. It is not determined by political election or appointment, nor dependent on changes of the general state administration; it extends through very long terms of membership, and often of official relations; its changes of officers are decided by the members of the society or by a large number of their representatives forming the society's council, and constant and efficient work for the increase of the library and other collections of the society is carried forward by frequent meetings and regular publications.
To mention finally what I deem the highest [merit and crowning honor of the local historical societies, they are shown by their results, extending in some of the old States a century or more and in the Northwest more than half a century, to be nobly useful by the discovery and development of historical workers, local antiquaries, and the persons in every part of the several States who have been best qualified for historical researches and for rescuing the past from forgetfulness.
A. C. McLaughlin, director of the Bureau of Historical Research in the Carnegie Institution of Washington, was introduced and asked to state the plans of that institution. These look rather to aiding than to undertaking research. In this respect the interest and appreciation of the historical societies of the country is desired. It is hoped that the institution may be of service to them and that, by proper correlation, duplication of work and needless searching may be avoided. The institution hopes eventually to secure the transcription of all American documents in European archives, as well as to calendar all collections of such transcripts already in the United States. The last undertaking will be entered upon immediately—the former will, in due course, be carried forward in connection with the Library of Congress.
The question of the possibilities of mutual cooperation between societies, state and local, was then taken up. C. M. Burton, president of the Michigan Pioneer and Historical Society, spoke substantially as follows:
The purposes for which historical societies should cooperate would be to prevent needless duplication of matter in their published reports and proceedings and the gradual preparation of an index to all printed historical material, so as to provide a ready access to such matter for students and investigators.
There are two classes of historical societies—those maintained by private donations and dues of members and those maintained by legislative donations. The publications of the first class of these societies is frequently confined to a small edition to be distributed only among the members of the society. In the second class the published works are sometimes distributed, as in Michigan, to all libraries in the State, and are thus used for popular instructions among 1 the citizens and in the schools. As a general rule both classes are in want of funds for the proper management of the societies and are unable to do all that they desire or all that they ought to do in the proper line of historical research and work.
It has frequently happened in the past that two societies will collect and print in their publications, papers, and documents that have already been printed by some other society. This sometimes occurs because the two publications are issued at the same time and the publishing societies are ignorant of the works of each other. Sometimes this duplication occurs because the second publisher was ignorant of the former publication. It has also sometimes happened that one society will print a portion of some important document, omitting portions not of interest to the State or locality of the society, although the omitted portion may be of great interest to some other locality.
It is not always best to omit publication of documents simply because they can be found printed in some other publication. In the publication of a series of documents it would detract from their value somewhat to find a statement that some one or two were omitted because they were printed in the proceedings of some other society, while it would be a needless expense to any society to reprint an entire collection of documents because they applied to the locality of the society if the original print could be readily secured.
For the purposes of coöperation to avoid this unnecessary duplication it is suggested that the various societies send to the secretary of the American Historical Association, to be by him. at once transmitted to the other historical societies, a list of such papers as are proposed to be printed by the society during the ensuing year. As an illustration of how this will work, take the subject of the Haldimand papers, many of which have been printed in Michigan and Wisconsin. If any society proposes during the next year to print any more of these papers and a list is sent to every other society the publication of the same papers by any other society could be readily prevented.
Another good that might be derived from this notification can be readily seen in the following illustration: There is now in preparation for publication in the thirty-fourth volume of the Michigan Society the "Orderly Books of Gen. Anthony Wayne," comprising not only the books left by General Wayne, but the continuation of the same by his successor, General Wilkinson, and such other heretofore unpublished documents as can be obtained covering the period from 1792 to 1797. It is quite desirable that this publication should include everything that can be found on the subject of Indian warfare after the appointment of Wayne, at least until the time of his death in 1796. Many of the societies have letters, documents, diaries or journals, and papers of various kinds that throw light on this interesting and historical period. When the knowledge of this intended publication has been transmitted to the various societies, they will doubtless examine their archives and notify the Michigan Society of such papers as they have and are willing to send for publication. This is a cooperation that could be put into immediate practice.
A further suggestion for cooperation is the making of an index of historical writings prepared somewhat on the plan of Poole's index. The preparation of such work would be stupendous without doubt, but when once completed it would be invaluable. It would be of use to students, investigators, and historical societies. Such a work should not only include the historical societies' publications, but the magazines and pamphlets. The work of compiling it might be cooperative. Each society could contribute the index to its own publications and the public and private libraries could add the list of pamphlets. Poole's index could be utilized for the magazine articles. A year's work would produce a very good beginning, and a foundation thus laid could be built upon by a new edition each year until the work was practically completed. Who could compute the value and usefulness of such a work.
Benjamin F. Shambaugh,of the State Historical Society of Iowa, followed with these remarks upon the possibilities of mutual cooperation between state and local historical societies:
At this conference of historical societies I desire to apeak briefly to the point of (1) the propagation of interest, (2) the collection of material, and (3) the publication of data as within the possibilities of mutual cooperation between historical societies, state and local. And to be more specific I will add that my remarks, suggested by conditions in States such as Iowa, Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, contemplate phases of possible cooperation between the state historical society on the one hand and the various local historical societies and associations on the other.
First. By the propagation of interest I mean the stimulation and diffusion throughout the Commonwealth of a general interest in and an enthusiasm for state and local history. With students and men of science the interest will be chiefly academic, and will be expressed in scientific research, critical investigation, and scholarly publications, while among the masses of the people enthusiasm will take the form largely of a commendable pride in things local and provincial. The state historical society, with its larger library and collections, its broader scope, its publications, and its touch with American and world history will attract, stimulate, and encourage the scholar. On the other hand, the local society of the town or county, with its more popular membership, can do most to arouse that local patriotism and foster that spirit of local provincialism which, when widely diffused throughout the community, means for the state society that popular moral support which leads to rich gifts and large appropriations. Thus the state and local societies, being mutually supplementary, may through affiliation and cooperation become most effective in spreading the gospel of historical interest.
Second. The possibilities of cooperation in the collection of historical material for permanent preservation are evident. For, while the state society will aim to make its library the largest and most complete within the Commonwealth in state and local history, (including at the same time materials of national and world history as well as much that is classed as politics, economics, sociology, and jurisprudence,) few local societies will go beyond the collection of materials of local and state history. Local societies aim, first of all, to collect and preserve the materials of local history, and while doing this they may effectively assist the state society in securing matter along the same lines. At the same time the members of local societies may cooperate effectively with the collector of the state society in securing manuscripts, books, pamphlets, etc., which are of more general interest. In Iowa, where the State Historical Society has placed a collector in the field, this phase of cooperation now appears to be most promising. On the other hand, the state society will often find it possible to turn over duplicate material to the libraries and collections of local societies.
Third. The publication of data of state and local history is one of the most important offices of the historical society. And I believe that as time goes on this function will become more and more pronounced, notwithstanding some contemporary evidence of the tendency to yield to the solicitations of publishers who make books valuable by limiting the editions. I do not believe that the historical society has fulfilled its highest mission when it has collected a large library of books and manuscripts and housed them securely in a marble palace. For after the materials have been collected their contents should as far as possible be made accessible through publications. Are there manuscripts of great value? Let them be carefully edited and published by the state society. Has some student done a scholarly and critical piece of work? Let it be published in the quarterly of the state society or as a separate monograph. Finally, the state society should furnish all of its publications at a nominal price or in exchange to all of the local societies and public libraries in the Commonwealth. On the other hand, the local societies may cooperate in this field by publishing their proceedings, which will contain reminiscences, recollections, and reflections of old settlers and pioneers, as well as notes and information of a purely local bearing. These proceedings should be freely exchanged with other local societies and with the state organization.
But the important question is, How may cooperation in the threefold direction hereinindicated be made possible and practicable? The answer is. Through the affiliation of the local historical societies with the state historical society. This affiliation may take the form of auxiliary membership, as in Iowa, where the provisions for such membership are as follows:
"Local historical societies (such as county historical societies, city or town historical societies, and old settlers' associations) may be enrolled as auxiliary members of the State Historical Society of Iowa upon application of such local historical societies and upon the approval of their applications by the board of curators of the State Historical Society of Iowa.
"Auxiliary societies shall be entitled to membership in the State Historical Society of Iowa and shall have one vote at the annual meeting of this society. Each auxiliary society shall be entitled to receive all the publications of the State Historical Society of Iowa issued during the period of its affiliation as an auxiliary member."
Franklin L. Riley, of the Mississippi Historical Society, thus described the condition of affairs in that State:
Although the writer worked out the details of the existing historical organizations in Mississippi and drafted the legislative bills which put them into active operation, he finds it rather difficult to say where all of their features came from. He spent much time studying the organization in Wisconsin, where the State Historical Society has control,of all the necessary machinery for carrying on the work in the State, and in Alabama, where the historical society lost its appropriation in the establishment of the State Department of Archives and History. The constitution and workings of several other historical organizations were also studied in this connection.
The primary object he had in view was the establishment of two permanent, coordinate agencies with clearly defined spheres of activity, which would perform all of the necessary local historical work in the State. There seemed to be a place for an agency controlled and permeated by university influences, also for an agency which would be in more constant contact with the citizens of the State of all ranks and occupations. He therefore planned for the reorganization and perpetuation of the historical society and for the establishment of a new State Department of Archives and History.
The newly planned department was expected to undertake work in fields which it was very difficult, if not well-nigh impossible, for the society to develop satisfactorily. There are comparatively few historical societies that accomplish great results as collecting agencies. There are also a very few state departments that are able and willing to foster and direct the various important lines of research which are necessary to the publication of valuable contributions to history.
The latter field seems to be the special province of the university, with its corps of graduate students and its large number of alumni, as well as its various other literary affiliations, which reach to every part of the State. These circumstances afford to persons who are well trained opportunities as well as incentives to contribute their part toward the development of historical work in the different States. Three fourths of the contributors to the publications of the Mississippi Historical Society are alumni of the State University. In the near future the proportion of contributions from this source will doubtless become even greater.
The idea of publishing at the University of Mississippi the finished products of historical investigation was derived from the Johns Hopkins University, and the utilization of the State Historical Society was at first only a means to this end. The society developed rapidly, however, and within a year the historical work under the direction of the secretary and treasurer of that organization embraced so many different kinds of activity that the office became very burdensome. Then followed a process of differentiation, which culminated in the creation of the Department of Archives and History, the model for which was furnished by the then newly created Department of Archives and History in Alabama.
In the opinion of the writer the organization for historical work in Mississippi is unique, and contains at least one idea which is original. It is that of two coördinated, state-supported agencies, one with headquarters at the State University, the other with headquarters at the State Capital, and both of them working successfully and harmoniously in their respective fields. These agencies bring to bear upon the historical work of the State two of the influences—academic and political which are the most powerful and progressive in any Commonwealth.
The Mississippi Historical Society has issued annual volumes of Publications since its reorganization. Its energies are primarily directed to the publishing of finished products of historical research. Seven volumes of Publications have been issued, the eighth being now in the press, each of which has been more valuable than the preceding one. The volumes which have been published are well bound in cloth and contain 154 contributions, aggregating 2,742 pages. Volume VIII will contain 28 contributions, which will make a book of about 550 pages.
A general classification of the contributions that have been published by the Mississippi Historical Society, with the number of contributions under each subject, is here given in order to indicate the nature and scope of the investigations which have been successfully conducted under the direction of this state agency. The result of this effort at classification is not entirely satisfactory, as some of the most valuable contributions may be placed under more than one head. In only exceptional cases, however, has the writer yielded to the temptation to count contributions under more than one head. This classification is as follows:
Contributions.
16
8
11
27
8
6
4
10
17
3
12
15
3
7
13
5
8
4
4
8 It is not deemed necessary to give in this connection a detailed statement of the different fields of labor which have been allotted to the Historical Society and to the State Department of Archives and History in Mississippi, as this information will be found in the Annual Report of the American Historical Association for 1903, volume I, pages 475-478.
The several addresses were attentively listened to, and elicited numerous questions, showing a hearty interest on the part of all present. In summing up the result of this first conference of historical societies and departments, the chairman said it was quite evident that among the earliest needs was the publication of calendars of each other's manuscript collections, on some well-accepted plan; there were also needed published lists of other historical material which was available to scholars, in the several society and departmental collections, such as maps, portraits, engravings, and illustrative material generally.
Sectional or neighborhood coöperation was also highly desirable. The Louisiana Purchase States, those in the Old Northwest, Kentucky and Tennessee, the Middle West, the Mississippi Valley, the Gulf States, the Pacific Coast, the Canadian Northwest, etc., were all of them sections whose societies or departments might profitably get together now and then to discuss historical needs—the sources of documents, the parceling out of possible publications, the discovery of gaps which need to be filled; together with questions of administration, public and private support, museums, lectures, etc.
National cooperation, he thought, was also quite feasible. Methods and ideals might be improved by annual conferences like the present. There might well be a national committee, or possibly a commission charged with this object like the Historical Manuscripts and Public Archives Commissions, seeking to effect a general improvement—not rejecting genealogy, as has sometimes been urged, but seeking to draw a line between that and real historical work, and cordially coöperating, wherever need be, with the genealogical societies. Then, again, we shall find the Library of Congress and the Carnegie Institution eager for our coöperation; indeed, they are already soliciting our suggestions as to work desirable for them to undertake both at home and abroad.
On motion of Mr. Owen, the council of the American Historical Association was unanimously requested to provide for further conferences of state and local historical societies, the chairman and secretary thereof to be appointed by the council, and such officers to provide a programme for at least two meetings at the next session of the national association. Later in the day the council voted that a similar round table of state and local historical societies and departments be held as one of the features of the annual meeting in Baltimore next winter. Dr. Thomas M. Owen, director of the Alabama Department of Archives and History, was appointed chairman of the conference, and Prof. Benjamin F. Shambaugh, of the University of Iowa, secretary.
The following delegates were accredited to the conference, and nearly all were present:
Alabama Department of Archives and History, Montgomery—Dr. Thomas M. Owen, director.
Buffalo (N. Y.) Historical Society—Frank H. Severance, secretary.
Carnegie Institution of Washington, Bureau of Historical Research—Prof. A. C. McLaughlin and Waldo G. Leland.
Chicago Historical Society Dr. J. W. Fertig, secretary; Dr. A. L. Schmidt, S. H. Kerfoot, jr., and Miss Caroline Mcllvane, librarian.
Evanston (Ill.) Historical Society J. Seymour Currey, secretary, and Frank B. Glover, vice president.
German-American Historical Society, Philadelphia Emil Mannhardt, Chicago.
Illinois State Historical Society, Springfield Dr. J. F. Snyder, president; J. F. Steward, Paul Selby, A.M., and Prof. Edwin E. Sparks.
Iowa Historical Department, Des Moines Hon. Charles Aldrich, curator, and Miss Mary R. Whitcomb, assistant curator.
Iowa State Historical Sooiety, Iowa City Prof. B. F. Shambaugh, Dr. Frank E. Horrack, secretary, and T. J. Fitzpatrick, collector.
Kansas Historical Society, Topeka Col. Geo. W. Martin, secretary.
Louisiana Historical Society, New Orleans William Beer, Prof. Alcée Fortier, president, and Dr. James S. Zacharie, first vice president.
McLean County (Ill.) Historical Society, Bloomington George P. Davis, president; Ezra M. Prince, secretary, and John H. Burnham, chairman of executive committee.
Manitoba Historical Society, Winnipeg Rev. Dr. George Bryce.
Maumee Valley (Ohio) Pioneer and Historical Society, Defiance Dr. Charles E. Slocum.
Michigan Pioneer and Historical Society, Lansing Clarence M. Burton, president, Detroit, and Hon. Peter White, Marquette.
Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul Prof. Warren Upham, secretary.
Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Jackson Hon. Dunbar Rowland, director.
Mississippi Historical Society, University Dr. Franklin L. Riley. secretary.
Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis Judge William B. Douglas, president.
Missouri State Historical Society, Columbia F. A. Sampson, secretary; Dr. Isador Loeb, and Dr. Jonas Viles.
Nebraska Historical Society, Lincoln Prof. H. W. Caldwell.
New York University Marshall S. Brown.
Northern Indiana Historical Society, South Bend George A. Baker, secretary, and Otto M. Knoblock.
Ohio Historical and Philosophical Society, Cincinnati Joseph Wilby, president, and Prof. Merrick Whitcomb, curator.
Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society, Columbus E. O. Randall, secretary.
"Old Northwest" Genealogical Society, Columbus, Ohio Capt. N. W. Evans, Portsmouth.
Peoria (Ill.) Historical Society Prof. Charles T. Wycoff.
Richland County (Ohio) Historical Society, Columbus Hon. E. O. Randall, Columbus, and A. G. Baughman, secretary, Mansfield.
Tennessee Historical Society, Nashville Dr. Frederick W. Moore and Dr. R. A. Halley.
Texas State Historical Association, Austin Prof. George P. Garrison.
U. S. Daughters of 1812, Illinois Branch, Chicago Mrs. Robert Hall Wiles, president.
Wayne County (Ind.) Historical Society, Richmond Prof, Cyrus W. Hodgin.
Western Illinois State Normal School, Macomb Prof. James C. Burns.
Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio Wallace H. Cathcart, secretary, and William H. Miner. i
Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison Hon. William W. Wight, president; Dr. R. G. Thwaites, secretary; Hon. Henry E. Legler, and Dr. Frederick J. Turner.
Wyoming (Pa.) Historical and Geological Society Thomas Lynch, Montgomery, State Librarian.