The contributions to the society since the last annual report, February
22, 1866, have been as follows:
O. E. GARRISON, Esq., St. Cloud.—Map of Stearns county.
AMERICAN ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY, Worcester Mass.—Their proceedings
at their annual meeting, Oct., 21, 1865.
D. W. INGERSOLL, Esq., St. Paul.—A Chart, illustrating the
operations of the U. S. Sanitary Commission.
Hon. D. A. ROBERTSON, St. Paul.—Thirty-four Pamphlets, relating
to the city of St. Paul, and State of Minnesota—and one volume,
Voyages from Asia to America, London, 1761.
Rev. EDWARD D. NEILL, Washington, D. C.—An original paper
compiled from Nicholas Perrot’s memoir. An original paper on
the northern boundaries of Minnesota—and a Map of Minnesota,
showing a part of the international boundary in the vicinity of
the Lake of the Woods.
ESSEX INSTITUTE.—Historical notice of their society and their
Collections for 1866.
CHAS. M. WETHERELL, Esq., Philadelphia.—Four Pamphlets on
scientific subjects.
R. O. SWEENY, Esq., St. Paul, Minn.—Two “River Sturgeon” for
the Department of Natural History.
H. B. DAWSON, Esq., Morrisania, N. Y.—Diary of David How, a
private in the army of the American Revolution.
Maj. Gen. J. WATTS DE PEYSTER, Tivoli, N. Y.—Documentary
Testimonials of the meritorious conduct of his three sons in
the service of the United States, during the late war,—and
forty bound Volumes and twenty-five Pamphlets.
Maj. ROBERT H. HALL, of 10th U. S. Infantry.—Photograph of
Major Lawrence Taliaferro.
Prof. BACHE, Washington, D. C.—Report of Coast Survey for 1863.
W. H. GETCHELL, Esq., Afton, Minn.—A Continental Bill.
JOHN M. CARR, Esq., St. Paul.—Charleston, S. C., Newspaper of
1796.
Rev. C. D. BRADLEY, Boston.—Two Pamphlets, one Broadside and
Autographs of public men.
N. E. HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL REGISTER, Boston.—Valedictory
Address of Dr. Winslow Lewis.
HENRY J. MORGAN, Esq., Ottawa, C. W.—One Pamphlet, “The place
British Americans have won in history.”
HORACE THOMPSON, Esq., St. Paul.—A Rebel Commutation Document
from Georgia.
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE.—Several Packages of Shells.
Rev. S. Y. MCMASTERS, St. Paul.—An old copy of Webster’s
Spelling Book.
Rev. Dr. CRAIK, of Louisville, Ky.—“Divine Life,” and “The New
Birth.”
DAKOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY.—One Pamphlet, “History and Resources
of Dakota, Montana, and Idaho.”
A. J. HILL, Esq., St. Paul.—“Lewis and Clark’s Journal,”
London, 1809. Map of Vermilion Lake, and alphabetical list of
members of the Minnesota Historical Society, from 1849 to 1862.
INCREASE A. LAPHAM, LL. D., Milwaukee, Wis.—His Map of
Wisconsin, showing influence of the lakes on temperature.
J. W. MCCLUNG, Esq., St. Paul.—Statistical Directory of St.
Paul, for 1866.
C. P. V. LULL, Esq., St. Paul.—A copy of the Bible printed in
Edinburgh, A. D. 1766.
H. WEDELSTAEDT, M. D., St. Paul.—Photograph of H. G. Blasdell,
governor of Nevada.
CHAS. T. BRYANT, Esq., of St. Peter.—His History of the Sioux
Massacre.
R. B. NAY, Esq., Le Sueur, Minn.—Copies of “El Nicaragensi,” a
paper published in Nicaraugua during the administration of Wm.
Walker.
CHAS. H. HART, Esq., Philadelphia.—One Pamphlet, “The three
days’ battle of Chattanooga,” and a Map of the battle field.
Hon. HENRY WILSON, Natick, Mass.—One Pamphlet, “Military
Measures of the U. S. Congress—1861-1865.”
C. DE MONTREVILLE, M. D., St. Paul.—A copy of the Blue Laws of
Connecticut.
Hon. I. DONNELLY, Nininger, Minn.—Three Coast Survey Charts.
Messrs. CORNMAN & STICKNEY, Stillwater, Minn. A Stone Axe,
found near Stillwater.
CHICAGO HISTORICAL SOCIETY.—Three Pamphlets.
STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY of Iowa.—The Annals of Iowa, 11 vols.
PUBLISHERS OF AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL MONTHLY.—Their issue of
September, 1866.
PUBLISHERS HAMILTON (Ohio) TELEGRAPH.—Their paper containing
obituary notice of C. K. Smith, Esq., first Secretary of the
Territory of Minnesota, and the first Secretary of this Society.
GEO. E. LOWRY, Esq., 13th Indiana Infantry.—Piece of a Rebel
Standard, captured at Fort Fisher.
NEW HAMPSHIRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY.—Their Collections, vol. VIII.
and Report of Adjutant General, 1865, 2 vols.
CONGRESSIONAL LIBRARY, Washington, D. C.—Writings of James
Madison, four volumes.
F. R. DELANO, Esq., St. Paul.—Photograph of the first
Locomotive Engine placed upon a Railroad in this State.
W. H. MITCHELL, Esq., Rochester, Minn.—Geographical and
Statistical History of the County of Olmsted, three copies.
B. W. BRUNSON, Esq., St. Paul, Minn.—Two old Deeds.
CHARLES MCINTYRE, Esq., St. Paul.—The Guard Book of the 1st
Regiment, Minn. Vols.
ISAAC VAN ETTEN, Esq., St. Paul.—The original Seal of the
Adjutant General of the Territory of Minnesota, and the
original Receipt Book, Check Book, and Book of Records of the
“Board of Commissioners of Public Buildings,” of the Territory
of Minnesota.
S. T. RAGUET, Esq., St. Paul.—An autograph letter from Sir
Wm. Pepperell, dated January 17, 1731, and a copy of “The
First Minnesota,” a paper published by the members of the 1st
Regiment, Minn. Vols., at Berryville, Va., March 11, 1862.
Dr. J. C. RHOADES, Stillwater.—Specimens of Sulphate of Lime,
from west bank of Red River, at Fort Abercrombie.
Rev. GIDEON H. POND, Bloomington, Minn.—The Bag used by a Sioux
“Medicine-man.”
Several works on the Sioux massacre of 1862, have been added by gift
and purchase, and twenty-two volumes of Doddsley’s Annual Register,
(comprising the whole set with the exception of two volumes,) a journal
of the times from 1751 to 1780, published in London, have been purchased
and placed in our library.
Gen. H. S. Sanford, U. S. Minister at Belgium, an honorary member of
the society, and Hon. A. Goodrich, Secretary of Legation at the Belgian
capital and an old member of this society, were appointed delegates to
the International Archæological Congress to have been held at Antwerp in
August last, but which was postponed in consequence of the prevalence of
the cholera in that city. Both gentlemen signified their acceptance,
presented their credentials and agreed to represent this society at the
adjourned meeting of the Congress which is to be held during this year.
The society in May last caused two of the mounds on Dayton’s Bluff to
be opened. The work was superintended by Mr. W. H. Kelley, who made an
able and elaborate report to the society, which proved the mounds to
be of very great antiquity. It is contemplated to continue the work of
excavation still farther, and it is hoped that discoveries may be made
which may throw additional light on the “Mound Builders,”—a race whose
history is shrouded in the deepest mystery and oblivion.
A vast deal may be accomplished for the furtherance of the objects of the
society, which will otherwise remain undone, by standing committees who
should be appointed by the council from its members.
Biographies, narratives and reminiscences of the early missionaries,
fur-traders, voyageurs, government agents, explorers and old settlers,
might now, with organized and well directed effort, be easily obtained
(while the opportunities for such work are rapidly diminishing,) and
would be of incalculable interest to the future historian and antiquary.
Although much has been written on the subject of the Indian tribes who
have lived within the limits of the state, yet it is a fruitful field
that is by no means exhausted.
Much remains to be done in the department of geology and mineralogy, in
collecting specimens and properly classifying and arranging them.
The Natural History Department might become an interesting feature of
the society if we had the means to enable us to employ a suitable person
to procure and prepare specimens of the beasts and birds found within
the borders of our state. This will soon become a labor attended with
great difficulty and expense as the advance of settlements and the
exterminating policy of the hunter and trapper will speedily cause many
of the fur-bearing animals and rarer varieties of birds to disappear.
A very fine collection of the birds of Minnesota was not long since taken
east and sold, which would have been secured for our society but for the
lack of means.
Our sphere of usefulness is circumscribed by our poverty. If the
legislature could be induced to increase the annual appropriation, we
might publish our “Collections” annually, as we have an accumulation of
interesting matter in manuscript, which we desire to put in more enduring
and available form, and we are continually receiving favors from sister
societies which we would be glad to reciprocate. We would like also to
bind some of the newspapers which have been accumulating on our hands, to
purchase books for the library, and to extend historical research into
departments yet unfathomed.
All of which is respectfully submitted,
CHARLES E. MAYO, _Secretary_.
MINERAL REGIONS OF LAKE SUPERIOR, AS KNOWN FROM THEIR FIRST DISCOVERY TO
1865.