Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser., 1844-12-28
Iowa Historical AID Geologfcay
lN>tisutc.

lM>tisutc.
The first ANIMAL meeting Of this socie-
ty WAS held ON the evening Of the 18th Of
this month, in this. city. Though but in
existence twelvc-month Ills association
has collected many valuable historical doc
,lmems and facts in relation 10 tie settle
ment Of our town, and also gathered
great variety Of Geological specimens,
Indian relics, So. We doubt whether any
city has ever produced an Institution of a
similar nature IN such short period after
i S settlement as Burlington; for il msst be
remembered that ten or Twelve ears since
our town had no existence. And yet how
few among us know who laid il out, and
why it was called Burlington? To COLI
lect anil preserve facts Of this nature is ore
Of tie prominent objects Of The Associa-
ton.
The following per 'ors were elected efli-
GERS for the ensuing year: ID. Rorer, Pres
ilenii E,.os Lowe, Vice fresi lent; A. d.
Green. Rvcstig ccrc,ar,; G. II. Hi,
Corresponding Secretary; and S. Mans
ley, Treasurer. We give below lew
{ tracts from the Annual Report.
.sThc library already contains between
seventy and one hundred volumes, Of
boaks, pmpl.se.s, maps ana charts, be-
siies great many newspapers, circulars,
and other documents, so.ne nf which are
a, cient and rare. Among these are
copy Of the a.Derisions Of the Sacred
Council OF Naplex," printed in 1852; a
book Of Common Prayer, printed II Jena
in 1876, and travels on tie Lakes and
upper Mississippi in l6S3-'l--and 3,
with mars and charts + the country; and
we have also preserved among them, some
relies of tie earliest settlement Of our
Territory, s,ncng vi ich IS c,py Of tie
first namter Of the first ne,cs1nlxr pub
hs!:ed west of tie Mississippi and north
of isss,nri, icing the Dubuque Visfer, :"
by J. King, published al the town Of Dit
bl,que, on u . ll,h Of May, 1896. The
first manuscript Of the Gr.t map of Iowa,
constructed In Ire Territory, and the by
laws Of the associati. Of Tie first settlers
OF Dvs Moines county, as prin,e for The
association, with the origin manuscript
OF part Of the sa,ne-aid other curious
documents relative to the early history u
the Territory. a
1.-The cabinet contains several hundred
specimens in Gc,'l,gy, Miner.logy, Na,u-
raj History, and antiquities, numbering
among them s,ne from almost e,e quar-
ter u the gl,he. Also, various Indian
relics from onr .wn vicinity"
- - =
.'In the cabinet are also numerous fos-
sils. of Which The most interesting, is an
ammo, ite found in limestone quarry IN
ll.is city, and presented 10 tie lnsllule
| BY Mr.. Milton B. Selt It's very per-
tect--ancasures 3 feet four inches from the
end of the spiral wl,osl 10 tie head
weighs thirty eight pounds, and numbers
forty three distinct vericbrae or WhOrls il
the spi,s. An accurate drawing of Il i
b,a it'll pes'iI;.c.i has been prepared
by MIR. He.n,, anclnber of ,he lns;iin.e E,
and is hes eto annexed as part vi this re-
port. IaE
.'In the cabinet are included many du-
plicaie specimens, which sl,ouia Le ex-
changed with similar Institutions else.
where, Tor such Us we have mol; and like
wise sumo which on proper examination
will be found unworthy Of preservation
and which should lie = clnded. The nm
dersiyned therefore recommend the ap-
p.inllnent " y committee 10 e anime The
same, and ID send off such duplicates u
shah be deemed of suitable interest tor e.
changes, and to exclude from the cabinet
! such US are unworthy Of preservation.
I'm tie Historical Department numer-
our facts and documents have been cslleci-
ed and presers ell, IN rela ION Il the names
ii. places, towns ami yillugrs--tLcir tirsl
setllsmelt--ilsc names 81 Tie iirst settlers
or proprielers --lnd 0ther matters c..,,nect-
cd win lh,ir iistory, wlieh. ti,ong. they
may asav seesn- ~ important, u some In
ture period will become > matter of cMri-
ous i.sersl. ses
History, IN iis mosl liberal sense, is
said 10 emhace srall the objects 81 ter
nal experisnce--in.la Ia ing The prssest and
the pasf.n TIE representation of uss
rrssea has been termssl .,isscriptiom' m''--ol
the psst, ssrelsfiem." Viewed then in this
sense i w;ll be 4een ibas mich devolv<s
upon the historical department Of our A.
sociation.