The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-04-26
OUR EARLY LOCAL HISTORY,
WHAT THE CENTENNIAL MAN.
Ayers WANT,
WHAT CONGRESS RECOMMENDS
Proclamation from the Governor.

Proclamation from the Governor.
Early last winter Mr.. John g. Camp
bell, secretary of the centennial com.
mission, at Philadelphia, issued the follow
ing circular:
TT seems proper that the local celebrations of
the Fourth of July. 1876, which viii be held
throughout the land. should be made to contribute
q permanent historical memorial Of the centennial
celebration.
I'm each county provision should be made for
the delivery of an address tracing the history of
that particular community for the past century. or
from the time of its settlement, and including a
sketch OF its growth its resources industries, pros
poets, etc. These addresses should be published
in q uniform siZe-that of the congressional docu-
ments, for instance-n order that they may be
bound together by states
ITO competent persons the preparation of such
addresses would not be an unduly burdensome task;
but in the aggregate they would constitute an in
valuable historical repository, such as no nation
has ever had the opportunity to collect.
designations OF the historians ought to be made
without delay, in order that they might have time
10 accomplish their work"
THE ARGUS, on two or three occasions,
after receiving the above circular, pub
lished it and suggested that the people
take action in regard to it, and also sug-
gested that the work bc divided among
several competent men, as follows:
l. The political history of the county.
?. The agricultural and mining.
3. The commercial and manufacturing.
T. The military history.
S. The early professional men-tke
clergymen, lawyers, doctors, editors and
school teachers.
1t was, by general consent, agreed that
the Old Settlers Society was the proper
organization to inaugurate the matter. and
the subject was brought up at the annual
meeting of the society, February 7th, and
the report says:
Dr. Gregg then read the article published in THE
ARGUS out preparing short historical sketch OF
the county. On his motion action deferred
until the annual dinner on the 24th.
And the report of the annual dinner
says.
| No action taken in regard to the local his :
tory asked for by tn centenui Il retary Phila
delphia but 1t was suggested that the chairman of
the executive committee call meeting of that com
mittee and other old settlers to take action in re-
gard to it,
The executive committee is as follows
P. Gregg, j. L. Brasher, J. NJ Mont
gomcry, f. E. Parmenter, and c. W
| Hawes
Gov. Beveridge has now issued the
following
PROCLAMATION.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. April 26.-Governor
Beveridge today issued the following proc
lamation, which was referred to in the dis
patches yesterday:
To the People of the State of Illinois, Greeting,
WHEREAS. The senate and the house of
representatives Of the United States have
issued, and the president Of the United
States has approved, a joint resolution on
the celebration OF the centennial in the sew
eral counties or towns, which joint resolu-
ton is as follows VIZ:
Be 1T resolred, by the senate and house
of representatives of the United States Of
America. That it be aud is hereby RECON-
mended by the senate and house of repre-
senatives to the people of the several
states that they assemble in the several
counties and towns on the approaching
anniversary Of our national in
dependence, and that they cause to have
delivered on such day an historical sketch
ot SAID county or town from its formation
and that copy Of said sketch may be
filed in print or manuscript ia the clerk s
office of said county and an additional copy
in print or manuscript be filed in the office
of the librarian of congress, TO the intent
that complete record may thus be
obtained of the progress of our in
stitutions during the first centennial oi
their existence,
Now, therefore, ], John L. Beveridge
governor of Illinois, do hereby earnestly
recommended to the people of our state thai
prompt measures be taken in each county
and town for the selection and appointment,
in such manner as may be deemed best, o
one or more persons who shall prepare, a:
suggested IN the resolution, com sete, thor
ough and accurate historical sketches Of
, each county, city, town, or village, from
the date OF its first settlement to the
present time; one ccpy Of each Of sale
sketches to be fled in the office of the
county cle.k, and an additional copy to bt
filed in the office Of the librarian of con
: gress, at the city of Washington. That
these sketches may be of the greatest
historical value, ! would especially urge
the Importance OF the utmost care in their
r preparation, in order that they garner
many interesting facts connected with The
earliest days nf our state, the anOwledc,
hich, recorded only in the memories o.
our older citizens, is gradually passing
away, and soon will be lost to US forever
In testimony whereof, | have hereuntt
set my hand. and caused the great seal o
the state to be affixed.
t Done at the city of Springfield, this 25tl
= day of April, A D. 1876.
t JOHN L. BEvERIDGE
81 By the Governor:
E GEORGE FL. HARLOW,
Secretary of State.
We low hope that the executive com
f mittee of the Old Settlers S7ciety will
either appoint historians and taxi
, measure to secure their services AM
have the work com pletcd, or call meetin
Of citizens to take action in regard to th
E matters. There are too many interestin
facts connected with Rock Island count
to allow the matter to go by default
l. Silver Medal awarded by the Franklin Institut
of Pennsylvania, at their late Exhibition 1874, t
the manufacturers, for Hover's Chemical Writin
Y Fluid.