The Portland daily press., 1881-02-03
MAINE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
DEDICATION OF ITS NEW ROOMS IN
CITY BUILDING.
Interesting Paper by Hon. William
Goold.

Ine removal OIL the Maine historical SOciet
to this city is an event not only of importanc
to the city but of still greater Importance
the society itself. In its old quarters q
Brunswick, without means for heating til
building, the collection was practically useles
for nearly eight months in the year, beside
the dampness of the rooms wus injurious t
the collection as the condition of many of tn
books shows. . The removal here will give
fresh impulse to the Society, and person
having relics of any kind or rare book
which they wish carefully preserved vii
either donate them or intrust them for SAT
keeping to the institution.
At the meeting of the standing COMMITTEES
OF the Society held yesterday forenoon, 1t wa
proposed to instruct the President to ask th
Maine Legislature for such publications of the
State as are not already in the Society
library; and also, to ask that the State shall
hereafter take all the publications of thu
society on the same terms as the Documentary
History
1t was proposed also, that the publication
of the Society shall be issued hereafter in two
series-Collectons containing historical docu-
ments, and proceedings, containing papers
read and other transactions at the Societys
meetings; and it was voted to publish forth
with a volume of proceedings. Messrs. Israe
Washburn of Portland, William Goold Of
Wlndham, DR.. Dyke of Bath, and Professor
Packard of Brunswick were appointed com
mittee on publication.
1t was proposed that the secretary be in
structed to notify all members who have not
complied with the requirements of the by
laws, that unless they offer a suitable explana-
tion before July 1st next they will be placed
on the retired list
At the meeting of the Society at $50 p. m.'
Hon. James w. Bradbury of Augusta, pre-
sided.
All the propositions of the standing commit
tee were approved.
Messrs. Israel Washburn and George f.
Talbot of Portland and R. K. Sewall of Wis
casset were appointed a committee to report
amendments to the bylaws at the next an
nual meeting.
Messrs HI. S. Burrage of Portland, William
Goold of Windham and Henry Deering of
Portland were appointed a committee to COM
plete broken sets in the libra ry and procure
other desirable books, so far as may be done
by exchange and without expense to the
society.
General j. NJ. Brown reported that lease
had been executed, giving the society the
use of the rooms assigned them in the city
building for ten years.
General Brown, ex-Gov. Washburn and
nr
tion of thanks to the city, which was sub
sequently adopted.
The president was authorized to appoint the
the various committees
Mr.. r. X. Sewall of Gardiner then read a
very interesting and valuable paper on "Work
for the Future Historians of Maine''
In the evening the formal dedication of the
new rooms took place. Notwithstanding the
extraordinary cold weather there was quite a
large attendance OF members of the society
and invited guests including ladies. The city
was represented by Mayor Senter and large
number of the City Council. AT 7.3O o'clock
the guests were called together by President
Bradbury who delivered very interesting
address of which the following is the sub
stance:
PRESIDENT BRADBURY's ADDRESS
Ladies and Gentlenen:-In the belief that
removal of the society to this city would eulst
more general cooperation in its objects and
extend its efficiency, it was resolved at meet
ing held at Brunswick November 23d, 70 ac-
cept the generous accommodations offered by
this city and remove the library to the quar-
ters so literally fitted up by the resident men,
bers: Is not the presence of the honored au-
thorities of this city, and this goodly number
of the intelligence of the towns an evidence of
a desire and purpose that the fond anticipa-
tions of increased usefulness of the society
shall be fulfilled?
Since our last annual meeting, the last sur
vivor If our original corporate members has
deceased. The act of our corporation Febru-
ary 8, 1922 embraced 40 mem berS. Peleg
Sprague, the last survivor, died October 18th
last. Six years ago, at meeting held in this
building, there was another of the original COR
porators present, the venerable Ether Shep.
ley. When he entered, debate was suspended,
and the last survivor of the original 40, resi-
dent in the State the venerable Judge, was
welcomed, and narrated the reasons that led
to the formation of the society," the desire to
collect the facts and incidents of the State s
settlement and progress. After grateful ac-
acknowledgements Of Judge Shepley's presence a
congratulatory despatch was sent to Judge
Sprague in Boston. The speaker then paid a
high tribute to both Judge Shepley and Judge
Sprague, and continued by saying the original
49 corporators were remarkable body of men
on account of their distinguished character
and the great age they attained. The average
age of the whole body at death was 73, five ex.
ceeding 80 years and. fifteen So They are
classed as follows: law 30, divinity 7, medicine
7, mercantile 4, gentlemen 2. Amongst the
lawyers we find the names of Judges Bridges,
Cony, Dana, Fuller, Paris, Preble, Shepley
Sprague, Smith, Ware and Weston. AT the
bar Thomas Bond, Joseph Dane, Enoch Lin
coin, John Holmes, Stephen Longfellow
Reuel Williams. and William D. Williamson
the historian. The clergymen include Payson
Nichols and Tappan. Physicians, Isaac Lin
coin, Ariel Mann and Benjamin Vaughan. DIR
Vaughan was formerly member of the Brit
ish Parliament, residing in London and mar
ried daughter of Manning, the banker, OF
condition that he studied medicine three years
When he moved to Halowell in this state, he
was the friend and associate of Franklin. The
merchants included General King our first
governor and General Wingate Hon. Rob
ert w Gardiner and John Merrick were the
gentlemen.
We have a State deserving of place inhis-
tory whether we consider its discovery, settle
ment and thrilling incidents connected there
with, its extensive territory, frontier position
industries, educational, moral and relgious
Gu ture. Its cold climate and bad soil compe
the exercise of industry, economy and perse.
these industries our State produces
people of self reliance and enterprise
eminently fitted to coonize and built
up new States. They are found throu oh
out the Union, personally representing Maine
We cannot vie with the West and South il
the production of the great staples, but we cal
add to the wealth of the nation, young mel
and women intelligent, industrious and vir
tuous. While we regret their loss we car
claim ours is as valuable a product as an,
State can boast, al d that Maine is not wanting
in her contribution to the wealth of the world
How many nations have disappeared and ef
but fragment of their history behind them
1t is to secure the material for proper histor,
of our State and Country that we are eng age,
in this work.
What is the main object of our Society? Il
is to collect anc preserve as far as we are able
anything which will tend to explain and illus
trate any department of civil, ecclesiastical
and national history, especially of this State
and the United States. Especially is this tru
of Maine from its earliest discovery aud Sc tile
ment. 1t seeks these materials in early rec
ords, public offices, pamphlets and document
often found in private families, about to b.
thrown away as worthless, or exposed
to the corroding effects of time. Our
is historic ground. In Maine occurr
some of the conflicts between England an,
France for the possession of the best part O
the American continent; conflicts the n ost m,
mentous of modern times. For a time tb
French were in the advance. They possesse,
Montreal, Quebec, Louisburg, Port Royal an,
Castine, striving to extend their foothold O
the Atlantic coast. For a century and hal
this contest continued u ltil the fall of Quebe