Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1892-08-19
WESTERN RESERVE HISTORICAL soc1ET

SlueS, the historical society now has ample
accommodations for it's museum andlibra-
ry, and the fireproof character of the build
ing insures their safety. These valuable
collections of books, manuscripts and Gu
riosities have been made with a special
view to throwing light upon Ohio history,
but they include in a less thorough way
the whole west, and take cognizance of
archaeology and geology as we'll as history.
The library consists of over IL, 600 volumes,
more than 5000 of which specially relate to
the local and general history of the west.
1t is in this respect perhaps the most COM
plete to be found anywhere, and contains
many rare volumes and manuscript records
that are priceless. Twenty-three volumes
OF field notes, surveys and like data bear
ing upon the early settlement of the Con-
nectlcut Reserve, besides twenty-five col.
lectlons of letters, memoranda, journals
and the like relating to historical persons
or of value in throwing light upon west
ern history, are among the treasures of the
society that money could not buy. The
works bearing upon genealogy are an
other feature of the library, numbering
upward of 600 volumes, and so complete
that the secretary of the society has had
requests to trace family descent from even
far distant New Zealand.
The publications of the society have been
among it's most important work. Eighty
three monographs have thus far appeared,
the last being Professor M. L. Reid's val
liable Archaeology of Ohio" Professor
u. Frederick Wright, the famous Oberlin
geologist, first attracted attention in his
papers published by this society, notably
the brochure on the Terminal Morsine,"
printed in 1884, and it's encouragement and
patronage did much to secure the publica-
ton of his valuable ''Ice Age North of
America" Among other important publ
cations are one by President James A.
Garfield on THE Northwest Territory
Colonel Charles Whittlesey's study of
'"The Ancient Earthworks of the Cuya-
hoga Valley" and MI. Cornelius Baldwin's
on Burial Cists in Northeastern Ohio"
Both the latter are of great archaeological
value and are in frequent request by stu
dents and societies both at home and
abroad. Perhaps the most notable achieve
ment ofs the society was the purchase Of
the papers, letters and journals of General
Arthur St. Clair, which was made by the
state of Ohio through the instrumentality
of this organization, and the direction of
their publication, a most praiseworthy
work.
The society has also performed a great
public service in securing and preserving
a very complete set of maps of Ohio, Ohio
counties and the west in general. These
number over 800 at this time, and it would
be impossible to duplicate the collection.
1t has also issued many excellent and rare
maps and charts to accompany its publica-
tions.
The museum excels as a collection of
Indian relics and implements, principally
representing Ohio, and in the remains of
the mound builders. It's most noticeable
piece is the Palarolithic implement found
at New Comerstown, O., in the terrace
gravels, in October, 1889, and pronounced
by Professor G. F. Wright and other EN-
inent authorities to be a relic of prehistoric
man in the centuries before the glacial
period, and therefore thousands of years
old. It is the third specimen of the kind
ever found in the central west.
The museum is especially rich in Indian
remains and limestone fossils from the
Lake Erie islands, and the society owns a
three acre lot on Kelly's island showing to
perfection the immense grooves cut in the
limestone there by glacial action, probably
the most wonderful in the world. Among
Indian relics may be mentioned very fine
collections Of bone needles, fishhooks and
the like, stone net sinkers, axes, pestles,
very large and fine stone spades or hoes
and stone drills.
The remains of the mound builders are
also well represented by rare copper beads
n rings, skulls and images taken from
northern Ohio mounds, a polished stone
whistle found in a mound within the city
limits, and a very rare relic, besides a large
amount of pottery and more common or.
ticles.
The museum r~ejoices in the possession
of King Philips wal club, dating from
1866, and brought to the Reserve by an old
Massachusetts family. There are besides
numerous relics of Bradstreet's disastrous
expedition, which went ashore some eight
miles west of this city in 1854; a very COM
,plete set Of early Ohio newspapers, from
The Trump of Fame, first published at
Warren, June 8, 1912, down to recent years,
and comprising in all over 1000 volumes,
and a complete set Of the United States
geological surveys casts Of the cliff ruins
and pueblos Of the west, only a half dozen
of which are in existence.
The society at present has a membership
of upward OF 800, and includes many Of
the most scholarly and able men in Ohio