Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1897-12-08
FOR SEMI-CENTENNIAL.
State Historical Society Sends Cir
Culars to Town Clerks and
Teachers.

Madison, Wis, Dec. 6.-[Special /
Secretary Thwaites Of the State Histori-
cal society this morning mailed to the
100 town clerks throughout Wisconsin,
to 500 school teachers, to members of the
Legislature and active citizens generally
copies of an deliberately prepared circular
of suggestions with reference to prepara-
tons for the proper celebration of the
approaching semi-centennial of the state.
Under the heading of "Suggestions to Lo-
cal Historical Societies. the circular says:
Obviously, among the first things to be
done is to select, by whatever method may
be thought best by those Immediately con-
cerned, one or more county historians the
six months now Intervening is none too long
for proper research into the county'S history.
The question as to whether the county snail
have one or more county historians should
depend for its solution, it seems to us, On
the characteristics of the county itself.
county chiefly agricultural, or having some
other predominating industry or interest,
will no doubt be best served by one person;
but a county with several, diversified inter
ests may well divide the work of preparing
data-for example in the case Of a county
like ashland one might prepare report on
the lumber industry and the development OF
the old forest lands into an agricultural
region, another on the iron industry, anoth-
er on the fisheries and the lake commerce,
another en- the various foreign groups, and
perhaps enother on the political history of
the county. There is no reason why the
county historians may not, with sufficient
organization and working ON proper lines,
quite satisfactorily summarize the history
of their several counties at least during the
past fifty years The data which they col
lect and present, need by means be con-
fined to annals of pioneer settlement-al-
though these will form an essential back
ground; but should be of such general char
acter that, when condensed and grouped
in the proposed semi-centennial volume, they
shall serve to unfold the growth of the
larger history of the state on it's industrial,
social, and political sides. A special cir
GUAR, with suggestions to county historians,
IS IN IN course OF preparation, and will be
to have the names Of all such local his
torlans, as soon as chosen; and of any others
VINO are willing to do work in this direction.
frequent meetings may proritably be held,
throughout the winter, at which selected
persons shall present papers upon various
phases of county history.-the same to be
promptly loaned to the county historian for
such use in his report he may deem fit,
put all to be carefully preserved and event
clety at Madison, TO be preserved in the
state archives which it holds in trust for
the people of Wisconsin.
Among the topics which may properly
De discussed IN the papers to be presented
to these meetings, the circular suggests
the following: Archaeology; Indian
tribes; pioneer American settlement; his
tOrlcal monuments such as Indian trails.
sites of early buildings, etc; groups of
foreign-born settlers; military history.
of the local historical societies with the
teachers in the public schools. The State
Historical society desires to amass all the
historical material which may be the out
come OF the state Semi-centennial move
ment. To this end it invites contribu-
tons not only of original narratives and
papers, as above outlined but all manner
of diaries, journals, account books. sur
veyors' note and field books pamphlets
leaflets, newspaper files or clippings, ETC.,
which may serve in any way. however
apparently slight, TO throw light on the
history of the people of Wisconsin. what
ever their nationality. 1t will welcome
such gifts, whether from organizations or
from individuals