Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-10-06
COUNTY INTERESTING
TERRITORY FOR RESEARCH.
HOME OF FAMOUS INDIAN CHIEFTAlNS
Iowa Behind Its Neishbors in Publca-
ton of Early Documents-State His
torical Society Doing Good Work.
A Quarterly Publication.

have valuable and historical interest
In the early settlement of the state.
Within the county were some of the
earliest interior settlements in the
state and within it's borders was the
Indian agency for many years for the
two most highly developed tribes of
Indians on the continent, the Sacs
and the Foxes. A portion of the lives
of Wapello, Keokuk and Blackhawk,
three of the wisest and greatest In
dian chieftains that ever lived was
spent along the streams and on the
prairies of Wapello county.
Files of Courier Complete.
The county is fortunate also in that
the Courier, which is one Of the oldest
papers in the state, was founded very
early in the settlement Of the county
and that files of the paper are com
plete almost from the first issue OF
the paper. The Courier early took a
prominent position among the leading
papers of the state and consequently
within its files there appears con.
tinuous story of the growth and devel-
opment not only of the county but Of
the entire state
From time to time the Courier of
today culls from the pages of the pio-
neer Courier the paragraphs that have
an interesting and important bearing
upon the early history of the county
and presents them under the heading
of fifty year stories. By this means
the people of Ottumwa and the read
ers of the Courier scattered through
out southeastern Iowa are perhaps bet
ter informed upon the early pioneer
times than the people of any other sec
ton of the state.
Behind Their Neighbors.
AS whole the people of Iowa are
said to be behind the people of sew
eral other states in their interest and
information concerning the carry his
tory of their own state. Iowa has for
long time been dead to the value of
collecting and publishing the records
of her early history.
State Historical Society.
Wisconsin, Minnesota and Kansas
are said to have left Iowa far in the
rear in the matter of publishing early
documents that bear upon the history
of the state. An organization known
as the State Historical society is now
doing an important work in that line
and now that the state is waking up
to the value and interest of these early
| stories and documents it is likely that
| there will be many permanently in
teresting and important publications
gotten out by the society.
Recent Publications.
There have been issued this year by
the society three volumes of the Mes
sages and Proclamations of the Gov
ernors Of Iowa." in addition to quar-
| terly journal started last January. The
volumes We're compiled and edited by
| Benjamin F. Shambaugh, A. M, Phi. d.
4 professor of political science in the
4 University Of Iowa. In the preface
/ to the first volume it is stated that the
4 publication of these documents was
authorized by an act of the twenty
ninth general assembly making an APP
preparation to the State Historical so.
ciety for the purpose.
The compilation contains four class
es of documents: 1. Regular mes
sages. 2. Veto messages; 8 Special
messages; 4. Proclamations, Volume
one contains the messages and proc.
lamations of Governors Dodge, Lucas,
Chambers, Clarke, Briggs and Hemp.
stead, volume two those of Governors
| Grimes, Lowe and Kirkwood; volume
/ three the messages of Governors Stone
and Merrill. That is as far as the pub.
LEGATION has gone as yet, but work on
succeeding volumes is being pushed
4 rapidly and more volumes will be is.
sued within a short time 1t is given
out as Dr.. Shambaugh's purpose to
| bring the series down to the documents
4 of the present day. The volumes in
short, will contain political, economic
and social history of the state since the
| formation of the Territory of Wiscon
sin until the present time. All the
questions that have come to an issue
in the general assemblies are touched
upon in these volumes.
Biographical Sketches.
Short biographical sketches are pre-
fixed to the messages and proclama
tons of the different governors. The
] opening message in the first volume is
the first annual message of Governor
Dodge, after congress had established
the territorial government Of Wiscon
sin, October 26, 1886. These publ
cations will be a veritable mine OF
treasure for anyone searching into the
history of the state. In his preface tc
the second volume, containing the
messages of the war governor, Kirk
wood, DR.. Shambaugh says:
i Without the materials included in
this volume, the history of Iowa in the
civil war cannot be written"
4 And the same thing might with JUS
tice be said of the whole series. Sena
tor Dolliver has told of beguiling g
wearisome railway journey by reading
Governor Kirkwoods messages an(
finding them more absorbing than any
fiction.
Il A Quarterly Journal.
The State Historical society has un
dertaken another worthy work in the
publication of the Iowa Journal of His
!, tory and Politics issued quarterly a
Iowa City under Dr. Shambaugh's edi
torship. Three numbers have been is
sued so far, January, April and July
The first number contains "Joliet ant
/ Marquette in Iowa" by Laenas Clifford
Weld and .Histoiico-Anthropo
Possibilities in Iowa." by DIR. Duren ]
!, H. Ward, an authority in this countr,
on all anthropologica and chronological
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