The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1907-01-11
THE HISTORY OF MISSOURI.
The History of the State Has
Never Been Satisfactorily
Written.
By Walter Williams.

Missouri? 1t has not yet been
adequately written anywhere by
anyone.
How many Missourians have
sounded the praises OF their state
is probably best shown by the cen-
sus returns. How many have had
wet blanket thrown over their en-
thusiasm by the interested listener
who asks for history of the state
that he may share their enthus-
iastic admiration will never be
known. For strange as it must
seem, there is no story VI the state
that does justice to the subject.
The late Col. VIM. F. Switzler wrote
q history characterized by the
industry, justice, impartiality and
laborious accuracy that endeared
the author to three generations of
Missourians. In those chapters
| where Col. Switzler drew all too
sparingly on his personal expert
ence. The book is Invaluable,
but in general it is too much of
chronicle of fact to give any ade-
quate picture of the states de-
velopment, another proof that the
m an of action is but seldom fitted
to write history. The sketch of
Davis and Durrie is an Industrious
compilation without character or
insight. Cars "Missouri," in
spite of it's broader scope, is hope
lessly marred by an unintelligent
partisanship. In. special fields
their are books of permanent value
for example Billions invaluable
collections on the earlier history
of ST. Louis, the recollections
of Shepard and Darby, Snead'g
mastery "Fight for Missouri, z
in 1861 81. Yet there is still to be
written that story of the state that
Ijustifies to the unfortunate, who
is not a Missiourian, the whole
souled and loyal admiration Of
the Missourian for his state.
This rather surprising situation
is due to variety of causes, per-.
haps most of all 10 the extent of
the subject and the abundance
and the chaotic state of the ma
terial. before an adequate gem
eral history of Missouri can be
written, the sources must be
|, gathered into collections and them
made accessible by careful ar
rangement, analysis and editing.
/ Life is too short for one person to
undertake both tasks. The labor
81 collecting is well under way in
Missouri, that of classification is
untouched, SO that sources of Mis-
souri, history are practically un-
) explored. Beside the old news
papers, letters, private papers and
the like, of unknown extent and
value, scattered through the state
in private hands, there are sew
I eral large collections open to the
: public. The Missouri Historical
Society and the Mercantile Libra
Try at st. Louis have invaluabl1
collection of a local characteiv
especially important for the earl
liest periods when St. Louis WAS
the center of the district. Tho
archives at Jefferson City began
practically at 1888, the earlier
records having been consumed
( with the first capital building in
1897. For the history of the state
since it's admission by far tho
5 most valuable collection is that Of
the State Historical Society Of
, Missouri, at Columbia This col-
. lection is unrivaled in the field OF
\ official publications of the state
. far more complete than the file At
: jefferson City--and of works Of
Missouri authors; it contains the
best collection of early newspapers
. in the state, and has unbroken
I files OF over 600 of the more inns
: portant papers since 1859. Here
too may be found a large collec-
tion Of general works, biographies,
. county histories, pamphlets minus
tes and reports Of societies and the
like, and publications Of the lead
ing historical societies Of the
country. This collection on Nis~
souri, and United States history r.
: the University Library make Col-