Gloucester County Democrat., 1909-01-14
HISTORICAL SOCIETY !

Gloucester County Historical Society
was held in the Court House, this city,
Tuesday afternoon with large at
tendance, indeed the capacity of the
Grand Jury room was overtaxed.
President Whitall was in the chair.
Secretary T. e. Parker read the in
| teresting minutes of the last meeting,
| Mr.. Livermore read the report of the
| trustees, with the following personal
recommendation for the formation of
| South Jersey Historical Society.
A SOUTH JERSEY HISTORICAL
SOCIETY. ~
There is a belief among some of the
people of this community interested in
historical research that society In
| cluding the counties of South Jersey
should be formed.
| [ At present there are several local
Organizations; in fact, there are coun-
| ty societies in Camden, Gloucester,
Salem and Cumberland counties, each
of which is doing excellent work IN
collecting information and relics. But
each working independently misses
| important features that a more gem
eral society could and would cover
| better.
| Camden county historians find many
| interesting points that are interviewer
with Gloucester county data, and so
must the other counties be largely de-
pendent upon their neighbors for col
lateral facts. A central organization
with library and museum would be
an ideal way to collect conveniently
and accessively all such data. T
| Salem and Gloucester counties, es
pecially the former, have both collect
| ed many rare relics of the earlier
days, as well as very useful and inter-
esting facts about the doings of the
first settlers and the people who had
| to do with the making of South Jer-
sey. 6The work has been thoroughly
done and the research for more in
formation goes steadily and carefully
on. But it is done with particular
interest for the county, and does not
| complete the work as a central So
ciety would do.
Southern New Jersey was always
one of the best managed and most
successful of the colonies planted in
the New World. Tn settlers were of
a higher class. The treatment of the
natives was more humane and more
sensible, therefore more successful.
| The lack of masSacres and other SEN
sational features, due of course to
! the wiser management of affairs, has
had tendency to keep from the pub
| lie notice the very important and
creditable history of our section. A
! society amalgamated from the sew
eral excellent local organizations,
whose objct would be the bringing to-
| gether of all the features of our his
| tory as a larger section, would give
| South Jersey the standing it should
| have.
The State Historical Society is To-
Gated at the northern end of New Jer-
sey, and the active members coming
almost exclusively from that section
| the work accomplished does not
reach to our territory. And, further,
| the remoteness of the records of the
State Society makes them practically
| inaccessible for antiquarians of our
section.
| 1t is hoped this subject will be
taken up and given careful consider
alton Every community should be
careful to see that its history is cor
rectly and amply written, especially
/ every large section. South Jersey
has a history to be proud of, but at
present it is not collated in way to
render it accessible except at the ex-
pense of much time and research. A
South Jersey Historical Society, by
Systematically taking up the history
| in cycles of time and covering the
whole section, would in a few years
have a volume of practical records
stored where they could be found and
put to use at any time by interested
persons with the least possible trouble.
| The Auditing committee reported a
balance of $26.S9 in the treasury.
| Secretary Parker read the following
report of his Office
This Society is just six years old
to-day, having been organized Jan.
IL, 1908. It's start was like that of
the first boy, it's advent was marked
with some eclat, but as it passed
through the critical dentition period
| its life was simply of domestic inn
portance; but as it grew older and
stronger it became more vigorous,
and began to make itself heard out
side of the narrow confines of its
| home, until now it is lively, kicking
healthy organization, sitting up and
| taking notice and attracting attention.
| 1t has begun to realize its own per-
sonality and we now have a buxom
/ lad of six years, able to blow his own
horn and to let those outside know
| of his existence.
/ The year, 1908, was quite eventful,
the annual meeting held year ago
was an enthusiastic, instructive and
interesting one. Two papers were
| readwhich contained valuable his
tory relating to our State and COM
munity. In April we journeyed to
Haddonfield where we were royalty
treated by its citizens both literarily
and socially. In July we went to
Mantua and studied nature under the
canopy of majestic oak
In September Valley Forge was
visited where we had treat not soon
to be forgotten. These four meetings
each and all added greatly to our
historical knowledge. To many it
was like opening the ucntu leaves of
a book. Yet nothing new was given