The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-05-23
History Of the Mississippi Valley VII te Brought to Light at
SenAnnuQl Meeting of Historical Association Last of Week
An Elaborate Program Has
Been Arranged Which Will
Interest All Americans in
the Great Middle Western
States from Gulf to Lakes.
american News Service)


Iowa City, Iowa, May 23-More inter-
esting details of the thrilling and TO-
mantle history of the Mississippi val
ley will be brought to light and record
co at the sem1-annual meeting of the
Mississippi Valley Historical associa-
ton to be held in this city May 1921
This body was organized three years
ago for the purpose of conducting an
extensive research into the history of
the Mississippi valley and encourag-
ing the study of the history of this
| wonderful section.
The society has had a remarkable
growth and its membership which was
originally composed of seven men, now
includes thousands of individuals rep
| resenting seventy-one colleges. univer-
stiles and normal schools. sixty seven
public and state libraries and forty four
historical societies.
Not only has the organization made
| rapid progress in its membership but
its work has been most commendable
and valuable-not only to the people of
the Mississippi valley. but of the whole
United States. Interesting and valua-
BILE records of the early settlers of this
region have been uncovered by various
members of the organization who have
spent their time and money in this
work. At the semi-annual meetings
papers are read by the various mem
bers who have been engaged in this
work of research, and the proceedings
of the meetings are afterwards pub.
lished in book form.
The first volume which has already
been issued, treats of the explorations
study and writing of history in the
Mississippi valley, the diplomatic cor
respondence of Augustus Caesar
Dodge, and the sectional elements in
the early history of Milwaukee.
The second volume which is now in
press, contains remarks on the study
of aboriginal American history, did
Coronado reach the Missouri river or
enter the state of that name, the sig
nificance Of tn British attack on st.
Louis in $780, and the early trade and
travel in the lower Mississippi valley.
The works of research, however, is
not confined to the Mississippi valley,
and one of the large projects which the
association is contemplating is the ex-
ploitation of the archives Of the other
countries in order to obtain more in
formation on the early settlers of this
region.
In England. in France, in Spain, in
Cuba, are hundreds of thousands Of
manuscripts, official and private which
throw light on the development of the
great heart of the North American con-
tinent. There are memoirs of explor-
ers, dead now two or three hundred
years, copies of instructions to French
Officials assigned to posts all the way
from the great lakes to the gulf, let
tiers and reports from Carondelet and
Gayoso de Lemos and Morales, and
scores of other governors, intendants
and other officers in New Spain.
There are French manuscripts rela-
tive to the conspiracy of Aaron Burr
and the Vaccinations of General Will
knison and Senator Blount. There are
descriptions of the Missouri river and
the tribes that lived upon it written
two hundred years ago.
To make calendars and transcripts
of this foreign material is task of
immense proportions. The manu-