CENTENNIAL HANDBO O K INDIANA HISTO RICAL SO CIETY 1830 - 1930 Edited by CHRISTO PHER B CO LEMAN . Indiana Historical Society Publications Volume 1 0 Number 1 INDIANAPOLI S PRINTED FOR THE SOCIETY 1 9 30 PAGE Th e o o : Indiana Hist rical S ciety A Hundred Years , A oo by James . W dburn o o f 18 30 - 1 930 R ster Of ficers , Legislative Charter Constitution o o f and M 1 930 R ster Officers embers , Publications THE INDIANA HISTORICAL SOCIETY A HUNDRED YEARS oo n By James A . W dbur ORGANI ZATION The Indiana Histo rical S ociety was first o rgan ized on De c m r 1 1 1 3 e b e 8 0 . o n o f th e , That was the f urteenth an iversary o o f t o oo f admissi n Indiana stateh d . The life o the S ociety o o f n o is a w rthy part India a hist ry . The minutes o f the first meeting o f the S ociety read as 1 f ollows I N O I 1 1 1 8 0 . IND A AP L S , December , 3 At a large and respectable meeting o f the members o f the general z o f o w o f o o assembly and citi ens the state and t n Indianap lis , c nvened at 2 o - o on 1 1 t h o f D 1 8 0 fo r the c urt h use Saturday evening , the ecember , 3 , the purpose o f taking into co nsideratio n the expediency o f f o rming an o o fo r f f o . o o hist rical s ciety the state Indiana , Mr Wm . Graham , Jacks n o to o o o f o c unty, was invited the chair , and Mr . H . P . Th rnt n , Washingt n o o c unty , app inted secretary . nh m f . o . a r a o o o o Mr J hn H F , Washingt n c unty , having in a few appr riat e o o f o o w p remarks stated the bj ect the meeting , presented the f ll ing reso lutio ns fo r co nsideratio n : . 1 5 wl th 1 m o rt anc e WHEREAS , This meeting fully impressed the p and necessity o f co llecting and p rese rvmg the materials fo r a c o mp reh en swe 1 “ o o f o o 1 8 0 - 1 886 In Pr ceedings the Indiana Hist rical S ciety, 3 , in P i l N dia Hi t i i t ublic a t n V . I na s or c a l Soc e o s o o . o y , I , . The pr ceedings as published in this vo lume are taken from the o riginal minute bo oks f f o the S o ciety with the excepti on o tho se o f the meetings in 1 859 . The book used that year wa s l o st in remo ving po ssessio ns o f the S ociety t $ fro m the State Bank building o the co unty courtho use . The rst o o o S o o o 1 6 v lume als includes the papers read bef re the ciety pri r t 88 . Not a single o ne o f these wa s in the po ssessio n o f the So ciety at the f time o f its reo rgani zation that year . The task o collecting them was f$ n a di cult o e and required ten years . 2 The building in which this first meeting was held wa s used both o o o o o o f n as a Mari n C unty c urth use and the capit l the state . It fro ted o n o o o u Washingt n Street in the present c urth use sq are . ( 5 ) 6 CENTENN IAL HANDBOOK o o f our o o o f and accurate hist ry c untry, natural , civil and p litical , many o f o n o f which are an ephemeral and transit ry ature , and in the absence well directed e fforts t o preserve them are rapidly passing into oblivio n ; w o f o o for o f and hereas , the establishment safe dep sit ries the keeping f o o . o o natural curi sities , manuscripts , public d cuments , etc , in the cust dy o o intelligent guardians interested in their accumulati n and preservati n , has ever been fo und promotive o f the public good and auxiliary to the o f o advancement science and literature ; theref re , Resolved A o f to o , s the sense this meeting , that it is expedient f rm o urselves into a society to be known and designa ted by the name o f th e “ $ I I I F I H STOR CAL S OC ETY O IND ANA . Resolved o o f o for , That a c mmittee seven gentlemen be app inted the purpo se o f drafting a co nstitution fo r the government o f said society to t o o o o f be submitted the appr bati n the meeting . n o Which were read and u anim usly adopted . The foll owing gentlemen were appo inted a committee in pursuance iz . H f o o o v . : o . o . ol the sec nd res luti n , Messrs J hn H Farnham , Jesse L o . o man , Jeremiah Sullivan , Isaac Blackf rd , William C Lint n , James Whitco mb and . David Wallace . f A o . o c om fter a retirement a few minutes , Mr Farnham , fr m said mitt ee o o f o o . , rep rted a draft a c nstituti n n He evidently had o e prepared . The name given was the $ Historical S ociety o f Indiana . The obj ects o f the S ociety were stated to be the collection o f on all materials calculated to shed light the natural , civil , o o o f o o o o f o and p litical hist ry Indiana , the pr m ti n useful kn wl o o o f edge , and the friendly and pr fitable interc urse such citi zens o f the state as are disposed to pro mote the af o resaid o bj ects . The constitution provided that the Society should meet semiannually at the courthouse in Indianapolis on the second o f o o f o days the sessi ns the supreme c urt , and there shall be an annual meeting o f the same on the first Saturday succeed $ n ing the meeti g o f the general assembly . o t o : - The fficers were be president , three vice presidents , o o o a c rresp nding secretary , a rec rding secretary , a treasurer , o o f m o f o and an executive c mmittee five me bers , three wh m o o t o should constitute a qu rum . This c mmittee was o ch ose subj ects for public lectures and t o appoint the lecturers fo r the o annual and semiannual meetings . It was als made the duty o f the committee t o publish the lectures and comm unicatio ns ; t o o f oo o o take charge all b ks , papers , specimens , m dels , curi si - . t o b t o ties , etc ; and make y laws , direct disbursements , and out not o o for carry all measures therwise pr vided . INDIANA HISTORI CAL SOCIETY 7 The o f ficers were given the privilege o f sitting with the Executive Committee and o f voting on all matters coming 3 o o o . befo re them . Signing the c nstituti n c nstituted membership ne o Each member was to pay o d llar as annual dues . FIRST OFFICERS o 1 5 1830 At a meeting f ur days later , December , , Benjamin Parke of Salem was elected as the first president o f the So c iet o o o f o La w o f y . On m ti n Judge J hn the three j udges the Supreme Court were elected as vice - presidents : Judge Isaac o o f o o - Blackf rd , Kn x C unty , as first vice president , Judge Jesse o o f o o o - L . H lman , Dearb rn C unty , as sec nd vice president , o o f o - Judge James Sc tt , Clark C unty , as third vice president . o F o f o o J hn H . arnham , Salem , was elected c rresp nding secre F Mo o f o o tary, Bethuel . rris , Indianap lis , rec rding secretary , o o and James Blake , of Indianap lis , treasurer . The foll wing : M o f were elected as the Executive Committee Samuel errill , o o o f Indianap lis , Ge rge H . Dunn , Lawrenceburg , James Whit o f oo o o o f comb , Bl mingt n , J hn Law , Vincennes , and Isaac o o f o H wk, Charlest wn . A N NUAL LECTURES On mo tion o f Judge H olman it was resolved that the annual lectures should deal with I . o f The hist ry o the Indian tribes within the state . 2 . The civil and po litical history o f the state from its earliest settlement .