SEVENTH BIENNIAL REPORT OF TH& Higtorical DBpartmBnt of Iowa MADE TO THE TRUSTEES OPTIR State Library and Historical Department OCTOBER 3'· '90) BY CHARLES ALDRICH, CURATOR PRINTED BY ORDER OP THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 0&8 KOIN£8 . 8. MtrRPBT, tT.t.T• PlllliM'J:Il, ltD. LETTER OF TRAN MITTAL STATE HISTORICAL DEPARTMENT, DES MOINES, IOWA, October 31, 1905. To tlte Ilmwl'able Board of Trztilieeil: GE:-ITLEllEN,-Pursuant to the requirements of the Code (1 97) I have the honor herewith to transmit the Seventh Bien­ nial Report of the Hi torioal Department of Iowa. Very respectfully yours, Ut~/P~ Curator. HISTORICAL DEPART lENT OF IOWA tRUSTB GOVERNOR ALBERT B. CUMMINS . JUDGE H . E DEEMER. CBmF JUSTICE JOHN C. SHERWIN. !ION. W. B. MARTIN, JUDGE EM LIN McCLAIN . u:retary of Slate. JUDGE S . M. WEAVER. HON. JOHN F . RIGGS, JUDGE SCOT'r M LADD . S11/JI. Publu ltuln~elion • JUDGE CHARLES A. BISHOP. CHARLES ALDRICH, Curator. lollS' MARY R. WHITCOMB, Assisla"/ CMralor. Ml Al,ICE I. STEELE, Clerk and Stmograplur. T VAN HYNING, /lfuseum Assirla,.t. INTRODUCTION Since the last (6th) Biennial Report from the Historical De­ partment its work has proceeded without essential change as it was begun on the first day of July, 1892. Every effort has been put forth to increase the collections within the limits of our resources. Valuable purchases have been made and some finds of more than ordinary intere:;t and value have come to light and been secured. Mention of these will be made o.nder appropriate headings. THE NEWSPAI'I::l~ COLLECTION While the colleotion of newspapers is not so extensive as in :;orne of our i ler stale!'! of the .Iiddle West, it is growing at a very ~atisfactory rate. The value and u fulne 1< of thi!? collec­ tion ha>~ long since been demonstrate•! both to the press and thl!l people of Iowa. Of papers publish d in this State we arl'l now receiving twenty-four dailies, 21!0 weeklit•s and twelve semi­ weeklieA. Our most important addition is a. complete filo of 7'/w lt~r:o!.~tk aat. f 'itu. This leading journal of southeastern Iowa was started at Keoaau•tua, Van Buren county, in 1845, when it was called 'rba Des ,lfoin<s lr,•llc!l W!tig. Later on the estab­ lishment was removed to Keokuk, where the name was changed to 1'/•e a,,,, Uit:1· Publi hod as it was in th e important towns, which oecupi d advanced poAition in pioneer days, when both were the homes o! men who afterwards rose to eminence in the Rtateor nation, the files or Tilt' Onfr• Uify become a great reposi­ tory or historical information. Keo.;auqua and Keokuk sent out men to high pof!itions in the judiciary, the army (during the civil war), and to places u( usefulness and honor in the govern­ ment of the State. The e considerations ~tive great value to this recent addition to our resources. During the long period ot its publication it was first edited by lion. J. B. Howell, who was alerted United States Senator in 1870, and afterwards appointed to a high judicial position. He was succeeded by Hon. Sam M. Clark, who served the district two terms as a member o[ the national house of representatives. Both were able writers and industrious editors. The State is indebted to the la.te Hon. C. F. Davia, of Keokuk, for the conscientious preservation of this unbroken file of one of its ablest representative journals. 8 SEVENTH BIENNIAL REPORT OF THE IDSTORIOAL DEPARTMENT 01! IOWA. 9 There is no section of my work. in which I take more pride port of 19 pages by General William T. Sherman; An Address than in this growing collection of Iowa. newspapers. That it of 10 pages by Governor Kirkwood; An address of 28 pages by will be highly valuable and most useful in coming years is a. Rev. Dr. William Salter; and the Requisitions of Governor John proposition in which there is no element of doubt. Especially Letcher of Virginia, on Governor Kirkwood-1860---for the per­ valuable are the almost unbroken files of Tlte Keokuk Gate City, son of Barclay Coppoc, one of John Brown's men. In addition Tlte Dubuque Herald, Tlte Ottumwa Oourie1·, Tlte Charles Oily to the above, several manuscripts and many hundreds of letters Intelligencer, Algona Upper Des Moines, The Boone S tanda•·d, await examination and final disposition. and 'l.'lte Boone Denwc••at. I have taken especial pains not only THE ANNALS OF IOWA AND OTHER PUBLICATlONS to extend this collection, until it includes many of the foremost journals in the United States, but to keep the files complete. The publication of the 3d series of this quarterly magazine And speaking of Iowa journals and their editors, I wish to place of history and biography has now entered upon its seventh val· on record a. word of most sincere appreciation and thank• for ume. Its articles have for the most part been prepared by old the constant and generous support they have given me in this Iowans, especially for its pages, recording the observations or work from its origin until the present time. experiences of those who witnessed or pa~ticipa.ted in the events described. The biographical sketches were in like manner writ­ THE LIBRARY . ten from personal knowledge of the subjects. We have thus The list of accessions in the library is herewith presented. acquired upwards of 4,000 pageo of original materials for his- Constant demands have been made upon the Department for tory, the value and authenticity of which I believe to be beyond works in local history and genealogy and as far as our funds question. We have also been fortunate in securing many por­ have permitted the library has been strengthened in this direction. traits, some of which are engraved on steel in the best style of The demand has risen from the desire of our people to trace the art, all of which are highly worthy of preservation. This their genealogy as far back as possible, especially to the revolu­ publication goes without charge to all Iowa. public libraries, and tionary war and their immigrant ancestors. I deem it of the is sent as an exchange to newspapers and historical periodicals first importance that local and county histories published in the which come to this Department. The Annals thus brings to the eastern and middle as well as the western states, shall have a historical library the amplest compensation for its cost, aside place in the Historical Library. They are an indispensable part from what its pages contain. The 1st and 2d series, now out of of every collection in genealogy. People who come to our library print, were published in Iowa. City, by the State Historical to look up their genealogy almost invariably inquire for .books Society and in like manner contain much that is highly valuable. of local history pertaining to their old homes. There has been There is a growing demand for their republication, which I no relaxation of effort to increase our collections in general and have no doubt will be done sooner or later. western history and the history of the Indians throughout During the past year the Department has published a third North America.. Especial attention is given to the acquisition edition of "John Brown Amon'~' the Quakers and Other of works of statistics relating to the State and the United States. Sketches," by Hon. Irving B. Richman, late Consul General to Switzerland. This historical work is now well known through­ AUTOGRAPH LETTERS, MANUSCRIPTS AND PORTRAITS out Io;.,a, as it has been freely supplied to our school, college The Aldrich Collection, from which the Historical Depart­ and public libraries. ment has grown to its present proportions, now nearly fills seven The Department has in press a book of Reminiscences, from large cases built upon the model adopted at the beginning. the pen of the late Rev. John Todd, a distinguished pioneer Many of the larger original manuscripts have been put into clergyman of southwestern Iowa., in war times and earlier. He beautiful bindings, with illustrative portraits. Among the most was also one of the founders of Tabor College. The work will noteworthy of those recently bound may be mentioned: A Re- be beautifully printed and will prove both interesting and valu­ able. SEVENTH BIENNIAL REPORT OF TH1i: 10 HISTORIOAL DEPARTMENT OF IOWA. 11 THE 1\IUSEtThf of the Historical Building. The Museum gives the people who This part of our work has grown far beyond our ability to visit it in such great numbers, a compensation for the taxes they place the collections on exhibition, and much valuable material pay for its support. Aside from the interest attaching to its remains in storage. We have received valuable contributions multifarious objects as mere matters of curiosity, many of them from Hon. E. H. Conger, Ambassador to China and Mexico, and possess much interest from their historic associations. With the from the Smithsonia'! Institution and the Bureau of Ethnology. increase of space, judging the future by the past, I am certain From the War and Navy Departments and elsewhere we have that the growth of the Museum will be rapid and most satisfac­ acquired a large quantity of war materials, from small arms to tot-y to the people of our great and growing State. a 13-inch mortar. The collection of rifles, muskets and revolv­ THE HISTORICAL BUILDING ers is especially large and varied, coming down from the old A contract for the completion of this structure-known in the blunderbuss and match and flint locks to the latest inventions Jaw approved Apr,il 2, 1904, as "the Historical, Memorial and of the present day.