University of Oklahoma College of Law University of Oklahoma College of Law Digital Commons American Indian and Alaskan Native Documents in the Congressional Serial Set: 1817-1899 1-5-1892 Message from the President of the United States transmitting the report of the United States Board on Geographic Names. Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.law.ou.edu/indianserialset Part of the Indian and Aboriginal Law Commons Recommended Citation H.R. Exec. Doc. No. 16, 52nd Cong., 1st Sess. (1892) This House Executive Document is brought to you for free and open access by University of Oklahoma College of Law Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in American Indian and Alaskan Native Documents in the Congressional Serial Set: 1817-1899 by an authorized administrator of University of Oklahoma College of Law Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 52D CONGRESS, } HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Ex. Doc. 1st Session. { No.16. ---··-~ UNITED S'rATES BO.A.. HD 0~ GEOGHAPIIIC NAMES. MESSAGE !<'ROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES THAN~:\Il'J'TL "(i The report of tlw United State8 Boa1·d ou Ucograph ie Na nw8. JANUARY 5, 1892.-Referre•li o the Uommittee on Printing and ordered to be printed. To the Senate and Ho'l~se of Representatives: My attention having been called to the neees~;ity of bringing a bout a uniform usage and spelling of geographie names in the publications of the Government, the following executive order was issued on the 4th <lay of September, 1 H!)O: As it is clesirabh~ that nniform usage in regar(l to geographic nomenclature and orthography obtain throughout the Executive Departments of the Government, and particularly npon the mapR awl charts issue•l b,v the Yarions Departments and Bureaus, I hereby constitute a Boar(l on <l-eographic ~ames, nn<l designate the fol­ }(],wing persons, who have hnrdoforo coiipPrate(l for a Himilar purpose under the ~nthority of the several DepartmentH, bureaus, and iuHtitutions with which they are r onnected, as memb<'rs of Hai<l Board: Prof. Thomas C. Mendenhall, F. S. Coast awl (l-co<ldi(~ Rurv('Y, <'hairman. Andre'" H. Allt>n, Departuwut. of Statt•. Capt. Henry L. Howison, Light-House Bom·<l, Trea~mry Dep<trtment. Capt. Thomas Tnrtle, EngiuPer UorpR, \Vnr J)ppartmellt. Lieut. Richardson Ulover, Hy<lro.~raphi(· Office, Navy Department. Pierson H. Bristow, l'ost -Office Dt•partmen t. Otis T. Mason, Smitluwni:m Im>titntion. Herbert G. Ogden, U. S. Uoast awl Heo(letit· ~nt"Yey. Henry Gannett, U. S. Geologieal Snrvey. Marcus Baker, U, S. Geological Snrny. To this Board shall be referre(l all unsettled qncstions eoncerniug geographic names which arise In tho Departments, an<l the de('isions of tbe Boar(l arc to he ac­ cepted by these Departments as the sta•n(l:ml anthority in Hn<'h matters. Department officers are instrncted to afford such assistnn(·e as may be proper to carry on the work of this Board. The members of this Boar<l shall sen·e without atlditional eoutpensation, awl its organization shall entail no exP,ense on tho Government. The report of the J~oard t.hus constitute<l luu; been l'nbmiite(l to me and is herewith transmitted for the information of CongreHH and with a view to its publieation in 1·mitaule form, if sneh nc·tion i~ <l<'Pmed by Congress to be de~iraul<.'. BENJ, liAlUUSON. EXECUTIVE 1\fANSION, Decembe1· 237 1891. * 2 UNITED STATES BOARD ON GEOGRAPHIC NAMES. The PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: SIR: The United States Board on Geographic Names, constituted under the executive order of September 4, 1890, has the honor to sub­ mit to you herewith its first report: ORIGIN AND HISTORY. The necessity for a Board for inducing uniform usage and spelling of geographic names in the publications of the Government has long been apparent. There are several bureaus and departments engaged in the construc­ tion of maps and charts, and the publication and dissemination of geographic information. Prominent among them. are the Coast and Geodetic Survey, which is making charts of the coasts of the United States, the Hydrographic Office of the Navy Department, from which emanate charts of foreign coasts, the Geological Survey, which is mak­ ing a mother map of the United States, the·General Land Office, which compiles from its plats maps of most of the States and Territories, the Post-Office Department, which decides the names of all post-offices, etc. Besides these there is scarcely a bureau of the General Govern­ ment which does not have occasion in its reports and other papers to use geographic names, to a greater or less extent. It is well known that there have existed among these bureaus differ­ ences of usage concerning geographic names. Indeed, even among different publications of the same bureau, usage has not been uniform. It has frequently occurred that the same bureau has used different forms at different times and in different publications. In the winter of 1889 and 1890 this matter became a subject of conference among a few of those most deeply interested, and it was decided to attempt the removal of a seriouE¥ and growing evil in the publications of the Gov­ ernment. Wi"th this purpose in view, a voluntary association of repre­ sentatives of some of the bureaus interested was formed early in the spring for the purpose of considering and deciding upon the proper names or the spelling to be adopted in such cases as should be brought before it, and thus gradually to bring about uniformity in the publica­ tions of the bureaus represented in respect to geographic names. There were represented in this association the Coast and Geodetic Survey, the Hydrographic Office, the Geological Survey, the Light­ House Board, the Smithsonian Institution, the Departments of State and War, and the Post-Office Department. After several meetings, in which much was done in the way of de­ termining methods of procedure and adopting general principles for guidance, as well as the consideration and decision of more than a hun­ dred cases, it was· recognized that the importance of the work of the association and the difficulties of an administrative character which might be anticipated, required that its 9rganization should be strength­ ened. Under these circumstances executive authority could alone se­ cure adoption in all Government publications of the decisions of the association. The matter was therefore brought to your attention and the association was clothed with the necessary authority by the following J!;XECUTIVE ORDER. As it is desirable that uniform usage in regard to geographic nomenclature and orthography obtain throughout the Executive Departments of the Government, and particularly upon the maps and charts issuecl by the various Departments and bu­ reaus, I hereby constitute a Boarcl on Geographic Names, and designate the following UNI'rED STATES BOARD ON GEOGRAPHIC NAMES. 3 persons, who have heretofore coi)perated for a similar purpose under the authority of the several Departments~ bureaus, and institutions with which they are connecten, as members of said Board: Prof. 'I'homas C. Mendenhall, U.S. Coast and Geodetie Snrvey, chairman. Andrew H. Allen, Department of State. Capt. Henry L. Howison, Light-House Board, Treasury Department. Capt. Thomas Turtle, Engineer Corps, War Department. Lieut. Richa.rdson Clover, Hydrographic Office, Navy Department. Pierson H. Bri:stow, Post-Office Department. Otis T. Mason, Smithsonian Institution. Herbert G. Ogden, U.S. Coast and Geodetic Snrve,v. Henry Gannett, U.S. Geological Survey. Marcus Baker, U.S. Geological Survey. To this Board shall ue referred all unsettled q nestious concerning geographic names which arise in the Departments, and the decisions of the Board are to be accepted by these Departments as the standard authority in such m~Ltters. Department officers are instructed to afford such assistance as may be proper to carry on the work of this Board. The members of this Board shall serve without additional compensation, and its organization shall entail no expense on the Government. BEN.JAl\UN HARRISON. EXECUTIVE MANSION, September 4, 1890. Under this authority the Board has held seventeen meetings. It has adopted a code of by-laws for regulating the transaction of business, ha::; agreed upon certain general principles for guiding its decisions, and has decided about 2,000 cases. The by-laws under which its proceedings have been carried on are as follows: 13Y-LAWS. I.-.Nanw. This organization shall be called "The United States Board on Geographic Names." H.-Officers of the Boa1·d. The officers shall consist of a, chairman, a Sf}cretary (who shall be elected by ballot), and an executive committee of three to be appointed by the chair with the concur­ rence of the Board, all of whom shall serve for one year or until their successors shall ue chosen. III.-Duties of officer8. (a) The chairman shall preside at the meetings and shall certify to the decisions of the Board. He shall appoint all committees not specially named by the Board. He shall have power to designate a member of the Board to act for him during his temporary absence. (b) The secretary shall record the proceedings of the Board and shall keep a record that will show the decisions rendered, or other action of the Board upon cases sub­ mitted to it, with reference to the papers filed in each case. He shall maintain files of the original papers, or copies of them, that may be presented in each case, con­ veniently arranged for reference. He shall conduct the general correspondence and shall receive communications presented for the consideration of the Board, trans­ mitting them to the executive committee as their character may require or as may be hereafter provided.