THE HISTORICAL DEPARTMENT OF IOWA AT ST. LOUIS. Suggestions came from many quarters that the Historical Department should make an exhibit at St. Louis. A concurrent resolution was passed by the legislature which authorized the Executive Council "to prepare for shipment to St. Louis such articles as they may decide to be suitable for an exhibit from the historical department of Iowa." Upon investigating the matter it was found that only a limited space could be secured for this purpose. The items enumerated below were therefore selected and forwarded by express under the immediate charge of Mr. Charles A. Cumming, a well-known artist of Des Moines. Quarters for the exhibit had been secured in a fire-proof building in the care of W J McGee, the distinguished chief of the department of anthropology. Mr. Cumming superintended the hanging of the portraits and the arrangement of the books, manuscripts and maps. The exhibit attracted much attention and was safely guarded by Prof. McGee and the Iowa Commission, to all of whom much credit is due. The "Jury of History," made the following awards, which were confirmed by the "Superior Jury": To the State of Iowa, a grand prize for its exhibit of historical objects—a medal and diploma. To Charles Aldrich, Curator of the Department, a collaborator's gold medal and diploma. Also to the same a bronze medal and diploma for the exhibit of a ceremonial grooved axe. To Charles A. Cumming, a collaborator's silver medal and diploma, awarded to him for his services "with the Iowa State Historical Exhibit." The following is a list of the articles sent to the St. Louis Exposition by the Historical Department of Iowa: OIL PORTRAITS. Governors of Iowa Territory. Robert Lucas, John Chambers, James Clarke. Governors of the State of Iowa. Ansel Briggs, Stephen Hempstead, James W. Grimes, Ralph P. Lowe, Samuel J. Kirkwood, William M. Stone, Samuel Merrill, Cyrus C. Carpenter, Francis M. Drake, as Brig. Gen. Other Portraits. William B. Allison, Gen. G. M. Dodge, James Harlan, Samuel F. Miller, Charles Aldrich. PUBLICATIONS OF THE HISTORICAL DEPARTMENT Annals of Iowa, 3d series, 5 volumes, bound in three-quarters red levant, 1893-1903. Six Biennial Reports of the Historical Department of Iowa, bound in one volume, 1893-1903. Iowa Territorial Laws, 1838-39, 1839-40, 2 volumes, republished. Richman, Irving B. "John Brown Among the Quakers and Other Sketches." First Census of the Original Counties of Dubuque and Demoine, 1836, 2 pamphlets. Shambaugh, Benjamin F. "History of the Constitutions of Iowa," 1902. Legislative Journals, extra session, 1840, now first published. IOWA BOOKS AND MANUSCRIPTS Journal of the Convention for the Formation of a Constitution for the State of Iowa, 1844. Journal of the Convention for the Formation of a Constitution for the State of Iowa, 1846. Journal of the Constitutional Convention of the State of Iowa, 1857. Larrabee, Governor William. Original manuscript, first inaugural address, 1886. Tuttle, James M. Correspondence of, during the civil war. Letters of the Territorial Governors of Iowa, 2 volumes. The official copies. Street, Gen. Joseph Montfort, illustrious friend of the ndians, correspondence of, 1806-1834. Carpenter, Governor Cyrus C. Address at the unveiling of the Spirit Lake Tablet at Webster City, also sketch of Maj. William Williams. The original manuscripts. Clarke, William Penn, Reporter of the Supreme Court of Iowa, correspondence of, 3 volumes, 1844-1866. MISCELLANEOUS MANUSCRIPTS Crabbe, Rev. George, English poet, Manuscript Sermon. White, Rev. Gilbert, author of "Natural History of Selbourne." Manuscript Sermon. Forman, Maj. Samuel S. Original manuscript, "Narrative of a Journey Down the Ohio and Mississippi in 1798-90." By Lyman C. Draper of Wisconsin. Aldrich, Thomas Bailey. Original manuscript, "Two Bites at a Cherry." Audubon, John James. Original manuscript, "Habits of the Wild Turkey." Cleveland, Grover. Original manuscript (17 pages). Speech before the New York Charities Aid Association, 1891. EARLY MAPS AND MAPS INCLUDING IOWA Extrait d'un globe terrestre le Pere Le Grand de Dijon 1720 (said to be earliest map including what is now Iowa.) Facsimile of an autograph map of the Mississippi or Conception river drawn by Father Marquette at the time of his voyage. Map of part of Wisconsin territory, compiled from Tanner's map, 1836. Map of Wisconsin territory. Published by Henry J. Abel, 1838. Sectional map of the Black Hawk Purchase, with a part of Illinois and Wisconsin, by L. Judson, 1838. Map of Iowa published by J. H. Colton, 1839. Hydrographical basin of the Upper Mississippi river from surveys and information by J. N. Nicollet, 1836-40. Reduced and compiled in 1843. Galland's map of Iowa. Compiled from the latest authorities, by Dr. I. Galland, 1840. Map of the surveyed part of Iowa Territory, exhibiting the location of Iowa City, the seat of government as established by the Commissioners, 4th of May, 1839. Published by John Plumbe. Map of the western part of the U. S., shows Fort Des Moines, in Iowa. New Map of Iowa accompanied with notes by W. Barrows, Cincinnati, 1845. Map of Iowa by L. Matzinger, 1850. AN IOWA STONE AXE This axe was found near Columbus Junction, Louisa county, Iowa. Its weight is 3134 pounds. No effort was spared by the Executive Council of Iowa in providing for the selection and safe shipment to and from St. Louis, of the articles above enumerated. Every item was returned in as good condition as when it left the Historical. Building. COLLECTIONS AT THE ST. LOUIS EXPOSITION, 1904. In response to a request the Commission in charge of the erection and care of the Iowa Building, directed that a copy of all the literature issued under their authority, together with such newspapers, books, documents, pamphlets, reports, circulars, etc., etc., as came into their hands in the execution of their duties, should be carefully preserved and transmitted to the Historical Department of Iowa at the close of the Exposition. This direction was fully carried out by Mr. F. R. Conaway, their Secretary, who accompanied the shipment with the following letter, which includes lists and summaries of its various items: IOWA COMMISSION, LOUISIANA PURCHASE EXPOSITION, ST. Louis, 1904. OFFICE OF THE IOWA COMMISSION, F. R. CONAWAY, Secretary. DES MOINES, IOWA, June 13, 1905. HON. CHARLES ALDRICH, Curator, Historical Department, Des Moines: My dear Mr. Aldrich,-Among the treasures I am directed by the Iowa Commission to deposit in your Department are six volumes of press clippings from Iowa and St. Louis newspapers concerning the Louisiana Purchase and the Exposition held at St. Louis in commemoration of the great historical event. These clippings are arranged alphabetically by towns, except the first volume, which contains the clippings from the Des Moines and St. Louis papers and special topics. The interest herein shown by the Iowa newspapers in giving their readers the historical information and in exploiting the exposition is commendable. No other State did so much. Aside from the St. Louis papers, the Iowa papers did more than Missouri. The volumes filed with you is the evidence. These books contain 300 pages to each volume, making 1,800 pages in all. There are six 20-inch columns of long and short clippings to a page, making 10,800 columns or 216,000 inches. Several miles of space was devoted by the Iowa newspapers to this enterprise. The daily papers give the greatest number of pages, although a number of weekly papers devoted as much space to the subject as some of the dailies, notably the following: Brighton News, 4 Bloomfield Republican, 10 Guthrie Center Guthrian, 5 Marion Pilot, 7 Vinton Eagle, 8 Bussey Press, 7 Estherville Vindicator-Republican, 7 Oelwein Register, 5 Among the daily papers with the number of pages are the following: Fort Dodge Messenger, 13 Iowa City Republican, 6 Council Bluffs Nonpareil, 14 Fort Dodge Chronicle, 11 Keokuk Constitution-Democrat, 8 Clinton Herald, 7 Centerville Iowegian, 7 Davenport Leader, 9 Davenport Times, 8 Dubuque Telegraph-Herald, 8 Webster City Graphic Herald, 6 A number of newspaper men who have examined the records of their own papers in these volumes in the past few weeks have mailed me copies of their papers containing articles on this subject and these have been pasted. Others can be added in the same way. At the request of Hon. W. W. Witmer, Chairman of the Press and Publicity Department, the Commissioners have also directed me to deposit with you the newspaper exhibit, the only exhibit of the kind compiled for the exposition. This is in six volumes and contains one copy of each paper in the State, sent to the Commission for this purpose. In the years to come the value of this exhibit will be apparent. Other things the Commissioners have directed me to deposit in your Department are the following: Newspaper clippings, six volumes, containing clippings from the Iowa newspapers and the St. Louis papers concerning the Exposition. The six volumes contain 1,800 pages, or 216,000 inches of printed matter. Visitors' Register, Iowa Building-5 volumes, containing the autographs of 67,798 Iowa visitors to the Exposition. |