published and sold by the Nebraska State Press Association at cost. It was moved by Mr. Wiggins that the recommendation of the secretary be concurred in and that Mr. Watkins be authorized to write a history of the Nebraska press as a part of his duties as the historian of the Society. Seconded and carried. It was moved by Dr. Lowry that correspondence be opened with the authorities of the Mormon Church at Salt Lake City, concerning the preservation of the Mormon cemetery at Florence and the erection of a monument at Florence to mark the Mormon trail. Seconded and carried. On the recommendation of Mr. Harvey, chairman of the committee on historic sites, an appropriation of ten dollars was made toward the erection of a monument at the Lamin grave on the Oregon trail twelve miles east of Bridgeport, Nebraska, provided the people of that neighborhood should raise twenty-five dollars. It was moved and seconded that the president be requested to write a letter to Mr. Charles F. Gunther, of Chicago, expressing the appreciation of the Society for the gift of a framed oil painting entitled The Passing of the Buffalo. Dr. William M. Davidson presented his resignation as a member of the board of directors as follows. On account of the fact that I will remove to the city of Washington on the first day of the coming August to take up my duties there as superintendent of schools of the district of Columbia, I hereby tender my resignation as a member of the board of directors of the Nebraska State Historical Society. William M. Davidson. It was moved by the secretary that the resignation of Dr. Davidson be accepted with regret and that he be assured that the good wishes of the board and of the Society would go with him to his new home. The following named persons were on motion elected to active membership. Monmouth Broderick, Fairfield, Lincoln, Louise W. Mears, Auburn, Benjamin F. Scroggin, Oak, On motion of the secretary, seconded and carried, the following were elected honorary members of the Society: Mr. Charles F. Gunther, Chicago, and Dr. William M. Davidson, Washington, D. C. On recommendation of the president, the secretary was directed to proceed to have the material collected and arranged for a volume of miscellaneous collections. The board on motion adjourned. CLARENCE S. PAINE, Secretary. THIRTY-FOURTH ANNUAL MEETING. The thirty-fourth annual meeting of the Nebraska State Historical Society was held at Lincoln, Nebraska, January 8, 9, 10, 1912. The meeting began Monday, January 8, with an informal reception to members and friends of the Society and the Nebraska Territorial Pioneers Association, from two o'clock to five o'clock in the afternoon, at the rooms of the Historical Society. The first formal session was held at the Temple Theater, Monday evening, January 8, President John L. Webster presiding. The program comprised an instrumental number by the University Place High School orchestra; a paper entitled A Tragedy of the Oregon Trail, by George W. Hansen of Fairbury, Neb.; a paper, In 1 fluence of Overland Travel on the Settlement of Nebraska, by Harry G. Taylor of Central City, Neb.;1 a number by the University Place High School chorus; an illustrated lecture on The Oregon Trail in 1911, by Rev. E. J. Ulmer, of Alexandria, Neb.; and an address by Francis La Flesche from the Bureau of American Ethnology. Tuesday forenoon, January 9, was devoted to a meeting of the Nebraska Territorial Pioneers Association. The annual business meeting of the Society was held at two o'clock in the afternoon. After an address by President Webster the secretary read his annual report for the year 1911. The report presented by Mr. S. L. Geisthardt, treasurer of the Society, showing total receipts for the year of $1681.60 and disbursements of $1408.99, leaving a balance on hand of $272.61, was referred to Mr. H. S. Wiggins, public accountant, for audit. Under the head of miscellaneous business certain proposed amendments to Article V of the constitution were taken from the table, read, and, on motion, unanimously adopted.2 A resolution offered by Mr. Robert Harvey commending the heroic conduct of Emma Cooper, now Mrs. Goebel, during the disastrous storm of 1873, in which the mother and sister of Mrs. Goebel lost their lives in Howard county, was unanimously adopted. On motion of Mr. Andrew J. Sawyer, the rules were suspended and the secretary was instructed to cast the ballot of the Society for the reëlection of the present officers. The ballot having been cast, the following officers were declared elected: president, John L. Webster; 1 The papers of Messrs. Hansen and Taylor are printed in volume XVII Collections Nebraska State Historical Society. 2 These amendments were presented at the annual meeting of 1908. See page 17, this volume. first vice president, Robert Harvey; second vice president, Samuel C. Bassett; secretary, Clarence S. Paine; treasurer, Stephen L. Geisthardt. Mr. George W. Hansen, of Fairbury, and Mr. Frank L. Haller, of Omaha, were then elected directors of the Society for a term of three years; Charles B. Letton for the unexpired term of Joseph E. Cobbey; Frank M. Currie, of Broken Bow, was elected for one year, the unexpired term of Professor William M. Davidson, resigned. At the close of the afternoon program on Tuesday, Governor, and Mrs. Aldrich gave a reception to members of the Historical Society and affiliated associations. At half past six o'clock in the evening members and friends of the Society participated in a banquet at the Lincoln Hotel. At a conference of local historical societies and old settlers associations in the Temple Theatre, Wednesday forenoon, reports and addresses were made by Mr. A. J. Leach, of Antelope county; Mr. Robert Harvey, Howard county; Mr. Vail, Lancaster county; Charles J. Dawson, Jefferson county; John L. Webster, Douglas county; Samuel C. Bassett, Buffalo county. Mr. Bassett also reported for the Valley county Old Settlers Association. A written report from Mr. John J. Lett, president of the Old Settlers Association of York county, was presented. Reports were received from Nemaha county and Boone county. At the conclusion of this session, a meeting of the Nebraska Memorial Association was held at eleven o'clock. At half past two o'clock in the afternoon there was a joint session of the Nebraska State Historical Society and the Nebraska Memorial Association at the Temple Theater, John L. Webster presiding. Mr. A. Vine Pease, of Fairbury, read a paper, David A. Pease, Forty-niner, which was followed with a paper by Mrs. Charles Oliver Norton; Mr. Charles J. Dawson, of Fairbury, told of the Wild Bill McCandless tragedy; Mr. Robert Harvey reviewed the story of the memorable Easter storm of 1873, and Mrs. Emma Cooper Goebel, a survivor of that storm, spoke briefly. Rev. Dennis G. Fitzgerald, of Red Cloud, read a paper entitled, The Semi-precious Stones of Webster, Nuckolls and Franklin Counties, Nebraska; and Francis La Flesche gave a brief address. The closing session of the meeting was held at the Temple Theater at 7:45 Wednesday evening, Mr. Robert Harvey presiding. Mr. John F. Cordeal, of McCook, presented a Historical Sketch of Southwestern Nebraska; Mr. Francis La Flesche talked on Indian geographical names, and the session was concluded with an illustrated lecture, Dr. Whitman's Work on the Oregon Trail, by Mr. William J. Leverett, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, assisted by Mrs. Leverett. SECRETARY'S REPORT. The secretary deprecated that the legislature had specified employees and their salaries in the appropriation for the maintenance of the Society. Among the principal donors to the library for the year were, General Grenville M. Dodge, Council Bluffs; Mr. Charles F. Gunther, of Chicago; Deborah Avery Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution; Nebraska Territorial Pioneers Association; Messrs. N. G. Flagg, Luther A. Brewer, George W. Hansen, F. I. Herriott, 3 This paper and that by Rev. Dennis G. Fitzgerald are printed in Collections of the Nebraska State Historical Society, volume XVII. |