Editorialana. 415
1838 President Van Buren appointed Mr.
Lucas governor of the Territory
of Iowa. In this position he exhibited
great capabilities in the organiza-
tion of the territory into the state.
The election of William H. Harri-
son as Whig President in 1840 caused Mr.
Lucas' removal from the office
of (Iowa) governor, when he returned to
Ohio and was nominated by the
people of his home district for
membership in United States Congress.
In the election he was
unsuccessful. He then sold his farm and
home
at Friendly Grove and returning to Iowa
made Iowa City his home.
He again took a prominent part in the
politics of the territory of his
adoption. He was elected a member of the
convention which was to
create a constitution for the
forthcoming state of Iowa; served at the
head of several important committees,
one of them being the Committee
on State Boundaries, which was to
consider the dispute over the line
separating Iowa from Missouri; Mr.
Lucas, therefore, appears to have
been peculiarly the hero of state
boundary disputes. About this time
he was charged with being a confirmed
office seeker for he looked "with
longing eyes to the governorship of the
state whose early destinies
he had watched and guarded as the
pioneer Territorial Governor. But
younger men were pushing to the front
and now his declining years
came upon him and the fate of a
superannuated statesman brought him
that fretful idleness that is so hard
for men of action to endure." In
1852 he deserted the party he had so
long and zealously served and
joined the Whig forces. Death ended his
career on December 8, 1853.
He died at his home, Plum Grove, and the
following day was buried in
the cemetery at Iowa City.
Such are the brief and concise facts of
his phenomenal life. That
such a career must have had for its
foundation and results a strong
character and unusual ability, goes
without saying. Mr. Parish, his
biographer, has followed his life in a
most faithful and in not ungraphic
portrayal. He has in a most successful degree pictured the back-
ground events in which Mr. Lucas was so
prominent a figure. Mr.
Parish has an easy flowing style and the
historic instinct to properly
emphasize the larger incidents, while
leaving nothing to be desired in
detail. The little volume is tastefully
produced as to typographical and
mechanical composition. It has the
double value of historic interest in
the development of two states, Ohio and
Iowa.
CENTRAL OHIO VALLEY HISTORY CONFERENCE.
Various historical and patriotic
societies located in the southern
part of Ohio have issued a call for a
conference of the different historical
societies of the Central Ohio Valley to
be held in Cincinnati on Novem-
ber 29 and 30 next. The committee
appointed for that purpose consists
of Charles T. Greve, Chairman, Isaac J.
Cox and Frank P. Goodwin,
Secretary. In the circular sent forth by
the committee, they state:
416 Ohio Arch. and
Hist. Society Publications.
"The observance of national
holidays and of centennial celebrations
may be said to be a fixed American
habit, but as yet too little attention
has been paid to the details of local
history and its connection with sec-
tional and national development. In view
of this fact, various organi-
zations of the city of Cincinnati have
combined for the purpose of hold-
ing a history conference that should embrace
as its field a considerable
portion of the Ohio Valley.
"In furtherance of this plan some
twelve organizations of Cin-
cinnati, representing the Historical and
Philosophical Society of Ohio.
the Cincinnati Branch of the
Archaeological Institute of America, and
the various hereditary patriotic
societies, in connection with the teach-
ers of the city and vicinity, have
determined to hold a series of meet-
ings on Friday and Saturday, November 29
and 30, 1907. This move-
ment to represent all classes of workers
in the local historical field
has been endorsed by the authorities of
the University of Cincinnati,
and they have offered the use of the
University buildings for the holding
of such meetings as should seem
desirable. The above mentioned organi-
zations of the city are to act as hosts
on this occasion, and they invite
the attendance and hearty co-operation
of similar bodies in the central
portion of the Ohio Valley. The
undersigned committee desires to get
into communication, as quickly as
possible, with all such organizations
of this section, and will appreciate any
suggestions that will further this
purpose.
"One of the proposed meetings will
be devoted to the work of local
history societies, of which there are a
number of national reputation
within this district. We plan to give
these societies an opportunity to
explain their work, the value of their
collections, and to discuss possible
methods of co-operation in our
particular field. The meeting will also
be addressed by a speaker of national reputation, and
there will be an
exhibit of the valuable collections of
the Historical and Philosophical
Society of Ohio, under whose auspices
the meeting will be held.
"By means of this conference we
hope to accomplish definitely
the following object:
"(1) To arouse a greater interest
in the subject of local his-
tory throughout the whole Ohio Valley,
to stimulate the work of
gathering and preserving historical
records, and to secure more
efficient co-operation among the local
societies.
"(2) To bring in closer touch the
various classes of historical
workers, and to excite a permanent
interest in all phases of active
historical work.
"(3) To assist the history teacher
in the definite problems
connected with his work, and
particularly to bring to his service
the wealth of illustrative material
afforded by the details of our
local history. In this connection it may
seem advisable to extend
the field of work of the Cincinnati
History teachers Association so
as to include the Central Ohio Valley.
"(4) To bring the individual
teachers and workers into inti-
mate personal contact with certain
leaders in the historical field.
"(5) Should the success of this
meeting warrant it, and if it
should seem advisable to other
communities participating in this
conference, to adopt some general plan
for holding similar future
meetings, at such times and places as
may seem advisable.
"In view of our purpose we invite
the hearty co-operation of all
Editorialana. 417
who are interested in this work. The
undersigned committee will be
glad to receive suggestions concerning
speakers, lists of names and ad-
dresses of history workers, details
concerning local history organizations
and patriotic societies, and any other
sources of information that will
assist in rendering the conference a
success. Address communications
to Frank P. Goodwin, 3435 Observatory
Place, Cincinnati, Ohio."
HOW GOVERNOR MEIGS GOT HIS NAME.
Where did the parents of Return Jonathan
Meigs get the name?
This question has been asked innumerable
times by Ohioans, in looking
over the list of names of Ohio governors
in early days. Possibly there
is no accurate information on the
subject, but General Zeigler, visitors'
attendant at the state house, tells, a
story of the matter which he says
he secured from relatives of the dead
governor.
According to this story the elder
Jonathan Meigs, father of Return
Jonathan, was very much in love with a
charming girl down in Con-
necticut. He asked her hand in marriage
one evening. The lass looked
calmly into the big open fire place, and
measured in her mind the worth
of the young man. Jonathan Meigs is a
young lawyer, of good family,
as well off in this world's goods as any
of the other men of the com-
munity, but he lacks something. What was
it? Vinegar? That's it.
He lacked spirit. So, pressed for an
answer, she told Jonathan that she
would think of him as a very dear
brother. Flushing, Jonathan Meigs
arose, picked up his hat and cane and
started out without a word. Why
be in such a hurry?" the maiden
called. But the slam of the door was
the only answer. "Why, he has a
temper after all," she said aloud, and
rushed to the door just in time to see
the old gate slammed shut so
violently that the wooden hinges split
apart. "Return Jonathan Meigs,"
she cried. Jonathan returned, a wedding
followed and the first child
born was named Return Jonathan Meigs,
and later he became the
fourth governor of Ohio.
Meigs was one of the war governors of
the state, serving during
the war of 1812. He resigned his office
as governor to become postmaster
general of the United States. Othniel
Looker, of Hamilton county, com-
pleted his term.
CRAWFORD MASSACRE ANNIVERSARY.
On June 11th, the Pioneer Association of
Wyandot county held
its anniversary of the CRAWFORD
massacre. Several hundred people
gathered in the picturesque grove, on
the banks of the historic Tymoch-
tee, but a few hundred feet from the
monument erected to the memory
of the martyr Colonel William CRAWFORD,
who gave up his life in the
cause of the advancement of white
civilization on June 11, 1782. The
*Vol. XVI.-27.