Ohio History Journal

EDITORIALANA.

REUBEN GOLD THWAITES.

Reuben Gold Thwaites, whose work in the field of Western his-

tory has made his name familiar to every American historical student,

died in Madison, Wis., on October 22. He was born in Dorchester,

Mass., in 1853, and in 1866 removed to Wisconsin. From  1876 to 1886

he was managing editor of the "Wisconsin State Journal," published in

Madison. In 1886 he was elected Secretary of the State Historical

Society of Wisconsin, and editor of the society's "collections," which

positions he has occupied continuously since. He was President of the

American Library Association in 1900, and has held various other prom-

inent offices of an active or honorary sort. His first published work,

"Down Historic Waterways," appeared in 1888; this was followed at

intervals of two or three years by "The Story of Wisconsin," "The Col-

onies, 1492-1750," "Our Cycling Tour in England," "On the Storied Ohio,"

volumes on Father Marquette and Daniel Boone in the "Pioneers of

America" series, a "Brief History of Rocky Mountain Exploration,"

"France in America," a volume on Wisconsin for the "American Com-

monwealths" series, besides several other books of educational or other

more specialized character. Perhaps Dr. Thwaites's most valuable work

was his editorial labors upon "The Jesuit Relations," published in seventy-

three volumes during 1896-1901, which will always remain a noble

monument of historical scholarship. He also edited the series of "Early

Western Travels, 1748-1846," in thirty-six volumes, authoritative editions

of the Lewis and Clark Journals, Father Hennepin's "New Discovery,"

Lahontan's "New Voyages to North America," Kinzie's "Wau Bun," and

several other middle Western historical sources.

The editor recalls with pleasure his literary and personal associa-

tions with Dr. Thwaites. To him our Society is indebted for many

of the original publications relative to the Early West, and in his death

we recognize a distinct and almost irreparable loss to Western historical

research.

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