Ohio History Journal

422       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

the entrance of the Campus and facing the High street thorough-

fare. The legislature passed those two bills and the hopes of

these officers who have labored for twenty years now see the con-

summation of our labors.

And now I have the pleasure of introducing our honored

and devoted President, Professor G. Frederick Wright.

 

ADDRESS OF PROF. G. FREDERICK WRIGHT.

Ohio has been behind many of her sister states in appreciat-

ing her archaeological and historical treasures. Confessedly, she

is pre-eminent over all in the wealth of her prehistoric remains,

while her history records a greater variety of thrilling episodes

than that of almost any other commonwealth. Early in the last

century her mounds and earthworks were sporadically explored by

Squier and Davis to obtain relics of her prehistoric peoples. The

results of this exploration by these two eminent citizens of the

State are embodied in the noble volume which constitutes the

first monograph published by the Smithsonian Institution at

Washington. But it remained for an appreciative archaeologist

of the old world to set a just estimate upon the relics collected at

that time. Mr. Blackmore of Salisbury, England, gave practical

demonstration of this appreciation by purchasing the entire col-

lection and erecting for it a special building in his native town,

whither all American students have to make a pilgrimage if they

would study the first fruits of archaeological exploration in Ohio.

At a later date the authorities of the Peabody Museum in

Cambridge, Massachusetts, of the National Museum, at Wash-

ington, and of the Field Museum at Chicago, awoke to the im-

portance of our buried treasures and spent large sums in ex-

cavating for them. The remarkable discoveries made by these

outside parties are duly displayed in the aforesaid museums, and

serve greatly to enhance their attractiveness.

But, fortunately, these outside explorers did not find all of

our treasures. Under the liberal patronage of the state legis-

lature our accomplished Curator, Professor W. C. Mills, has been

so successful in gleaning the field that even now our collection of

implements and ornaments from the mounds and earthworks of

the State exceeds in interest and value that of any of the other

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Laying Corner Stone of the Society's Building.  423

 

collections, and has taken the first prize at all the expositions

where it has been partially displayed.

We cannot, however, say as much for the historical col-

lections. More than half a century ago, Wisconsin was so for-

tunate as to engage for the custodian of its library a widely

known and highly accomplished citizen of Ohio, who signalized

his appointment by scouring the State in search of original man-

uscripts bearing upon our early history. So successful was he

that the Wisconsin Library has a larger collection of such docu-

ments than we can ever hope to obtain. The redeeming feature

in the case is that the curators of the library at Madison are over

generous in giving the students of our history access to their

treasures, and in permitting us to print them for the benefit of

our citizens and the world. But Wisconsin did not get all. We

have already accumulated a large quantity of original documents

which were overlooked by the enterprising Wisconsin collector.

Up to this point, one of our greatest lacks has been an appro-

priate building in which we could safely preserve and display our

inestimable documents and relics. Many private collections are

only awaiting the erection of such a building to be added to our

already great store of valuable objects. We cannot be too thank-

ful for the appreciation of the work of the Ohio State Archaeo-

logical and Historical Society which has been shown in the gener-

ous appropriation of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000)

for the erection of the noble building whose corner stone we are

now proceeding to lay. Hither may all the teeming population of

our State come from time to time to be reminded of the privations

and heroism in which the foundations of our Commonwealth

were laid, and of the contrast between the privileges of the pres-

ent time and those of the dim prehistoric ages of which we have

such abundant evidence in the mounds and earthworks whose

relics enrich our museum. Let us pray and hope that no acci-

dent may befall those who engage in the erection of these walls,

and that no disreputable work may enter into its construction

partially to defeat the generous aim of the state authorities in

providing the means for its erection.

MR. RANDALL: It is a fact that the legislature passed the

appropriation of $100,000 for this building, but that bill had to

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424       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

pass through the Governor's office for he holds the veto power,

and we are equally indebted, therefore, to good Governor Jud-

son Harmon, who has long been a member of our Society and

taken a deep and active interest in its proceedings. We had a

very delightful and successful voyage through the Governor's

office. Governor Harmon is not able to be present in person, but

we are greatly favored in having with us his good Secretary,

Honorable George W. Long, who will speak for the Executive

Office.

ADDRESS OF HON. GEORGE W. LONG.

Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, the Governor's modest

part in signing the bill which makes provision for this magnifi-

cent building, I am sure will bring full satisfaction and compen-

sation to him for what he has missed in the inspiration of the pres-

ent hour, when the milestone marks the beginning of the above

ground growth of this building.

His interest in the project, his interest as a citizen of the

state, must be his satisfaction and answer for him that which he

loses by his enforced absence.

I count myself fortunate in being able to enter with you, and

those of the officers of this Society, for whose long and patient

work we owe what will soon be a permanent home for this

splendid association and its work as well as the legislature to

whose good sense and judgment and generosity we owe the pro-

vision which now gives us a home for the Archaeological and

Historical Society and enables it to carry its work forward with

that which it absolutely and essentially needed and without which

it could not well go forward. There is no one thing which en-

ters more into civic life-into our civic life as a state, or a nation,

so much as general information-the spread of knowledge, or

knowing what was accomplished in the past; what were the

deeds, what were the accomplishments and what were the forces?

By all those things we learn that knowledge is essential to con-

tinue successful progress. Therefore, this building, the work of

this Society, is a direct element of the strength of our state and

indirectly of our nation. Therefore, it is well to acknowledge

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