Ohio History Journal

Laying Corner Stone of the Society's Building.  427

 

that shall be carried on in this building and outside of the build-

ding and that it will, in the years to come, add very greatly to the

distinction of our commonwealth.

I congratulate the people, of Ohio, I congratulate the Uni-

versity, I congratulate the State upon this happy hour and the

prospect of this building.

MR. RANDALL: Prof. B. F. Prince of Wittenberg Uni-

versity, Springfield, Ohio, and one of our most loyal trustees will

now speak.

ADDRESS OF PROF. B. F. PRINCE.

Mr. President: At many of the meetings held in this City

we discussed the question of a location, a place, in which to put

our collection. We thought for a long time it ought to be down

in the City, but that seemed impossible. Next there was offered

to us ground here upon the State University Campus, and we

are pleased to know now that we accepted that proposition, and

that we are here located so favorably on this ground.

I am sure that every member of the Directorship of this

Association feels grateful to the State of Ohio and to the Ohio

State University for this privilege of locating at this point. I am

sure that as time passes there will be greater pleasure come to

the trustees as they see what opportunities and privileges have

been accorded to this Society. There are a great many things

that helped to contribute to the growth and prosperity of this

Society. Peoples of long ages past have laid up relics for us.

They have scattered them all over the State of Ohio; put them in

mounds where they are being found from time to time and are

being transported to this place for the inspection of the people of

today, and in the days to come. The State of Ohio, or what is

now Ohio, has long been to my mind a battle field-a battle

ground-a pleasant place, too, in which to live. People in her

historic times have left their monuments. After them  came

the Indians into this Country. No matter what their origin they

were here, and they have come down to us-their memory-in

historic times. They struggled for this country. We read in

history that the Algonquins and the Iroquois fought for this

land until they made it a desert; for almost a hundred years no

• 1
 

428       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

wigwam dared to be raised upon its soil on account of danger

of some enemy. A little later the Algonquin, as well as the Iro-

quois, returned to this country in small tribes and grew, but there

was another enemy rising up against them, the English and the

French particularly the English.  For about twenty years

they struggled for the occupation of this territory, and the

English finally succeeded, but the Indian was determined to

hold it, and really not until after the war of 1812 was this country

held by the white men in security. Now all these people have laid

up great things for us to learn. Historically we want to collect

all the information we can and place them in this building where

they shall be of interest and usefulness to the generations that

are to come. I am sure that the trustees are all interested in this

work, and that as the years go by and new trustees come, they will

find it a pleasure to inspect what we have done and shall add

more and more to the benefit and to the honor of this State.

We are thankful for this afternoon; we are thankful that this

hour has come when the foundation of a grand building is being

laid and when the efforts that are to tell for the future in this

society can be carried on with a greater degree of success than

we have been able to do in the past. This I say again is a happy

and auspicious day and we are glad for it.

MR. RANDALL: One of the principal accomplishments of the

history of our Society has been the holding at various times

throughout the State historical celebrations, and the first of

those was held in Marietta in 1888, at the One Hundredth Anni-

versary of its settlement, at which many distinguished men of the

nation took part and spoke. One of the gentlemen here today

was an orator on that occasion. Mr. D. K. Watson will now ad-

dress you.

ADDRESS OF HON. D. K. WATSON.

Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, I have lived long

enough to know that a man never knows when he is going to get

into trouble. Standing on this platform, together with other

gentlemen here a few moments ago, my distinguished friend, Mr.

Randall, stepped up to me and asked if I wouldn't say a few

words. I said I didn't know what to talk about and he said just

• 2