-i AN RPPeRL h -by ty\e- ff?ir;)i§ii7k Galley ^i${eneQxl %eeie{g. TO THE PUBLIC Soliciting Contribiitions of Historical Interest, consisting of booKs, parriphlets, docUrnents, and any other records pertinent to the purposes of this Society. ^HE Executive Conqnqittee oft^ie MINISINK YHLLEY HISTORICHL SOCIETY solicit (®) frorT\tl;\eirfelIow-citi2eris doriatioris of booKs, old newspapers, tiistoricaland fairiily papers of every sort, genealogical tables, statistical inforrqation relative to tl:\e Various trades rqariUfactures arid business interests of tt\e territory to Wl:\ichi tl:\eir labors are principally confined, Vi7: tt^e Counties of Orange, Sullivan and Delaware in New YorK, Sussex and Warren in New Jersey, and PiKe, Monroe and Wayne in Pennsylvania. Tl:\e following l^eads Will explain n\ore in detail tt]e objects of our inquiry: 1, Farnily papers, old receipts, letters, account books of ttie colonial or revolutionary tirqes. Every paper, written or printed, Wl|ict| l^as been in tlie possession of a farqily for fifty years.rqay prove of service to tl\e future l^istorian, and our friends oUgI^t,on no account, to onqit forwarding old letters, receipts or rqenqoranda, because tl^ey deeri| tl^erq Worthiless. 2. Old deeds, cl|arters, corrirqissions to office, or land grants. 3- Maps of lands, strearqs, or field booKs of surveys. 4. Genealogies of farnilies and tl^eir connections. 5. Biograpl^ical sKetcties of noted persons. 6. Extracts fron\ old wills, sl^owing l^istorical facts or explaining curious and an- cient customs. JUso copies of old docunqents wt\ere tl^e owners or custodians do not feel Willing to part Witl^ tt\e original. 7. Inscriptions on torqb stones ; and tl|ese sI:\oUld be copied literally witl^out alter- ing tlie spelling or punctuation. 8. Legends or traditions of ttie several localities. 9. BooKs and files or single newspapers pUblisl^ed in tl^e district. It is particu- larly desired to secure files of old newspapers of tY\e Counties above naiiied ; and a single copy of son\e paper rnay enable tl:\e Society to conqplete a portion of its collection under tills I|ead. 10. Extracts frorn rare booXs or records existing elseWliere, relating to our l]istory. 11. Historical WorKs Wl\icl| rr[ay facilitate tt^e researcl^es of tl|e Society for tl\e li- brary. 12- Statistics of agriculture, rnanufactures and corqirierce, tl^e rqining. blUe-stone. lUir\ber and otl\er irqportant interests. 13- fln account of tl\e Railroad and Canal conqpanies, tl|e Stage-lines, tl|e Turn-piKe and PlanX-foad organizations, Ferries and Bridge cornpanies, tt\eir rise and progress. 14. Portraits and drawings of objects of interest. 15- Poll and assessrnent lists, old nquster rolls and.nqinute or otI\er books of tt|e inilitia, particularly of tl\e early periods of tl\e country. 16- Relics of tl\e colonial and revolutionary days; continental rqoney and curious coins and tokens, and especially tl|e iTioney issued by Village corporations, coinpanies and individuals. 17. Old public records and reports froiri persons vJl^o Y\ave \\ad an opportunity of exanciining tl^e county, town, cl^urGl\ or otl:\er records, stating ttieir present condition and t\\e attention given to tt\erri by tl:\e custodians. 18. Descriptions of old ctiurcties, l]ouses and n\en:\orable localities. 19. Lists of tl|e public officers of forrT\er tiii\es, clergynqen, principals of acaderqies and scl\ools, witl) date of entry into and retiren\entfroiT\ office, and biographiical notices of ttieiT\. fl large nt^iTlber of Valuable l^istoiical papers t\aVe doubtless perisl\ed in tlje last few years, and we invite all persons interested in tl:\e good r[arc\e of tl\eir l:\oii\es to unite Witt! Us in rescuing frorq destruction tlr^ese rqaterials for l\istory, assuring tl:\en\ tt\at all articles deposited witlj tt|e MinisinK Yalley Historical Society will be carefully arranged for convenient reference and sacredly preserved for tl^e desired ends. Tliey Will be accessible for literary purposes, and in tlie event of tl:\e dissolution of tl|e Society, its collections Will be deposited wit!) tl:\e New York Historical Society and tl)Us forever serve a public purpose. We solicit papers relating to our objects to be read at tl:\e rqeetings of tl^e Society ■wt|ict| will be placed in its arcl^ives, and Wt|icniriay l:\ereafter bepUblislied in pan\plilet forn) Wit):! sucli otl]er nqatters fron\ our collections as nqay be deeiT\ed of sufficient value and interest. Ttie rnerqbers l:\ip of tlrie Society is open to all Upon ttie ann^-lal payrrient of Two Dol- lars, Upon receipt of wl:|ict\ by t]\e Treasurer, a certificate of n\en\bers]:iip Will be fur- nislied. Donations sljould be forwarded to tl\e Secretary or Treasurer at Port Jervis, or if iriore convenient, rnaybe l~^anded to one of tl^e Executive CoiTin\ittee. Tl^e Secretary is instructed to acknowledge all donations to tl:\e Society. Two regular yearly irieetings of ttie Society will be t^eld. One, tl^e ann^Jal meeting for tlie election of officers, will be Upon Wasl\ington's Birtli-day, Feb. 22nd, and tl^e otlier Upon tlie Anniversary of tl:\e MinisinK Battle, July 22nd. Otl:\er rqeetings Will be l\eld fronn tirqe to tirr\e at tlr^e call of tlie Executive Corrinqittee. Tt\e Iqistorical events Whiicl) Y\ave transpired Witliin our liiiqits, and tlie n\any en\t- nent rrien to wliorn tlqis region of country l|as given birtl], nqaKe it proper and ever) render it necessary to a correct Understanding of liistory, ttiat our local traditions, pa- pers etc., sliould be carefully collected and preserved. Our older inl^abitants Wliose rqinds are stored Witlri traditions ricli in t]\e l]istory of ttje past l\ave n\ostly passed aWay, wl^ile letters and docUrrients wl|icli are invaluable as ir\eiT\entoes of oUr past l^is- tory are, in tt\e extinction of farqilies and divisions of estates, being lost and destroyed. Tliese painful facts bespeaK tl^e necessity of an organization sucl]' as is proposed by our Society, and We sincerely liope tliat tl^e pride of tlie people in, and tlieir patriotic love for, tl\eir l\ori\es will induce all cordially to assist us in carrying out tl^e objects of tliis Society. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS lllillllll 014 432 774 3 OFFICERS : Yice-Presiderits. Rev. S. W. MIIvLS, President. Dr. S, YflN ETTEN, FRANCIS iVLflRYIN,/ MOSES L. COLE, JNO, L. BONNELL, Dr. W. L. CUDDEBHCK, Rec. Sec. W. H. NEHRPflSS, Cor. Sec. BENJ. YHN FLEET, ' 0, P. HOWELL, C. E. CUDDEBHCK, H. H, FflRNUM, Port Jervis, N. Y., April SOtl), 1889. Ex, CoiT\, Port Jervij QASErre Jop Print.