CO)NSTITUTION
oFr Ina
state Oitorieal  $nirt4 ofr )n a,
ADOPTED AT IOWA CITY,
februaq 7, 1857.
PRINED BY,RoME & DuNcAN,
$l~9








CONSTITUTIOAN
OF Tam
state jistoritratl $ritp ofoma
ADOPTED AT IOWA CITY,
Februaq  7,?857.
PRINTED BY JEROME & DUNCAN,
FEB. 22th, 1861.








C ONSTITUTION
or TEM
Stat tt   moial t       Sft $f  ma,
H A P T E:R  I.
AaT. 1. This- Orgahnizationo5sll U a6lledi th*'t0o
Historical Society  of IowSa.,
CHAPTER II.
MIMBREBSHP.
ART. 1. The members of this society shall consist of
those persons who are elected at any meeting of the
society, or by those officers authorized by this Constitution, and who pay into its treasury,'annually, the
sum of one dollar.
AaT. 2. Individuals-may be elected honorary -memr
bers of this association, WhO shall b'ei-entitledSto al.
privileges of regular members, h-exe..the ritht t vote'
and hold office, and shall'be eziept f. o'nl ps-'ying- the
annual fee of membership.
ART. 3. The members of this society shall have free
admission to its roo-s aind lectures,  Aid the privil'ege
of consulting its books, maps, eharti aid papers.




4
CHAPTER Ill.
OBJECT.
ART. 1. The object of this society, shall be to collect,
embody, arrange and preserve in authentic form, a
library of books, pamphlets, maps, charts, manuscripts,
papers, paintings, statuary and other materials illustrative of the history of Iowa; to rescue from oblivion
the memory of its early pioneers; to obtain and preserve narratives of their exploits, perils and hardy
adventures; to secure facts and statements relative to
the history, genius, progress or decay of our Indian
tribes, to exhibibit faithfully the antiquities, and the
past and present resources of the State; and to promote the study of history by lectures, and diffuse and
publish information relating to the description and
history of Iowa.
CHAPTER IV.
OFFICERS.
ART. 1. The officers of this society shall be a President, six Vice Presidents, a Corresponding Secretary,
a Recording Secretary, a Treasurer, Librarian and
eighteen Curators, who shall be chosen annually.
ART. 2. The President shall preside at the meetings
of the association, preserve order therein, and in case
of an equal division of the members, give the casting
vote.
ART. 8. Either of the Vice Presidents, in the absence
of the President, may perform the duties of that office.




ART. 4. The Recording Secretary shall keep a record
of each meeting of the society, and submit the same
for approval.
ART. 5. The Corresponding Secretary shall have
charge of the correspondence of the society, be a member of the Board of Curators, have a general oversight
of all its affairs, subject to the direction of the executive officers, to whom he shall make a monthly report
of all his doings; write the annual report, and be
known as the official organ.
ART. 6. The Treasurer shall receive all dues and
donations of money, pay all drafts drawn on him when
signed by the President and Secretary of the Board of
Curators, and keep a regular account of the financial
concerns of the society, ard make a full and accurate
report of the same, accompanied by satisfactory vouchors, to the Curators at their last regular meeting, previons to the annual meeting of the association.
ART. 7. The Curators; a majority of whom shall
reside in the vicinity of the State University, and five
of whom shall constitute a quorum, shall be the executive department of this association, having full
power to manage its affairs in harmony with this constitution. They shall keep a full and correct account
of all their doings, and make a report of the same,
together with that of the Treasurer and Librarian of
this society, through the Corresponding Secretary, at
each annual meeting, to be transmitted to the Governor, and be by him laid before the General Assembly, as required by the act making an annual appropriation to this society. They shall also have the
power, in the name of the State Historical Society of
Iowa, for themselves and their successors in office, to
sue and be sued, implead and be impleaded, defend
and be defended in all courts and places, and for the
purposes of this association may do all such acts as are
performed by natural persons.
ART. 8. In case any vacancies occur in the officers




of this societV, the'Board of.Curators -shall have
power-to' fill: such vacancies, -and.also- to elect such
members of the society, as' they may deem best,; and
appoint a corresponding member-in each county.:
ART. 9. The annual meeting of this society shall be
held on the first Tuesday of December, at-which time
the officers for the succeeding year shallbe chosen, and
no member shall be:eligible to an office, or be entitled
to'vote who hasinot paid the annual fee of membership.
ART. 10. The Librarian shall have:charge of the
books, papers, maps, charts and all other similar valuables of the society, under the direction of the Board of
Curators, to whom he shall make report as they may
require, to be by them incorporated in the annual report to the society.
CHAPTER V.
AMENDMENTS.
ART. 1. This constitution may be amended at any
meeting of the society, when requested by the Board
of Curators.
AMENDMENTS
CHAPTER I.
FEES OF MEMBERSHIP.
ART. 1. That membership shall hereafter require an
initiation fee of five dollars, and an annual payment
ef one dollar.




ADDRESS TO THE PUBLIOC
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF CURATORS OF 1861.
A correct understanding of the real history of a community or people, is derived less, from an account of
the prominent public transactions, than from a knowledge of the springs and influences which have wrought
the changes, or led on to the event, or condition
described.
It is not often, if ever, that any radical change of
institution is effected, that any rapid growth or diminution of any of the material interests of the people is
brought about, or any marked and decisive change in
the social or-moral aspect of affairs is produced, without a previously gradual and at the same time almost
imperceptible -modification of the circumstances and
conditions upon which they were originally based.
Revolutions, which are truly -and permanently such,
are seldom-never probably —the result of the seeming causes of their production-but slow, silent yet
steady influences have been at work, which have
wrought the, real change in the elementary material of
State or Community, long before the exciting cause
which has produced its manifestation and public acknowledgment.
The same law must, be conceded concerning marked
changes in the status of communities, which become
the subjects of the record of the chronicler. Unfortunately for each successive generation, the real history
of its predecessors as thus described, has been transpiring so silently, and so little felt and appreciated by
their participants, as to fail to attract the eye or pen of
contemporaneous authors, until mucheof the most important material has passed from the reach of history.
It is in fact, often only by the light of final results
that the full weight and importance of the acts or con



dition of a generation may be understood and measured
So likewise with its individuals, the men who set in
motion a train of reform, or give out the suggestion
that directs the public to the investigation, which leads
to an important advancement in some aspect of its
interests; or they  who devise an improvement, or
whose influence, (often of a local limit,) may have presented its claims to the public, are not often those who
ride it into a notoriety that reaches to the time when
the record of, by whom? by what means? or why? it
was effected, becomes a matter of historical interest.
And yet these unconspicuous influences, these little
facts of the passing hour, these half matured suggestions of the unheralded author, the individual exploit
of the remote neighborhood, and a multitude of similar
subjects, which have given shape, and tone, and direction to the public thought and mind'; or laid the
foundation upon which great public interests have
been erected, are the real basis of its history —the real
history of which,prominent incidents are but the man
ifestation.
If, as has sometimes been said, history is "philosophy teaching by example," then all the causes which
have produced the example with their relative. importance should be given, lest the philosophy taught
should prove a false one.
To catch and hold these transpiring events, while
yet fresh in the memory vf their actors, or while they
can be drawn from the pens of those personally cognizant of their occurrence, to lay in store the material,
which shall give to those who come after us a truthful Impression of every phase of condition, physical
and moral; the thought, aspirations and hopes of the
public mind; the ratio of progress; and whatever of
particular in any of its concerns will give a true representation of the age, has come to be regarded as a
matter of weighty importance by the present generation of our countrymen.




The dearth of facts concerning the Colonial and
early State history of the elder'States, and the feeling
of the great need of these, bythoee iWho would::study
closely their history,led years ago to the establislmhetit
of Historical Societies, for'the purpose'of -'-ciring the
objects alluded to.  Their example.,has'been followed
with gratifying results, by States of iiore- recent forfiation.
The young State of Iowa.preSents a frditfull field at
the present time, for the collectidn'of historieal: reminiscences, and calls imperativelyJ.fd r`i'tibediatb'effdrt
in that direction.  In this respect,- it has peculiar;
claims for active and'efficient work.
In no portion of our country,: are the historic ibcidents of the past passing so rapidly frbm  th-e knowledge of men, as here.  An almost unexamplediincre&se
of its population from without,during the past ten years,
and the rapid development of its vast.resotirees by
men "not of the manor born," and hen'e:'unfamiliar
with the incidents of the early settlemerit;-and pretess
ing by their numerical power into'relative: n'onim
portance a large class of the men who laidthie fouindation of the Commonwealth, and won its'early peaceful
eoDquests, and sinking the public importan'ce of the
early times by the absorbing interest of the projee ts
and enterprises of the ever fleeting present-whil-e the
time is rapidly passing which affords the opportunity
of gathering the items of its.arly histbry fro'm'the
few and widely separated sources of inhformaticn remaining.
But there is another equally important coneideration peculiar, in a measure, to our State.  Iowa'is owentering upon a career of experience, the'concl;li6n
ot which may be of the highest importanceet' tho ih
of its own sons who shall come after,'dr >to the world
at large.
She has gathered from the treasures of the long'aid
hard experience of the most advanced of "i1'the
_2




10
others, and grouped them into a fabric of government,
and shaped a course of policy,to be tried on a grander
scale than ever before; and free from many of the prejudices and biases of the public mind, derivable from the
usages and precedents, habits and traditional dogmas
of the past of the older States, and which have there
produced friction in their operations.
Without waiting the full fruition of experiment, she
has caught the conclusions of her elder sisters; adopted
their most liberal and comprehensive policies, planted
fresh, deep, and expansive, on her bountiful soil the
foundations of institutions from, and with improvements upon, their most perfect models; and Minerva
like, has sprung full grown, in the breadth and depth
of its policy, upon a career of action.
The world at large and especially Iowa's future citizens, have an interest in knowing the particulars of
these beginnings, and of all the circumstances of
their development from year to year. toward their
culmination, provided they culminate in wealth and
power, physical, and intellectual; or if on the other
hand in any branch they prove a failure, the causes of
sueh failure, or the want of adaptation of any institution or enterprise to the people or locality, should be
held within the reach of the understanding of all.
Science also has a claim upon the present generation
of our State, for the preservation of many of the species
of its Natural History, natives of our forests, or prairies, or rivers, or brooks, or botanical varieties indigenous to our soil and climate, which are yearly disappearing.
The phenomena of our great prairieeswith their meteorological relations, can never again so well be observed after the husbandman has "drove his plowshare" over its surface, and wrought the changes incident to the farm and homestead.
The claims of C race once its possessors, now  disappearing, appeal to us to gather such of the history and




11
traditions, and relies, as may be known to the present,
or which will thiow light upon their past. These
must soon fade from the knowledge of men, unless collected and preserved by concerted effort on the part
of those now in the active walks of life.
To this end, and to the promotion of other collateral
interests of history and science, which the want of
space forbids us to elaborate, has the State Historical
Society of Iowa been established.
Through its agency, it is hoped that much which is
valuable of ineident or condition of the past may be
gathered and held in reserve for the time when' distance shall not only have lent its enehantment,'but when
their bearings upon science, natural'and political, and
upon historic events yet to transpire, shall further enhance their importance.
How much may be done for the accomplishment of
these objects, may be comprehended by a. moment's
view of an organization prosperously and thoroughly
in operation. When it has secured the co-operation
of our most intelligent and active citizens of all classes
throughout all the sections of our great State. When
a coterie of working memhers shall be enlisted in each
of the hundred counties of the State, who will
leave few ( vents of either the past or present,
lntold.  When "pionoers' from every locality shall be
led to contribute their "experience" of early times.
When men of science shall be laid under contribution
for the result of their investigations or explorations in
the various fields of scientific pursuit. When the researches of local antiquaries shall be directed to the
collection of scattering remains and relics of the race
gone before us.  When the artist of the day shall lend
hi.s aid in preserving the scenes cf historic interest, or
catching the fleeting fashions of the hour, or the features of the men of whom the world has read or is yet
to read.  When the heads and authoritative powers of
public arid private institutions, shall be induced to ex



12
p/lain  the.workings and progress of each. When
copies of'every publication, of whatever character,
shall, be secured.'When' last, but far from least, the
newspapers of the whole. State, those thermometers
of social and political temperature, and chroniclers of
the incidents of local interest of the passing hour,
shall be received and preserved. When exchanges,
with other States and other organizations, shall be
effected, which shall bring to us the current concerns
of other people thantour own, throughout the civilized
world.
Let all these be poured into a common reservoir, at
a common center; systemized, classed, filed, recorded,
and preserved. With judiciously directed efforts, what
may a single generation alone accomplish for the truth
of history and the cause of science.
It is to no less a consummation than that of which
the outline is here faintly sketched, that all "to whom
it may concern," throughout the State, are invited to
lend a helping hand.
That the Society has not fallen behind the expectations of its friends thus far, will be apparent. from a
synopsis of its past brief history and its present condition, taken from the records, and from the reports of
its executive officers.
The Society was organized during the winter of
1866-7. The organic act of the legislature of that ses..
sin, placing it under the auspices of the State University, and granting an annual; appropriation of $250 in
aid of its objects.
The legislature of 1859-60, increased the appropriation to $500. Under this charter, and with this State
aid the Society has been at work.
It has now a library of over 3,000 volumes, besides
a large collection of pamphlets, and autograph letters
of historical interest. Copies of all the maps of theState
that have been published since its first settlement, one




of which, of singular importance, dating back as early
as 1650.
Photographs of a large number of the public men of
the State, with several painted portraits of those who
have been prominent in its early settlement. A cabinet of curiosities of the State. Choice specimens of Its
geology and natural history.
Histories written, or reliable promises of nearly one
half the counties of the State.
Histories and traditions of some of the Indian
tribes.
It is now in receipt of nearly one hundred newspapers, which are carefully preserved, and will in due
time be bound.
It is in regular exchange with many kindred institutions of other States, to-wit: New Hampshire, Ver
mont, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New  Jersey,
Connecticut, Maryland, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois,
Tennessee, Indiana, and other similar institutions of
other States; and with a number of individuals of different countries. whose position is such as to enable
them to promote materially the objects of the organization.
The officers of the Society, and those members resi
dent in the vicinityof the Institution, are not as yet we
believe open to any charge of want of zeal in for warding its interests. The Annual Society Meetings have
been well attended, and its condition and wants carefully examined, and measures harmoniously taken to
further its objects. In no single instance have the
monthly meetings of the Board of Curators been suspended for want of a quorum,
While its friends near the cen er of its operations,
are thus active in promoting its welfare, it is to be
hoped that its mernbers, and other citizens of other
portions of the State, having no less interest than
they in its successs may give it a cordial support
and helping hand in any of the great variety of ways




14
which may be suggested to their minds by a careful
consideration of the objects indicated.
SANFORD W. HUFF,
Gzo. H. JEROME,.     mmittee.
WM. REYNOLDS.
IOWA CITY, Feb. 3d, 1861.