Part 17 (1/2)

THE MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

This society, as I have said before in speaking of the work of the first territorial legislature, was organized by that body in 1849, and has been of incalculable value to the state. The officers of the society are a president, two vice presidents, a treasurer and a secretary, and it is governed by an executive council of thirty-six members, which embraces the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary, auditor, treasurer of state and attorney general as ex-officio members. The state makes an annual appropriation in aid of the society. The executive council meets once a month for the transaction of its business, at which meetings, and at its annual meetings, interesting papers and essays are delivered on historical subjects, which are preserved, and with other matter are published in handsomely bound volumes when sufficient material is acc.u.mulated.

The society, in the manner prescribed in its by-laws, may establish the following separate departments:

Department of Annals and General History of Minnesota.

Department of Geology of Minnesota.

Department of Zoology of Minnesota.

Department of Botany of Minnesota.

Department of Meteorology of Minnesota.

Department of Northwestern Geography and Chartology.

Department of American History.

Department of Oriental History.

Department of European History.

Department of Genealogy and Heraldry.

Department of Ethnology and Anthropology.

It has corresponding members all over the world, and official connections with nearly all the historical and learned societies of Europe and America, with which it interchanges publications. It has a members.h.i.+p of 142 life and 37 annual members. It may receive donations from any source.

Its property, real and personal, is exempt from taxation of any kind. It has acc.u.mulated a splendid library of about 63,000 volumes of all kinds of historical, genealogical, scientific and general knowledge, all of which are open and free to the public. It also has a gallery of pictures of historical scenes in Minnesota, and portraits of men and women who have been prominent in, or who have contributed to, the history or growth of the state, together with an extensive museum of Indian and other curiosities having some relation to Minnesota. One of its most valuable attractions is a newspaper department, in which are complete files of all newspapers which have been and are published in the state, except a very few unimportant ones. The number of our state papers, daily, weekly and monthly, received at the beginning of the year 1899 is 421. These papers are all bound in substantial volumes, for preservation for the use of future generations. On Sept. 1, 1899, the society had on the shelves of its fire-proof vault 4,250 of these volumes. Its rooms are in the capitol at St. Paul, and are entirely inadequate for its accommodation, but ample s.p.a.ce has been allowed it in the new capitol now in the course of construction.

STATE INSt.i.tUTIONS MISCELLANEOUS IN THEIR CHARACTER.

Besides the general state boards and a.s.sociations having special reference to the leading products of the state, and those of a reformatory and educational character, there are many others, regulating business of various kinds among the inhabitants, all of which are important in their special spheres, but to name them is all I can say about them in my limited s.p.a.ce. Their number and the subjects which they regulate shows the care with which the state watches over the welfare of its citizens. I present the following catalogue of the state departments:

The Insurance Commission.

The Public Examiner.

The Dairy Food Commission.

The Bureau of Labor.

The Board of Railroad and Warehouse Commissioners.

The Board of Game and Fish Commissioners.

The State Law Library.

The State Department of Oil Inspection.

The State Horticultural Society.

The State Forestry a.s.sociation.

The Minnesota Dairymen's a.s.sociation.

The State b.u.t.ter and Cheese Makers' a.s.sociation.

The State Farmers' Inst.i.tutes.

The Red River Valley Drainage Commission.

The State Drainage Commission.