THE SOCIETY AND THE STATE

During the three months' period ending July 10, 1924, there were nine additions to the membership of the State Historical Society. Four persons enrolled as life members: Dr. S. A. Barrett, Milwaukee; Henry Lockney, Waukesha; T. M. Nelson-Lewis, Watertown; Mrs. Peter Reiss, Sheboygan.

Five persons became annual members, as follows: Mrs. May L. Bauchle, Beloit; Arthur H. DuChateau, Green Bay; Bertha Feld, Watertown; Nathan J. Gould, Milwaukee; Alfred Schumann, La Crosse. Frank L. Gilbert and James J. McDonald, both of Madison, changed their memberships from annual to life.

Judge E. Ray Stevens, president of the State Historical Society, called a special meeting of the executive committee of the Society for Saturday, June 7, in order to consider an emergency which had arisen in regard to a portion of the lands devised to the Society under the will of the late George B. Burrows. The affairs of the Ramsey Land Company, in which the Society, as successor to George B. Burrows, held shares, were liquidated, the Society coming into possession of most of the lands owned by the company. The call was responded to by a large proportion of the curators of the Society, and the business was concluded in a manner which promises to be highly advantageous to the Society's interests. Among those present from the state outside of Madison were Hans Anderson of Whitehall, J. H. A. Lacher of Waukesha, Lyman J. Nash of Manitowoc, Barton L. Parker of Green Bay, and William A. Titus of Fond du Lac.

Since the preparation of the last number of the magazine, volume one of Town Studies of the Wisconsin Domesday Book has issued from the press. This volume is in atlas form and the cover is ornamented with the first seal of the state, adopted in 1848, which is quite unlike the present state seal. The text deals with twenty-three selected towns from the southern part of the state (except Sevastopol in Door County), and contains sixty-five plats and maps on which the studies are based. The separate studies proceed from location, surface and drainage, types of soil and timber, to beginnings of settlement, conditions affecting the purchase of lands, and progress of farm making. They then take up the classification of farms according to area, the general and special productions, with the value of each. Then they discuss manufactures, villages, post offices, schools, and churches, and end with a description of population changes. Several of the studies are supplemented by articles from pioneers on the general and social histories of the towns. The appendix contains agricultural statistics compiled from the censuses of 1850 to 1920. The index lists not only the names mentioned in the text, but those shown on the plats of farms and farmers of 1860, giving a complete directory of the farm owners of the selected towns for that date. The second volume of the series is now in process of preparation.

THE SHOLES MONUMENT

In this magazine for December, 1923, we called attention to the fiftieth anniversary of the invention of the typewriter and the fact that its inventor, C. Latham Sholes, was a Wisconsin pioneer. We are pleased to chronicle that since that time honor has been paid to this distinguished citizen by the erection of a monument at his grave in Forest Home Cemetery, Milwaukee. This monument, the work of a Pittsburgh artist, consists of a bronze tablet bearing in low relief a profile bust of Sholes. The tablet is fastened to a marble shaft, whereon the inscription reads: "Christopher Latham Sholes 1819-1890. Dedicated by the young men and women of America in grateful memory of one who materially aided in the world's progress." The erection of this monument was sponsored by the National Shorthand Reporters' Association under the leadership of Charles L. Weller, of La Porte, Indiana, an early associate of the inventor. The funds were raised by popular subscription. The unveiling took place June 7, and the act was performed by Lillian Sholes Fortier, the inventor's daughter, who was one of the earliest typists to utilize her father's machine. Addresses were delivered by Mr. Weller, Alan C. Reiley of the Remington Company, and Herbert Dore of the Reporters' Association. J. D. Strachan of the same association presided. A movement has been started to obtain Sholes's election to the National Hall of Fame; the mayor of Milwaukee has appointed a committee for that purpose.

NECROLOGY

William Henry Upham, who died July 2 at Marshfield, was the eighteenth governor of our state, and a man distinguished in military and business as well as in political circles. Of Massachusetts birth, young Upham enlisted as a boy soldier at Racine in the Second Wisconsin Infantry. Later he was appointed by Lincoln to a cadetship at West Point, under circumstances well remembered by those who followed General King's reminiscences in this magazine for March, 1922 (221-222). After graduating at West Point in 1866, Upham entered the Fifth United States Artillery as lieutenant, resigning therefrom in 1869. Thereafter he devoted himself to building up northern Wisconsin, and became a successful manufacturer at Marshfield. For many years he was a member of our Society and curator ex officio during his gubernatorial term, 1895-1896.

Harriet M. Wheeler, daughter of Leonard H. Wheeler, the eminent missionary to the Wisconsin Chippewa, died in April at her home in Beloit. She was a writer of short stories and author of two or three novels, into some of which she wove her childhood experiences among the Chippewa at Odanah.

ANNIVERSARIES AND PAGEANTS

At Appleton in April was produced, under the auspices of the Woman's Club, a pageant entitled "The Tale of the Fox," in which by allegory and dramatic action were interpreted the history and romance of the Fox River valley.

During the first week of June the River Falls Normal School celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of its founding. This was the fourth normal to be launched in Wisconsin, the first in the northern part of the state. The pageant, which was written and produced under the direction of the faculty members, recounted the entire history of the St. Croix valley from barbarism to civilization. Over five thousand people attended, and the cast consisted of more than five hundred. The acting was in pantomime, the poetic and appropriate lines being read by a herald. At the banquet on alumni day a number of the former faculty members were in attendance, notably former president J. Q. Emery of Madison.

A pageant without Indian scenes would be one lacking its most popular opportunity. The managers of the Langlade County pageant, given at Antigo June 12-14, were enterprising enough to secure the participation of Reginald Oshkosh, Neopit, and other Menominee tribesmen from the reservation in Shawano County. The scene in which Charles de Langlade, for whom the county is named, was shown taking part in Braddock's defeat, and the portions depicting the fur trading and logging days on Wolf River, were especially picturesque. The principal of the county normal school had charge of the historical scenes.

A Sheboygan County historical pageant, produced June 17 and 18 at Plymouth, depicted six scenes from the early history of the locality. The first, representing an Indian romance, introduced Father St. Cosme, who in 1698 voyaged along the Sheboygan County lake shore; the second episode, on the fur trade, brought in the historic characters of Jacques Vieau, William Farnsworth, and Marinette. The third scene represented the first white American advent, with the sawmill of Crocker and Paine; later in the same scene came Dutch and German immigrants to join the Yankees. The two following scenes were on local history, and the whole closed on the note of the Civil War, with enlistment and departure for the field.

Northland College at Ashland presented during commencement week a pageant of the institution's history, written and produced by the senior class.

The Fond du Lac County rural normal school wrote and acted a pageant on the history of Wisconsin, as part of its graduating exercises, June 20.

A pageant of Sauk County history was presented at Baraboo on the evening of June 25. One of the scenes represented the voyage of Jolliet and Marquette; another, the advent of Count Haraszthy; and the final one, the World War.

Kaukauna is planning a pageant of its interesting history to be presented in August.

When Fort Atkinson high school graduated a large class of sixtythree seniors last June, they at the same time recalled the graduation of fifty years earlier, when J. Q. Emery was superintendent of the city schools. Mr. Emery was present and delivered a reminiscent address full of historical and personal interest. Mr. Emery was head of the school system at "the Fort" from 1873 to 1889.

CHURCH ANNIVERSARIES

The Methodist circuit riders were among the first religious pioneers to visit the lead mines, and one of the oldest churches in the state is that of this denomination, at Mineral Point, which celebrated in May its ninetieth anniversary. This church was organized before Wisconsin became a territory and when Mineral Point was merely a mining camp. The first regular minister was John Dew. The church was afterwards served by some of the most eminent preachers in the Northwest, and is still an active organization, with a fine church building.

Impressive ceremonies commemorated early in April the seventyfifth anniversary of the founding of the First Presbyterian Church of Beloit. Memorial windows in honor of pioneer members were dedicated and an anniversary pageant, called "The Builders," written by the pastor, was presented. Visitors were present from the neighboring churches of the Madison presbytery.

Seventy-five years of history were recalled when the Baptist Church at Berlin celebrated in the spring the anniversary of its founding. Berlin was then called Strongville, and this church was organized with thirteen charter members.

St. Mary's Catholic Church in Marytown, Fond du Lac County, was founded in 1849 and occupied a small log structure. July 2 its seventy-fifth anniversary was celebrated.

St. Joseph's Church at Richwood celebrated on June 29 the sixtieth anniversary of the laying of its first corner stone.

Emanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church at Brandon, Fond du Lac County, organized in 1874, observed its golden jubilee on May 18. Communicants numbering 8777 have been connected with this church during the fifty years of its existence.

At Hartford, on May 18, began a four-day celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of St. John's Evangelical Church, under the direction of the present pastor, who has been in charge for the last fifteen years.

At Waupaca, in June, the First Methodist Church commemorated its fiftieth anniversary, when several of its former pastors were present. On June 24, St. John's Catholic Church of Waunakee gathered its friends for a jubilee celebration of its establishment in 1874, when nineteen German families came together to organize a new church by permission of the Reverend Archbishop Henni.

After recording the successful history of several of our state churches, we regret to chronicle that the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Church, built at Mount Pleasant, Racine County, in 1854, has recently been razed. Service was discontinued about eleven years ago, because of the removal or death of the old settlers who spoke the Welsh language.

LOCAL HISTORICAL SOCIETIES

The Waukesha County Historical Society held its eighteenth annual meeting in Waukesha on May 17. Several papers on pioneer subjects were presented, and the gold medal donated by J. H. A. Lacher was awarded to Charlotte S. Reid, a senior in the Waukesha high school, for an essay on Cutler's Park. Honorable mention was made of the "History of Oconomowoc," by Elsie Zastrow. H. M. Youmans, retiring president, offered a medal for competition during the next year.

On Flag Day, June 14, the Fond du Lac County Historical Society united with the County Women's Club and the Elks Lodge in a joint pilgrimage to Calumet Harbor, where Senator Titus gave an interesting historical talk embracing the material published in our June magazine.

On the same day the Winnebago County Archeological and Historical Society gathered to the number of several hundred at the old pay ground on the south shore of Lake Poygan, where from 1836 to 1856 the Menominee Indians received their annuities. The speaker of the day was Louise Phelps Kellogg of our staff, who talked on the "French Régime in Winnebago County." Work is now in progress on the museum at the Sawyer Foundation, which will be opened to the public in the early autumn.

The first county courthouse and jail of Manitowoc County having been built seventy-five years ago, on the site familiarly known as County Hill, this circumstance was commemorated on June 29, when Judge Baensch, Ralph Plumb, County Attorney A. J. Schmitz, and Judge J. S. Anderson gave addresses. Mr. Baensch urged the purchase of this region for a county park.

LANDMARKS

On June 1, the first Wisconsin capitol and the land on which it stands, five miles east of Platteville, were formally transferred to the State Conservation Commission, to be administered as part of the state park system. The old capitol was the meeting place for early sessions of the legislature, but was abandoned in 1837, and in the later eighties was moved from its original location and used as a barn. In 1917 the legislature appointed a Belmont Capitol Commission, consisting of M. P. Rindlaub, of Platteville, John G. D. Mack, state chief