Gen, Lib 11-11-46 PROCEEDINGS. OCTOBER 18, 1897.-The regular monthly meeting of the society, the first after the summer vacation and fiftyeighth since the society's first organization, was held at the common council room, President Henry A. Willis presiding. Mr. Frederick F. Woodward read a paper relating to the Woodward ancestry, and in connection presented some interesting letters written during the Revolutionary period by John Woodward, a Revolutionary soldier from Westminster. NOVEMBER 15, 1897.-The regular monthly meeting was held at the common council room, President Willis in the chair. Mrs. Frederick F. Woodward, Mrs. Leander W. Cumings and Mr. Harold M. Dean were elected to membership. Judge Charles H. Blood read a review of the AdamsCunningham correspondence, a series of letters written by ex-President John Adams and William Cunningham, Esq., of Fitchburg, during the early years of the last century. The letters were published in 1823, during an exciting political campaign when John Quincy Adams was a candidate for president. A sketch of the existing political parties of that day and brief notices of prominent men mentioned in the correspondence, lent additional interest to a valuable paper. DECEMBER 20, 1897.-The regular monthly meeting was held at the common council room, President Willis presiding. Mrs. Elijah M. Dickinson and Mrs. Robert N. Wallis were elected members of the society. Announcement was made that the society's second volume of Proceedings had been issued from the press and was ready for distribution to purchasers. Mr. Robert N. Wallis read an instructive paper on the history, objects and methods of the organization known as Tammany Hall, or the Tammany Society of New York. ANNUAL MEETING. JANUARY 17, 1898.-The annual meeting of the society was held at the common council room, President Willis in the chair. The secretary read his annual report, from which the following extracts are taken: . There are at present upon our roll of membership 131 names. Twenty-one of these are corresponding members, six are life members and one honorary. * * * It may be safely said that our organization has passed the experimental stage, and has demonstrated its usefulness and vitality. The approval of the public, shown by its steady increase of membership, indicates that our citizens are willing to endorse and encourage its work as worthy and commendable. One of the chief objects of our society, as suggested by the motto of its seal, and also as stated in its by-laws, is to gather up and preserve the materials for history; and while we strive to rescue the records of the past from oblivion, it should not be forgotten that the present generation is making history as truly as did our fathers in their day; and a transcript of passing occurrences of the present will be as important for the use of the future historian as are the musty records of the past to the historian of the present day. * * * If the old Fitchburg Philosophical Society had had a historical plank in its platform of by-laws, it might have gathered up and saved the transient and ephemeral productions of the press of its day and generation-including files of the local newspapers from 1830 to 1838, only scattering numbers of which are now known to exist. Much useful material for local history has been gathered together by this society, and some has been put into an enduring form for preservation; but much more has been irretrievably lost for the want of some safe depository in the past for its reception and safe keeping. For the first third of the present century there is very little of written or printed history relating to the town of Fitchburg, except what is contained in the brief records of the town clerk and in the records of the two churches of that time. The coming local historian will here find substantially untrodden ground awaiting his labors, and much of the information he will seek will not be easy to obtain. Through the courtesy of its publishers, our file of the daily Sentinel has been kept complete. The historical value of newspapers is unquestioned. They contain current history more complete than can elsewhere be found. To all seekers after historical data the newspaper files are veritable mines of information. The newspaper press of this city, from its commencement in 1830, covers a period that has no parallel in history-a period that has produced the locomotive, the telegraph, the telephone and the wonderful development of electrical science as applied to commercial and domestic uses; a period that has developed the sewing machine and brought forth the manifold improvements in machinery as applied to the mechanic and industrial arts; the improved methods in agriculture, the steam plow, the mower, the reaper, and the thresher; and last, but not least, the power printing press of lightning speed, which has made the great city dailies of the present time possible. Surely this society should make special efforts to secure as full files as possible of all newspapers that have been, or are now being, published in our city. In calling attention to some of the needs of our institution it would be a singular omission if I should fail to again refer to the greatest of all our needs-that of safe and commodious rooms in which to store our accumulations, and to arrange them for the convenient use of those seeking the information they contain. On the principle that "all things come to those who wait," we may venture to hope that the time is not far distant when we shall be permanently located and in a condition to accept some valuable material which we know is now withheld because of the lack of such suitable accommodations. And then, as people become more and more assured of the permanency of our institution, and of the safety of its archives, we may confidently look for a more generous flow of historical material into our custody than we can hope for under the present conditions. The treasurer presented his sixth annual report, showing receipts for the year $224.50; expenditures $77.12; with total amount of funds on hand of $366.30. The librarian read his annual report, showing additions to the society's collections of 15 bound volumes, 113 pamphlets, besides several files of newspapers, maps, manuscripts, and other miscellaneous donations. A ballot for officers for the ensuing year resulted in the election of the following: Executive Committee: Henry A. Willis, Henry A. Goodrich, Frederick F. Woodward, Atherton P. Mason, and James F. D. Garfield. Clerk James F. D. Garfield. Treasurer and Librarian: Atherton P. Mason. Committee on Nominations (three years): Ebenezer Bailey. At a subsequent meeting of the executive committee the following officers were elected: President: Henry A. Willis. Vice-Presidents: Henry A. Goodrich and Frederick F. Woodward. Interesting letters were read by Frederick A. Currier and Dr. A. P. Mason, from corresponding members. FEBRUARY 21, 1898.-The regular monthly meeting was held at the common council room, President Willis presiding. A large audience was present, consisting of members and invited guests. The president announced as the subject of the evening's paper, "The Life and Public Services of Capt. Thomas Cowdin," one of Fitchburg's prominent citizens in the early days. He then introduced Mrs. Lillian Upton Lawton of Brattleboro, Vt., who proceeded to read an exceedingly interesting account of Captain Cowdin, which had been prepared by Miss Ada L. Howard, ex-president of Wellesley college, who was unable to be present. The |