Oregon Historical Quarterly/Volume 60/Number 1: Editorial News

By now you have noted that the Quarterly is observing its sixtieth year of continuous publication, beginning with the first fat number in March, 1900. Volume I, Number 1 contained fine articles by James R. Robertson, Thomas Condon, a sketch of Nathaniel Wyeth's Oregon expeditions, not to mention the "Reminiscences of F. X. Matthieu." Matthieu was a participant in the movement for the Oregon provisional government in 1843, a member of the legislature in 1874 and 1878. He was an early member of the Oregon Historical Society. Also included in Number 1 is an important exchange of letters concerning Willamette Falls between S. R. Thurston, Nathaniel Wyeth, R. C. Winthrop and John McLoughlin.

The state and the Society may well be proud of this long and fruitful run, for the Quarterly is among the oldest and best in the country.

Our chief concern in this great Centennial year of statehood is our legislative appropriation. At the moment of writing our budget request rests with the Ways and Means Committee. Our legislators are working on many financial problems, but we earnestly hope this year the superb work of our membership and staff will be recognized.

The Society has privately raised several hundred thousand dollars in the last four years. We know more could be done, but we need support and financial encouragement from state government. Most societies depend almost entirely on state funds. We shall never do that, but it is imperative that the enormous public pressure for varied services be met with something other than a sixty-hour week for tired, underpaid staff members.

The best of this problem is the superb work being turned out by our members. Carrying with all else the great load of the Centennial, study materials are now being turned over that will be used many years hence.

Some of you have not seen "Roots of the Tree," our great Centennial film made through a private grant from Omark Industries, Milwaukie. Plan to see this movie beginning April 9 in Portland.

April 9, 10 and 11 are the dates set aside for the Fifth Annual Oregon Historical Forum and the Twelfth Pacific Northwest History Conference. The Society will serve as host for this three-day meeting.

Among the featured speakers will be Samuel Eliot Morison, Webster Jones, John Hussey, Willard Ireland, Donald Biggs, Bruce LeRoy, Jerry Swinney, Hazel Mills, Franz Stenzel and many others.

John Day will open the sessions Thursday evening at 8:30, and Don Willner will close on Saturday afternoon. Plan on attending all or any of the lunches, dinner or sessions.

If you are driving in, plan also to see McLoughlin House, the fine Newell House reconstruction at Champoeg and Dr. Minthorn's (Hoover House) home at Newberg. The Oregon State Medical Society has taken an active part in this project.

I think most important is a good leter or personal conversation with your legislator in Salem. Among other things remind him of all the Society has accomplished. This small budget of $166,000 is a tremendous investment in the future more than the past.

Order new maps now. They are great!

Dr. Woolley's "Mt. Hood or Bust: The Old Road," in this issue, will be reprinted separately with some informative recollections of those who lived along the road, including an engaging account of the Kelly family's annual pilgrimage to the mountain.

WHEREAS, the Oregon Historical society has through director Vaughan and through David. T. Mason sought from the Hill Family Foundation of Saint Paul, Minnesota, a grant with which to set up a "Publication Fund," with assurance to the Foundation that such grant, if made, could be and would be used in such a way that it would finance publications of the Society and would be replenished by money received from the sale of such publications; the proposed Publication Fund would thus be a permanent "revolving fund."

The Hill Family Foundation responded to such application by offering a grant of $12,500 provided that an equal sum were secured by the Society from other donors.

A Society representative then solicited such matching funds, seeking contributions with the understanding that they would become a part of such "revolving fund."

The Directors of Oregon Historical Society recognize that, as a matter of good management and of good faith with the donors of the Western Imprints Publication Fund, they must assure that Western Imprints Publication Fund will be efficiently and continuously managed as a revolving fund, and with that purpose--Now be it resolved, That the Directors hereby adopt the following rules for the guidance of the officers and Director of the Society in the management of the Publication Fund:

Committee to maintain reasonably high standards of historical value and literary worth in material approved for publication; also good business judgment shall be exercised so that the income shall at least equal expense, thereby maintaining the "revolving fund."
 * 1) As a separate and distinct department of the work of Oregon Historical Society the Western Imprints Publication Fund and activities relating thereto shall be managed by the Executive Director of the Society acting with the advice and approval of the "Publications Committee" of the Society appointed annually by the President of the Society. New publications of the Society shall be undertaken by the Director only after approval by such committee. It shall be the duty of the Director and the

for this purpose, and all receipts from the sale of publications now on hand or in the future received or produced shall be deposited in a special, separate bank account set up and operated for this sole purpose.
 * 1) The initial gifts to the Publication Fund, any gifts later received

of expense incurred in the operation of the Publication Fund.
 * 1) Withdrawals from such bank account shall be made only in payment

at each quarterly meeting a report on the operation of the Publication Fund, including a financial report consisting of a balance sheet (in which the publications on hand on January 1, 1959, shall be valued at cost, if known, or at no value if not known) and a profit and loss statement.
 * 1) The Director shall render to the Board of Directors of the Society

Further be it resolved, That the President of the Society shall appropriately express the appreciation of the Society for the generous gifts which have established the Publication Fund, especially to the Hill Family Foundation and also to the other donors named in the attached list.

Also be it resolved, That the Directors of our Society who may be in office at the time of construction of our anticipated new building are hereby requested to provide and place in such building a suitable plaque recogniz-

ing the Publication Fund and its generous donors, whose names are in cluded in the following list.

List of subscribers to Oregon Historical Society Publication Fund made possible by the Hill Family Foundation and the others listed below:

Dr. Burt Brown Barker Paul Neils Donald H. Bates Robert H. Noyes Bend Foundation John Nylund Chandler P. Brown Pacific Power & Light Company Cascades Plywood Corporation Mrs. Albert H. Powers Alger Chaney Santiam Lumber Company Wilson W. Clark Pendleton Woolen Mills Collins Pine Company Robert W. Sawyer Crown Zellerbach Corporation Simpson Timber Company Carl L. Davis Charles H. Watzek John Dierdorff Weyerhaeuser Foundation Stewart H. Holbrook Coleman H. Wheeler Hyster Company Willamette Valley Lumber Loretta and Ira Keller Company Ralph H. King Robert Wilson David T. Mason Clarence J. Young