Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 3.djvu/343

 other documents, to rescue from oblivion the memory of its pioneers and collect and preserve the history of Indian tribes. With this as a nucleus, several public spirited citizens organized the State Historical Society at Iowa City. A quarterly historical magazine was established named the Annals of Iowa, in which were published valuable articles relating to the early history of the State. Old files of newspapers, rare old pamphlets, maps and articles illustrating pioneer life in Iowa were collected for preservation. Among the most active promoters of this society were Theodore S. Parvin, Samuel Storrs Howe, Willard Barrows and President Oliver M. Spencer of the State University. In March, 1860, the appropriation was increased to five hundred dollars annually. The publication of the Annals of Iowa was suspended in 1874 but was revived by S. S. Howe in 1882 and continued until the close of 1884. In January, 1885, The Historical Record was established, devoted to Iowa history and biography. The State Historical Society has removed its valuable collection to one of the buildings of the University. In recent years more liberal appropriations have been made by the Legislature enabling the Society to enlarge its scope of usefulness, and issue in place of the Record the Iowa Journal of History and Politics, a quarterly publication of the highest class, ably conducted by Dr. B. F. Shambaugh, Professor of Political Science in the State University.

The first steps taken for the organization of this fraternal association of Union soldiers, who had participated in the Civil War, were upon suggestion of Dr. Benjamin F. Stephenson, surgeon of the Fourteenth Illinois Infantry. He, in conjunction with the chaplain of that regiment, W. J. Rutlege, met at Springfield, Illinois, in March, 1866, and prepared a ritual for the association. On the 6th of