Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 3.djvu/352

 important auxiliary to the development of the higher education of our future citizens.” He further says:

The beautiful fire-proof building contains a library of more than 10,500 volumes of books and pamphlets, while the bound volumes of newspapers number 2,704. A museum occupies a considerable portion of the building and is of interest to thousands of visitors. The private autograph collection of Charles Aldrich, the founder of the department, is one of the largest and most complete in the country and is of great value. It contains autographs, photographs and manuscripts as well as historical documents of noted persons and events from all parts of the world. The building also contains a spacious and well lighted art gallery adorned with portraits of noted men and women of Iowa. This room is also the meeting place of the Pioneer Lawmakers’ Association of Iowa, as well as many gatherings of State interest.

THE PIONEER LAWMAKERS’ ASSOCIATION

This Association had its origin in a reunion of the early lawmakers of Iowa which assembled at Des Moines on the 24th of February, 1886. The gathering was one of the most notable in the history of the State. Nearly one hundred of the early lawmakers of more than a quarter of a century before, met and held a session of two days, in which many valuable historical addresses were made by former public officials who were instrumental in laying the foundations of the Territory and State of Iowa; who enacted its first laws and framed its several Constitutions. A reception