Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 18.djvu/341



STATE fflSTORICAL ACTIVITIES

Several states to which Oregon naturally looks for suggest tions are exhibiting interesting new developments in the organization and the work of their historical agencies. Thor- ough and systematic surveys are being conducted for locating and listing the source materials of their local and state his- tory ; and movements are started that will insure the safe-keep- ing and the use of the newly disclosed means to a more ade- quate history.

California Historical Survey Commission — Our neigh- bor on the south, California, has provided a historical survey commission to investigate the documents in local depositories and in the possession of private individuals and other sources of original information on the early history of the state. A scientific record will be made of all sources thus disclosed. This commission began its work in October, 1915. It is composed of three members. One was nominated by the regents of the University of California and one by the board of general officers of the Order of Native Sons of the Golden West. An advisory committee of eight members, composed of persons "of recog- nized ability and experience in dealing with materials of Cali- fornia history," is co-operating with the commission. A sec- retary and archivist has general supervision of its field work.

The preliminary report of this historical survey commission was issued in March, 1917. In it the commission protests emphatically that it is not writing a history of the state, nor is it engaged in the collection of historical documents. Its work is simply "to investigate documents and to compile and keep a report of such information as may be found in local depos- itories, in the possession of individuals and elsewhere, relating to the early history of the state."

It began its survey with the records of the various county archives and expects to extend its activities to the archives of the state and to the local federal offices. It is also listing