Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 18.djvu/343



State Histoucal Activities 307

As the commission has already discovered many documents of unique value in possession of private individuals and in local depositories, the suggesition of tiie publication of the texts of these naturally arises, in order that the results of the commis- sion's labors may be brought to full fruition.

Historical Field Work in the Middle West — ^The his- torical survey activity as conducted by the California commis- sion is but historical field work toned up to desirable standards of efficiency, thoroughness and continuity. The historical agencies of Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota have been active in recent years with this up-to-date field work. Instead of intermittent forays in search of materials, regular and sus- tained campaigns have been in progress in these states. Field work has been transformed into org^ized effort "to exhaust all practical possibilities" having "to do with the thoroughgoing conservation of the vast, yet unexplored and neglected histor- ical resources which abound, widely scattered, in every com- munity." The immediate object of this new systematized field work is to make known and permanently accessible, preferably in public depositories, all discoverable materials of history in a community. The ultimate aim must be to arouse the interest and to secure the co-operation of the community itself. The ideal conditions are achieved when each community is placed in permanent possession of all its historical treasures and is made permanently mindful of their value.

A changing conception of history and of their functions is impelling the historical agencies in these Middle West states to adopt this more scientific and intensive method with their field work. If history is to portray "the vast ongoing common life" of a community, no phase of community life, whether it be political, social, economic or otherwise. Can be overlooked. The realization of the ideal history of any community can be expected only after the accumulation, or at least tfie bringing to light, of all discoverable materials relating to the life of that community. Much as the increased demand for metals and the improved processes of ore reduction make profitable the use of low percentage and refractory ore beds, previously