THE FIRST HALF CENTURY OF THE INSTITUTE. 15 



Institute's founding and of the seventy-fifth anniversary of 

 the founding of the Essex Historical Society, — besides 

 all the contributions to local science already enumerated, 

 the Institute has received and printed contributions to its 

 Historical Collections from one hundred and seventeen 

 writers, on three hundred and eighty-two topics of local 

 history, biography and genealogy ; has contributed con- 

 spicuous features to both the World's Fairs at Philadelphia 

 and at Chicago ; has for thirty years past had on deposit 

 with the Peabody Academy of Science a collection of 

 specimens in natural history, covering every group of 

 the mineral, vegetable and animal kingdoms — in several 

 important features possessing exceptional value — and 

 together forminj; the basis of an exhibit of the natural 

 history of Essex County probably unequalled by any col- 

 lection drawing on so limited a population anywhere ; has 

 established, through its publications, an exchange list with 

 kindred bodies all over the world, numbering between 

 two hundred and sixty and two hundred and eighty ; has 

 accumulated on its shelves a library of the works of Essex 

 County authors now counting nearly seven hundred vol- 

 umes, an art library equal in numbers, a China library 

 nearly as large, the gift of Mr. Hunt, perhaps without a 

 rival in size and quality in the country, a rare collection 

 of log-books and sea-letters and ship's journals and owner's 

 instructions of privateersmen and merchantmen, detailing 

 the thrilling story of more than four hundred voyages, 

 during our romantic commercial era. It has set up and 

 preserved for all time what we believe to be the skeleton 

 of the earliest meeting-house, erected on this continent 

 for congregational worship, by an independent society 

 gathered on the spot. 



For several seasons, gatherings were arranged which 

 brought together scores of microscopes, and led to a dis- 



