Sixteenth Annual Meeting. 



tempted, so far as I could ascertain, except a brief sketch in the Eleventh Annual Report 

 of the Department of Public Instruction for 1871, (page 181,) and as that is brief and 

 now twelve years old, it seemed appropriate to the occasion to take the subject up again, 

 and also, in order to make it more complete by further research, to bring it up nearer 

 to date. In addition to the interest we naturally have in everything pertaining to 

 our early history, this work appeared the more imperative, as much that is of interest 

 and value is being lost by the death or removal of the first members of the Society, 

 the chief actors in its organization. A.s 1 proceeded to investigate the history of the first 



years, 1 was deeply impressed with the need of some such effort being made for the 



speedy collation and preservation of the facts and incidents connected therewith, as 



much valuable matter I found was never recorded, hut is only preserved in the memories 

 of a few persons. Some links in the chain of interesting incidents and events are even 

 now irretrievably lost: some lie buried with the dead, others are known only to mem- 

 bers scattered to the ends of the earth. But tie' fragments I have endeavored t" collect, 

 and the result it is my pleasure to present to-night. 



Much relating to the early days of science and the Academy has been recorded, and 

 of this 1 have of course made free use; but in addition to this, I have communicated with 

 some of the organizers and early members, and other persons in possession of needful 

 facts and incidents, who have, so far as I could hear from them, been uniformly kind, and 

 freely contrihuted of their knowledge. I take this opportunity of publicly thanking them 

 for their patient kindness and assistance. Without their aid I could have done little or 

 nothing, and to them must he accredited all that is new in my offering. There is much, 

 of course, that I have been unable to find, and 1 hope those members who know or can 

 procure anything in addition, will feel it their duty to record and preserve such knowl- 

 edge without delay. My resume is by no means exhaustive, and with this explanation 

 I will hasten to submit it. 



One of the earliest reports published of systematic scientific work in the region now 

 included in the State of Kansas, if not indeed the very first, is that of Prof. < i. ( '. Swallow, 

 of St. Louis, and Major F. Hawn, of Leavenworth, upon the result of several years' col- 

 lecting in the Territory of Kansas by the latter gentleman. The report "On the Rocks 

 of Kansas," was presented to the St. Louis Academy of Sciences, February 22, 1858. 

 Maj. I lawn says, in his note added to the report, that he began collecting fossils as early 

 as 1855. Tins date must surely entitle him to the honor of being the first scientific 

 worker in the State. His results were forwarded in 1857 to Prof. Swallow, and a certain 

 division to Prof. F. P. Meek, who reported his examinations and discoveries to the Al- 

 bany Institute, March 2d, 1858. These reports contained much of interest and value in 

 their day. and in addition to their scientific interest to as, have served as a groundwork, 

 ami supplied data fur later investigations and explorations. 



After this firsl special report upon the geology of Kansas, various fragmentary articles 

 upon the subject of natural science, and the resources of the region, were published in 

 different periodicals, railroad survey reports, etc Of these I cannol attempt to give you 

 a list, as they are scattered and incomplete, and of various degrees of importance The 

 new papers of those years also contained notices and articles on scientific subjects of no 

 little value; hut these arc still further beyond cataloguing. 



The next important and special report upon the geologj of the State was that of Prof. 



B. V. Mudge, in L864. It is called the "First Annual Report on the Geology of Kansas," 

 by P.. F. Mudge, State Geologist. It is an epitome of the scientific and practical results of 



the geological exploration of that year, conducted by the means of a small appropriation 

 made by the Legislature of the preceding winter for that purpose, as per Acts of 1864 

 (ch. 63, p. 109.) Considering the means at his disposal, ( he expended onbj $2,000,) the 

 results are excellent: hut all who knew the man are not surprised that he should have 

 produced so much from so little. The report was necessarily preliminary and general, but 



