366 HENRY WHEATLAND. 



wonderful treasure-house of genealogy and local history. While he 

 published but little, he was ever helping others to prepare papers. 

 Many were the hours and days he gave to rendering such assistance, 

 and to making critical revisions of manuscripts submitted to him. It 

 was in such work that his kindly nature was tested to the utmost, but 

 uever did he refuse to give to others for use or publication the results 

 that he had worked long and diligently to secure. I have often heard 

 him remark, " It makes no difference who publishes or gets credit for 

 a fact that I have found, so long as it is made known to the world, or 

 a mistake is corrected." 



The life work of such a man as Henry Wheatland would naturally 

 culminate in some important result to the community in which he 

 lived, and the result of his life work can be best expressed by the 

 words The Essex Institute. This important and remarkable institu- 

 tion is his memorial. Henry Wheatland is rightfully the acknowledged 

 founder of the Essex Institute. It was through his efforts that in 

 1848 two societies were brought together which for a number of years 

 had their home and principal membership in Salem, — the Essex His- 

 torical Society and the Essex Institute. To the subjects already fos- 

 tered by these societies was added the encouragement of art and 

 horticulture. The formation of a library was also included in the 

 new organization, and plans were made for the publication of the 

 Proceedings of the Institute and of scientific and historical papers. 



Of this Institute Dr. Wheatland was the Secretary and sustaining 

 power, giving of his moderate competence to its needs, and working 

 day and night for its advancement, without compensation or thought of 

 reward except in the successful growth of the institution and the ac- 

 knowledgment of its usefulness by the community. From the small be- 

 ginnings of nearly half a century ago, the Institute has grown as a sturdy 

 tree of knowledge. It now has a considerable membership of devoted 

 workers, who appreciate what has come to them and realize its useful- 

 ness and influence in the community. It has a home of its own and 

 considerable invested property, which insure its perpetuity. It is a 

 power for education and culture, and for all that calls forth the higher 

 aspirations of man. It has set an example which has been followed in 

 many places, and it has added to the sum of human knowledge by its 

 numerous publications. Such has been the result of the life and labors 

 of Henry Wheatland, - that gentle persistent worker whose aim was 

 ever to help others in their researches ; to save from destruction for 

 the use of the future student the manuscripts he would require in his 

 studies ; to furnish to the people the ready means of obtaining a knowl- 



