FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 



FOUNDATION AND EARLY DEVELOPMENT 



The story of the phenomenal rise of Chicago as a 



commercial and industrial center is a romance that 



,has few equals in the history of the cities of the world. 



: It is too well known to need repetition here. As far 



;back, however, as the early eighties, there existed a 



i feeling among a group of public spirited citizens, who 



had the best interests of the city at heart, that the 



growth was not proportional. They were conscious 



that, to secure the future welfare of the community, 



proper facilities for popular education and culture 



should be provided. This feeling crystalized into a 



determination to construct and equip a great Museum 



which would make science and knowledge, in their most 



interesting and fascinating form, accessible to every 



member of the community. 



In 1891 preliminary steps were taken to attain this 

 end, and the Columbian Historical Association was 

 formed. The preparations for, and the holding of the 

 World's Fair in 1893 caused the project to remain in 

 abeyance for a time ; but on August llth of that year 

 the Directors of the Exposition appointed a committee 

 composed of George R. Davis, H. N. Higinbotham and 

 James W. Scott to form a nucleus of representative 

 citizens who were interested in the matter. This re- 

 sulted in the formation, on August 21st, 1893, of "The 

 Columbian Museum of Chicago" and articles for its 

 incorporation were prepared. 



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