16 The Chicago Academy of Sciences. 



was not the plan to build a home for the Academy on 

 this property. 



About this time the trustees of the Douglas estate 

 offered to donate to the Academy the necessary land 

 for a building in the vicinity of the old University of 

 Chicago, at Thirty-fourth street and Cottage Grove 

 avenue. The following letter pertaining to this offer 

 is of interest: 



"CHICAGO, December 12, 1865. 

 'To THE DIRECTORS OF THE CHICAGO ACADEMY OF 



SCIENCES : 



"Gentlemen. The proprietors of the Douglas estate 

 will donate to The Chicago Academy of Sciences as 

 a location for that institution that portion of said 

 estate described as follows : In block number one (as 

 per plat), lots one to eighteen (1 to 18), inclusive, 

 fronting on the University square, and also all the lots 

 in the rear of these extending from alley to alley and 

 fronting on Lyon avenue, being a piece of ground 215 

 feet front with a rear of 143 feet and a depth of 270 feet. 



' ' Provided, that there shall be erected on said 

 ground, within two years, a suitable building or build- 

 ings for the use of said Academy of Sciences, and which 

 building or buildings shall be occupied for the purposes 

 of said Academy for not less than ten years after the 

 completion of the same. 



" Respectfully submitted, 



"(Signed) R. GRIGG." 



The board of trustees, before finally acting on 

 this offer, decided to submit the proposition to the 

 Academy. A majority of the members present at a 

 meeting held December 12, 1865, voted to accept the 

 offer. The dissenting members, however, formed so 

 large a minority that the trustees decided to resubmit 

 the proposition at a future meeting. The matter was 

 again carefully considered at a meeting held April 10, 

 1866, and the following was adopted : 



Resolved: That we recommend that, owing to the 

 great distance of the proposed location at Cottage 



