" In the course of the seventeenth century the frontier was 

 advanced up the Atlantic river courses, just beyond the ' fall 

 line,' and the tidewater regions became the settled area." 



" At the Atlantic frontier one can study the germs of pro- 

 cesses repeated at each successive frontier. The first frontier 

 had to meet its Indian question, its question of the disposition of 

 the public domain, of the means of intercourse with older settle- 

 ments, of the extension of political organization, of religious and 

 educational activity." 



About 1700 certain towns in Massachusetts, among them 

 being Haverhill, Groton, Lancaster and Deerfield, were frontier 

 towns and as such they stood in a peculiar relation to the settle- 

 ments at the Bay. What the significance of the frontier was, 

 and what were the workings of human nature under the con- 

 ditions there found, will be discussed by Professor Turner in 

 speaking of "The New England Frontier about 1700." 



HE corner-stone of the new building was laid by President 

 Baxter, on Monday, March 18th, which was the sixty- 

 seventh anniversary of the incorporation of the Society, the 

 Council and about sixty members of the Society being present 

 at the exercises. As the occasion was a formal meeting of the 

 Council, the account of the event forms a part of its records. 

 The exercises consisted of a short address by the President and 

 a prayer by Rev. Anson Titus, who also said a word of benedic- 

 tion when the stone was in place. 



A heavy copper box was provided for the material which it 

 was desired should be preserved under the stone. It has been 

 found that notwithstanding apparently complete precautions, 

 papers frequently are seriously affected by moisture that may 

 come from condensation on the inside of the box. As additional 

 security therefore, glass jars with ground glass stoppers were 

 used to hold the papers in this box. Among the contents are 

 records of the last annual meeting, the by-laws, papers relating 

 to the new building, and as being probably of especial interest 

 at some later time, examples of the leaflets of all kinds that have 

 been issued at intervals in the Society's work. An autograph 

 list of those present at the meeting was included, together with 

 three medals, one a replica of the gold one given to General 

 Washington in commemoration of the Evacuation of Boston, 

 March 17, 1776. 



One touch of sentiment was furnished through the request of 

 the quiet wielder of brush and broom in the Library, who, though 

 intent on her unimaginative duties, has caught the spirit of the 

 new building. She asked if she might not also place something 

 in the box, and accordingly her coin will be found when, if ever, 

 the box is opened. 



