IOWA HISTORICAL LIBRARY

BUILDING.

MEMORIAL

OF

CHARLES ALDRICH

OTHER DECEASED MEMBERS, 1905-08.

CHARLES ALDRICH, elected to corresponding membership in this Society February 8, 1897, was born in Ellington, N. Y., October 2, 1828; and died at his home in Boone, Iowa, March 8, 1908. He came to Iowa in 1857, settling at Webster City and founding a newspaper, "The Freeman." In the Civil War he was adjutant of the Thirty-second Iowa regiment, 1862-64.

During many years after the war, Mr. Aldrich gave much care to forming a very extensive collection of autograph letters, portraits and other personal mementoes of distinguished citizens of Iowa. In 1884 he donated this collection to the state library. Later he made many additions to it, and in 1892, through his efforts, the legislature established the State Department of History, of which he was appointed curator, and continued to hold this position until his death.

For the Aldrich Collection, and for the Historical Library and State Portrait Gallery, the erection of a very commodious fireproof building, nearly adjoining the state capitol in Des Moines, was begun, under his direction, in 1898, of which one wing has been recently completed at a cost of about $400,000. The letters, photographs, etc., collected and donated by Mr. Aldrich, are arranged in exceedingly convenient and unique cases which he devised.

HERBERT CORNELIUS ANDREWS, who was elected to corresponding membership in this Society November 14, 1904, representing southern California, was born in Chicago, Ill., March 19, 1883, and died in the same city May 31, 1905. He studied at Chicago University and Colorado College, but failure of health prevented his graduation. His last two years, spent in Pasadena and Los

Angeles, California, were devoted to work in genealogy and heraldry, including compilation of several family histories.

JAMES BAIN, JR., a corresponding member of this Society since March 8, 1897, was born in London, England. August 2, 1842, and died in Toronto, Canada, May 22, 1908. After coming to Canada in his youth and receiving his education in Toronto, he was engaged about twenty years in bookselling and publishing. In 1883 he was appointed chief librarian of the Toronto Public Library, which position he held until his death.

JOHN H. BLISS was born at Fort Howard, Green Bay, Wis., October 4, 1823; and died in Honolulu, Hawaii, October 16, 1907. As a boy, when his father was commander of Fort Snelling, 1833 to 1836, he spent these three years in Minnesota. He obtained his education chiefly in Cincinnati, Ohio, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in New York in 1847. While residing later in Buffalo, N. Y., he was lieutenant colonel of the Seventy-fourth New York Militia.

During many years his home was in Erie, Pa., where he was engaged in the manufacture of steam engines and owned an interest in the Erie Iron Works. On account of failing health, he spent the last years of his life in Honolulu.

Colonel Bliss was elected to this Society as a corresponding member November 12, 1894. He contributed a paper, "Reminiscences of Fort Snelling," which is published in the Society's Historical Collections (Volume VI, 1894, pages 335-353, with a portrait of his father, Major John Bliss).

JOHN RICHARD CAREY was born in Bangor, Maine, March 3, 1830; and died at his home in Duluth, August 25, 1905. He came to Minnesota with a New England colony in 1853, but their plan of founding a town was abandoned. He remained two years in St. Paul, and then went to the head of Lake Superior, settling on the site of Duluth. He was judge of probate four successive terms, and was clerk of the district court twelve years, resigning to become register of the United States land office in Duluth.

Judge Carey was elected a life member of this Society on January 14, 1895; and he was a member of its Executive Council from October 14, 1901. An important service to our state history was rendered by him in writing his paper on the "History of Duluth and of St. Louis County to the Year 1870," published in this Society's Historical Collections (Volume IX, 1901, pages 241-278, with portrait).

THOMAS COCHRAN was born in Brooklyn, N. Y., July 31, 1843; and died at his home in St. Paul, December 25, 1906. He was educated in the Polytechnic School in Brooklyn, the University of the City of New York, and Columbia Law College. He was admitted to the bar in New York, but soon afterward removed to Minnesota, settling in St. Paul, where he resided after 1868, engaging in real estate business. In 1896 he became president of the Northwestern Investment Company. August 8, 1870, he was elected to life membership in this Historical Society.

Mr. Cochran was widely known for his benevolences, and for his unselfish interest in public affairs. He was a member of the House of Hope Church, and was prominent in the work of the Young Men's Christian Association. As a member of the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce, he was an active participant in many plans for material and moral advancement of this city and the state, often advocating them by public addresses and articles contributed to the press.

Through his influence the Chamber of Commerce in November, 1904, donated to this Society twenty-nine large framed portraits of prominent citizens of St. Paul and a group of sixtyeight separate photographs framed together. These are displayed in the portrait gallery at the old capitol.

MORRIS ROBINSON CONABLE was born in Fabius, N. Y., December 9, 1852; and died in Monrovia, Cal., September 15, 1907. He was educated at Cornell University as a civil engineer, and afterward taught in the William Penn Charter School of Philadelphia as professor of mathematics and science. Thence he removed to St. Paul, and in January, 1890, became a member of the firm of the H. L. Collins Company. About five years before his