ulty of eliciting facts concerning our early social, material, and political history. He also gathered almost complete files of the early local newspapers and publications, which later mostly came into my possession, while most of his manuscripts went to Bancroft in California. That he failed to present a complete history of pioneer times in Washington was a loss that can never be made good. His mantle fell upon no worthy successor.
At the Tacoma Hotel, July 2, 1891, pursuant to a call from Charles W. Hobart, a public meeting was held to organize a State historical society. Little was done beyond discussion as to ways and means. October 8 of the same year an organization was effected, the following becoming the charter members of the "Washington State Historical Society," viz., Elwood Evans, Edward Huggins, James Wickersham, L. P. Bradley, Henry Bucey, John Flett, J. N. Houghton, Edward N. Fuller, Charles W. Hobart, Philo G. Hubbell, and Miss Nannie Wickersham, of Pierce County; Edward Eldredge, Henry Roeder, S. Caldwell, of Whatcom County; Clarence B. Bagley, J. B. Houghton, of King County; T. I. McKenney, C. M. Barton, Allen Weir, R. H. Lansdale, of Thurston County; W. P. Gray, of Franklin County; Thomas J. Smith, of Whitman County.
A constitution and by-laws were adopted, and Elwood Evans unanimously chosen president, where he was retained for five years.
The most notable work of the Society was that of celebrating, on May 7 and 8, 1892, the hundredth anniversary of the discovery of Gray's Harbor, one of the most momentous events of our early history. The celebration was largely attended by citizens of Oregon and Washington; its proceedings were given at length in the leading journals of the coast, and later were issued in pamphlet form
