INSTITUTED 1849

ST. PAUL:

RAMALEY, CHANEY & CO., PRINTERS.
1872.

F

601
M66
Vil

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

OF THE LEGISLATURE AUTHORIZING THE PUBLICATION OF THIS VOLUME.

WHEREAS, The first volume of the Collections of the Minnesota Historical Society is now out of print, and as it contains valuable historical and geographical matter and information concerning the State, which it is desirable should be disseminated abroad among those seeking information regarding it, therefore

Resolved by the Senate, (the House concurring) that the Minnesota Historical Society is authorized to reprint the first volume of their Collections, and said edition shall consist of one thousand copies, to be bound in muslin; and the State Auditor is hereby directed to audit the bills for the said work, and draw warrants for the payment thereof, out of the general printing fund.

J. B. CHANEY, STATE PRINTER.

PREFACE TO THIS EDITION.

The first volume of the Collections of the Minnesota Historical Society,
issued in parts from 1850 to 1856, has been out of print for several years.
Other volumes, or parts, have been issued meantime, and the demand
for the first volume to complete sets, is constantly increasing. The
Society has therefore concluded, by permission of the Legislature, to
reprint it, and in so doing, to make such changes and improvements as
seemed necessary, by correcting typographical and other errors.

The volume of which this is a reprint, was composed of five parts, or
pamphlets, issued in various years. The titles are as follows:

1. ANNALS of the MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Saint Paul: Printed by James
M. Goodhue, 1850. 8°; pp. 32. [Two editions printed.]

2. ANNALS of the MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY, for the year A. D., 1850-1. Com-
prising an Address of the President; the annual report of the Secretary; two
papers by S. R. Riggs, one on the "Destiny of the Indian Tribes," the other on
the "Dakota Language:" and lastly, "A Memoir of the History and Physical
Geography of Minnesota," &c., &c. St. Paul; D. A. Robertson, Printér, 1851.
8°; pp. 184.

3. ANNALS of the MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY; 1852; containing the annual
address by J. H. Simpson, First Lieut. Corps U. S. Topographical Engineers;
and other papers. Published by order of the Executive Council, St. Paul.
Owens & Moore, Printers, Minnesotian Office. 8; pp., 64.

4. ANNALS of the MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY, for 1853. Number IV. Printed
by order of the Executive Council, St. Paul; Owens & Moore, Printers, 1853.
8: pp., 72.

5. MATERIALS FOR THE FUTURE HISTORY OF MINNESOTA; being a report of the Min-
nesota Historical Society, to the Legislative Assembly, in accordance with a
Joint Resolution. Fifteen hundred copies ordered to be printed for the use of
the Legislature. St. Paul: Joseph R. Brown, Territorial Printer, Pioneer and
Democrat Office, 1856. Royal 8 pp. 142.

Excepting the last named part, only a small edition of each was printed,
and imperfectly distributed. Most of them were printed at the expense
of the Society, whose membership at that time was small, and the fees
difficult to collect; and were executed by different publishers, under
varying circumstances. Hence their style, size, &c., is not uniform, and
they are not consecutively paged. A fact that detracts from the value
and convenience of the volume as a whole, while the poor typography
and paper, though the best that could then be procured in the Territory,
have always created an unfavorable impression against the work, when
compared with the neat publications of other institutions.