Mercer County, Illinois - Chapter 5: Mercer County Scientific and Historical Society, Etc, 1914

Tyler McWhorter and James H. Connell furnished the data for the following in 1882: This society was organized in Aledo, February 19, 1878, under the name of Mercer County Scientific Association. At this meeting were present Tyler McWhorter, W. J. Pepper, J. H. Connell, I. N. Bassett, J. V. Frazier and W. A. Marsh. Mr. McWhorter presided, and Mr. Connell served as secretary. A constitution and by-laws were adopted; a number of invitations issued to others to attend the next meeting, and adjourned to March 5, 1878, to which time election of officers was postponed.

The objects and purposes of this organization may be briefly stated as follows: Different individuals of our county were more or less interested in scientific investigation, but were isolated from each other, and had few opportunities for interviews, or to profit by each other's study, or line of thought. The native flora and fauna of our county; the carboniferous fossils in connection with our seams of coal; the implements and relics found in connection with the numerous ancient mounds in various parts of the county; these and other kindred subjects had elicited the attention of many of our citizens. Already many private collections of scientific interest had been made by different individuals of the county, and it was thought that persons whose minds are directed to scientific investigation should associate themselves together, so as to have an interchange of ideas, and enjoy the advantages of each other's research. It was believed that with such an organization, a more general interest might be elicited to investigate and attain to a higher comprehension of nature.

While we have social organizations, with large expenditures, in support of our various churches, it would seem that we should also have some organizations to encourage thought and stimulate investigation in those important questions of science that are so directly related to the progress of the present age. It was for these reasons that many of our citizens felt that many advantages might be enjoyed by banding themselves together in such a society. Another purpose of the society was to make up a cabinet, or scientific collection, of such specimens relating to the natural sciences as might be contributed by its members, or others.

The meetings of the society were held quarterly, on the first Tuesday of March, June, September and December of each year. On March 5, 1878, the adjourned meeting was held, and ten names were added to the roll of members. Organization was completed by the election of the following officers : President, Dr. J. V. Frazier, of Viola; vice president, I. N. Bassett, of Aledo; secretary, J. H. Connell, of Aledo; treasurer, W. J. Pepper, of Keithsburg; trustees, six years, Tyler McWhorter, Aledo; four years, W. J. Pepper, Keithsburg; two years, J. C. Pepper, Aledo.

The presidents of the society to date, each holding one year, are as follows: Dr. J. V. Frazier, Viola; I. N. Bassett, Aledo; E. L. Larkin, New Windsor; Tyler McWhorter, Aledo, and John Geiger, now serving in that capacity. James H. Connell was elected secretary at the first meeting and was reelected annually until xMarch, 1882, when Alexander McArthur was elected.

The cabinet of the society was very interesting and included several specimens - geological, fossil, mineral, etc. The largest donations were made by the following persons: Geological, etc., bv Tyler McWhorter; shells, by W. A. Marsh; mineral, etc., by J. H. Connell; miscellaneous, bv J. C. Pepper and W. J. Pepper; birds, by W. P. Crapnell.

The following papers have been read before the association: "Climatic Changes and Their Resultant Periods," Dr. J. V. Frazier; "Metric System of Weights and Measures," J. R. Wylie; "The Domain of Scientific Investigation and Thought," I. N. Bassett; "The Mississippi River: Its Geological History," Tyler McWhorter; "Future Punishment from Ethnical Scripture," E. L. Larkin; "Probable Origin of Life on the Globe," John Geiger; "Shall We Impoverish the Fertility of the Earth," T. McWhorter; "Utility of the Stars," W. J. Pepper; "Antiquity of Man," T. McWhorter; "Crystallography," J. R. Wylie; "Electricity," R. H. Spicer, Sr. ; "Conchology," W. A. Marsh; "Inclination of the Earth's Axis," T. McWhorter; "Force," E. L. Larkin; "Flesh Eating," John Geiger; "Flesh Eating," Joseph McCoy; "Population and Its Distribution," C. V. Shove; "Motion," E. L. Larkin; "The Birds and Animals We Are Losing and Gaining," W. B. Crapnell; "Hygiene of Soil Waters," Dr. J. V. Frazier; "Embryology," J. R. Wylie; "Axial Rotation," John Geiger; "People of North America," E. L. Larkin; "Biology," T. McWhorter; "The Surface or Economic Strata of Our

Prairies," Graham Lee; "Imperfections of Human Knowledge," Tyler McWhorter; "The Planet Venus," J. C. Pepper; "The Coming Man," Tyler McWhorter; "Conscience Man's True Guide," J. Geiger; "Progress in Science," I. N. Bassett; "Some Observations on the Rocky Mountains," J. H. Connell; "Silver Coinage," John Geiger; "Protoplasm and Life," I. N. Bassett; "Scientific Instruments," E. L. Larkin; "Improved Socialism," John Geiger; "Changes of Organic Life with the Advance of Civilization," Tyler McWhorter.

In December, 1879, the name was changed to the Mercer County Scientific and Historical Society, the object being to gather up notes on the history of Mercer County. John Geiger, I. N. Bassett, Graham Lee and C. S. Richey were appointed a committee to receive all that had been prepared. May 1, 1880, the committee reported that they had received a considerable amount of historic matter from different sources, which was given into the custody of the society. In 1882 the society turned all papers in their hands over to Prof. H. H. Hill, to be embodied in a history of this county.

The association continued for a few years later, but the records are not to be found, and then the society turned over its library to the Mercer County Library Association, and subsequently that association gave the library to the directors of the public schools in Aledo. One other member of the Scientific and Historical Society who should have been mentioned was John Brady. He became a member some time after 1882, and had made quite a collection of scientific specimens of insects, but we are unable to ascertain what became of them, and Mr. Brady is dead now.

During the winter of 187 1-2 Tyler McWhorter wrote twentythree articles on geology for the Aledo Weekly Record. Those articles were elaborate and masterly and showed a profound knowledge of the subject. He reviewed Darwin's work on "The Origin of Species" and, with other scientists, accepted the evolution theory as the best explanation thus far advanced to account for the universe and the earth's crust and the forms of life thereon. He showed an intimate knowledge of the writings of Huxley and Heckel. This whole subject was duly considered and debated by the scientific society. Mr. McWhorter, in the course of his articles on geology, called in question the position taken by many orthodox ministers and church members, that the world was created by a special act of God and not by evolution under fixed and unchangeable law. He was answered by Rev. J. H. Moore, and their articles appeared for several months in the Aledo Record in 1872. Both sides were ably conducted, but as usual in such discussions, there was no revolution in thought on the subject in this county.

In 1879, when Isaac N. Bassett succeeded Dr. J. V. Frazier as president, the latter in his retiring address spoke particularly of the great work done by Darwin, Huxley and others. At this time the membership was about thirty-five and the society had possession of the Marsh collection of specimens on archaeology, conchology, paleontology, mineralogy, fossil fauna, fossil flora, etc. E. L. Larkin, of New Windsor, was a member of the society. He took great interest in astronomy and secured a telescope at a cost of about one thousand dollars, which he placed in a revolving tower constructed by himself in that town in 1879. In June, 1881, he announced that he had just discovered a new comet, but I. N. Edwards, of Philadelphia, preceded him by a few hours and secured the prize of $200 that had been offered. Upon his invitation at this time the County Teachers' Institute visited his observatory and were permitted to look at the moon and stars through the telescope.

The scientific investigations of William A. Marsh were largely confined to a knowledge of the earth's crust and the remains of organic formations connected therewith. His research was life-long. He began at the age of ten years, first taking interest in the shells along the creek banks near his Ohio home. At the age of twelve years, or in 1845, he commenced to keep a private journal, in which was recorded each shell he had collected. The studies eventually expanded to the branches of science given below and in time the collection became one of the largest and most valuable in the United States. Its value is now estimated at $30,000.

This collection is in scientifically arranged groups, properly labeled with its true name. For many years Mr. Marsh was an active member of the American Association of Conchology at Philadelphia, and donated largely to the vast collection in that city, which is headquarters of the United States and Canada of that branch of study. He collected from all quarters of the world by purchase and exchange and made donations to many educational concerns, including the Smithsonian Institution at Washington.