FROM TIMES PAST.... 
     
    
   
   
    
     (adapted from the minute book of the Natural History Society 1889-1903; 
     
     Archives Accession No. 2541 Item No. 6) 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     Public 
     
    
   
   
    
     It is ironic that efforts by naturalists to have a museum established in 
     
     P.E.I. have been going on for the best part of a century. Read on for an account 
     
     of early efforts made by the P.E.I. Natural History Society. 
     
    
   
   
    
     One of the first acts of the newly formed Natural History Scoiety in 1889 was 
     
     to meet with the premier to request that space in the Provincial Building be 
     
     placed at the disposal of the society. From then on the drive to obtain museum 
     
     space beCame the overriding goal of the group. In full anticipation of the 
     
     imminent establishment of a museum, the fledgling group began almost immediately 
     
     to build a collection. This included publications and eventually a list of items 
     
     as varied as bear paws, walrus skulls, shark's head, collections of native leaves 
     
     'and woods, salamander, Admiral Bayfield's shell collection from the St. Lawrence 
     
     River and Gulf, and a cannon sunk during the seige of Louisburg in 1758. Perhaps 
     
     disillusionment over their ultimate failure to convince the government to provide 
     
     museum facilities was in part responsible for the eventual demise of the group 
     
     in 1903. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Efforts to have the museum established peaked in early 1901. 
     
     the following resolutions were passed at an Executive Committee meeting. 
     
    
   
   
    
     I Resolved — 
     
     That it is desirable that all persons who wish to further the study of 
     
     Natural Science, and Historical research should unite to press upon the 
     
     Government the desirability of their setting aside in the Provincial 
     
     Building a room to be used — 
     
    
   
   
    
     (a) To provide for the formation of a Provincial Museum of Natural History 
     
    
   
   
    
     (b) To provide for the safe custody of any historical documents that may 
     
     be donated to the Province 
     
     (c) To enable the Library Association to avail themselves of the Dodd 
     
     Bequest to establish a Public Library 
     
     and further to solicit from the government an annual grant of at least 
     
     $200 to provide for the publication of proceedings 
     
    

    
     II And Further 
     
    

    
     Resolved - 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     On Dec. 29, 1900 
     
    
   
   
    
     That a memorial addressed to the Governor in Council be prepared in accordance 
     
    
   
   
    
     with the foregoing resolution and that a strenuous effort be made to obtain 
     
    
   
   
    
     the signatures of as many influential persons as possible to it, before 
     
     it is handed in -—— 
     
    
   
   
    
     Accordingly, in early 1901 a petition was drawn up, circulated and signed by 131 
     
     of,the more prominent and influential citizens of the day. Today, 81 years later 
     
     this same petition (printed below) contains much that is still quite relevant. 
     
    
   
   
    
     It should be noted that today much of what the petition advocated has been achieved - 
     
    
   
   
    
     the province now has an excellent public library system; the Natural History 
     
     Society is provided with a meeting room in the Provincial Health Building and 
     
    
   
   
    
     receives financial assistance from the Dept. of Highways and Public Works to print 
     
    
   
   
    
     its newsletter. The one major hurdle still to be achieved is the establishment 
     
     of a provincial museum of man and nature. How appropriate it would be if such 
     
    

    
     an institution could become a reality by 1989, the 100th anniversary of the first 
     
     efforts by the early P.E.I. Natural History Society to obtain space for a musuem. 
     
    
   
   
    
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