Frank Washburn is the new president of the Shawnee County Old Settlers' Association, elected at the annual meeting in Topeka, December 4, 1937. Other officers are: Theodore F. Rickenbacher, vice-president, and Maude B. Snyder, secretary-treasurer. Robert Stone and O. K. Swayze were the principal speakers. John McNown, of Topeka, won honors as the earliest settler of Shawnee county to attend the meeting. He has been a resident since 1855. The Horton-Kennekuk Historical Society was organized in Horton, December 17, 1937, at a meeting called by W. R. Honnell and others to discuss plans for a "memorial park at Kennekuk and a suitable site for a marker on U. S. Highway 159, just south of Horton, designating where the Old Military road, the Pony Express and overland freight and stage trails pursued their way to the Far West." To defray the expenses of the memorials the organization hopes to sell Pony Express pocket pieces for fifty cents each. Each person buying one automatically becomes a member. Temporary officers of the society are: James Claunch, president; Jules A. Bourquin, vice-president; F. J. Henney, secretary-treasurer, and Charles H. Browne, historian.

     At the organization meeting of the Augusta Historical Society held on January 7, 1938, the160; following officers were elected: W. W. Cron, president; Mrs. A. N. Taylor, vice-president; Stella B. Haines, secretary, and Roy A. Cox, treasurer. As one of160; its first objects the society plans to establish a historical room in one of the Augusta school buildings "to be maintained by school children for school children."

     W. W. Graves' History of the Kickapoo Mission and Parish, the First Catholic Church in Kansas, was issued this year as No. 7 of the Graves Historical Series. The 151-page book, published by The Journal Press, of St. Paul, represents the work of three writers: Father Gilbert J. Garraghan, S. J., of Loyola University, Chicago, who wrote the history of the old mission; Father George Towle, present pastor at Kickapoo, who contributed a history of the reorganized Kickapoo church, and W. W. Graves who compiled biographies of the missionaries serving the Kickapoo Indians at the old mission. In the foreword Mr. Graves stated: "The Kickapoo Catholic mission established in 1836 marked the real beginning of resi-

dential Catholic missionary work in Kansas, all previous efforts in this line having been transient, by traveling missionaries."

     The Lyon County Historical Society completed its organization at the first annual meeting held in Emporia., January 29, 1938. As provided by the constitution adopted at the meeting, the society elected a board of fifteen directors-one each from the eleven town ships in the county and Emporia's four wards. They are: One-year terms-Mrs. R. D. Carpenter, Elmendaro township; Park L. Morse, Emporia township; Catherine H. Jones, second ward; Tom Price, Reading township, and William L. Huggins, first ward. Two-year terms-J. J. Wingfield, Agnes City township; L. H. Ames, Americus township; Ben Talbot, Pike township; William Allen White, fourth ward, and Mrs. William Sheets, Waterloo township. Three-year terms-Clarence Paine, Ivy township; Mrs. Robert Lumley, Fre- mont township; Mrs. J. C. McKinney, Jackson township; Richard Langley, Center township, and Mrs. Alice Evans Snyder, third ward. Other officers, whose names were also announced previously on these pages, are: William L. Huggins, president; Harry A. Wayman, vice-president; E. C. Ryan, secretary, and John Langley, treasurer. The society has 303 charter members.

     Kansas facts and statistics-396 pages of them-are reviewed in the Kansas Year Book, 1937-1938, edited by Harold C. Place and published by the Kansas State Chamber of Commerce this month. The publication represents months of time spent by its staff on research, and collects under one cover the story of Kansas in brief, facts about all departments of the Kansas state government and considerable information concerning federal, county and city governments. The population, assessed valuation, tax rate and indebtedness of every tax unit in the state and agricultural resources are part of the one hundred statistical tables. The painstakingly compiled volume, bound in brown cloth, is attractively arranged, profusely illustrated, and handsomely printed, selling for two dollars a copy. It will make a handy reference book, succeeding and surpassing the old Kansas Facts last issued in 1933.

     Pioneer meetings or old-settler reunions are sponsored annually by citizens of many Kansas cities and towns. Most newspapers publish historical data contemporaneous with the gatherings in their individual localities. Following is an incomplete list of these communities and dates of the meetings: Leavenworth "Pioneer Days," May 21-23, 1937; Pawnee Rock, May 25; Alton, Wabaunsee, May

30; Hazelton, June 4 ; Wichita, June 5 ; Protection, July 3-5; Barclay, July 5; Scott City, July 5-7; Garden Plain (held at Wichita), July 18; Utica, July 19-21; Eureka, July 27; Downs, July 28; Baldwin "Santa Fe trail picnic," July 29; Jewell, August 3, 4; St. Paul, August 9-14; Gypsum, Halstead, August 11, 12; Fairview, Nickerson, August 12, 13; Barnes, Lebanon, Potter, August 12-14; Greenbush, St. Marys, August 15; Humboldt, August 16-21; Hanover "Days of 49," August 17-19; Deerfield, Holton, August 19; Clifton, August 19-21; Oskaloosa, August 20, 21; Columbus, August 23-28; Nortonville, August 24-26; Goodland, August 24-27; Vermillion, August 25, 26; Lovewell, Mulvane, August 26; Larned, August 26, 27; Osage City, Sparks, August 2.6-28; Cottonwood Falls, Kiowa county (held at Mac-L park), August 27; Winchester, August. 27, 28; Lenora, August 27-29; Erie, August 30-September 4; Thayer, September 1-3; Pratt, Tonganoxie, September 2; Olathe, September 3, 4; Excelsior schoolhouse (near Mound Valley), Meade, September 5; Gaylord, Yates Center, September 6; Oakley, September 15; Marion, September 16; Howard, September 17; Smith Center, September 23; Weir, September 25, 26; Potwin, September 30; Kirwin, October 5; Turon, October 7; Arkansas City, October 30, and Greensburg, November 2.