. ▁These ▁publications ▁in ▁turn ▁give ▁the ▁society ▁and ▁its ▁topic ▁legit im acy ▁and ▁authentic ity . ▁The ▁process ▁creates ▁a ▁sense ▁of ▁identity ▁and ▁belonging . ▁▁ ▁The ▁build ers ▁of ▁state ▁historical ▁soci eties ▁and ▁arch ives ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁and ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁were ▁more ▁than ▁anti qu ari ans — they ▁had ▁the ▁mission ▁of ▁creating ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁pres erving ▁and ▁dis sem in ating ▁the ▁collect ive ▁mem ories ▁of ▁their ▁communities . ▁ ▁The ▁largest ▁and ▁most ▁professional ▁collections ▁were ▁built ▁at ▁the ▁State ▁Historical ▁Society ▁of ▁Wisconsin ▁in ▁Mad ison ▁by ▁L yman ▁Dra per ▁( 1 8 5 2 – 1 8 8 7 ) ▁and ▁Re uben ▁Gold ▁Th wait es ▁( 1 8 8 7 – 1 9 1 3 ). ▁Their ▁massive ▁collection ▁of ▁books ▁and ▁documents ▁became ▁( and ▁remain ) ▁a ▁major ▁scholar ly ▁resource ▁for ▁the ▁gradu ate ▁program ▁in ▁history ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Wisconsin . ▁▁ ▁Th wait es ▁dis sem in ated ▁materials ▁nation ally ▁through ▁his ▁edited ▁series , ▁especially ▁Jes uit ▁Rel ations ▁in ▁ 7 3 ▁volumes , ▁Early ▁Western ▁Tra vel s ▁in ▁ 3 2 ▁volumes , ▁and ▁Original ▁J ourn als ▁of ▁the ▁Lewis ▁and ▁Clark ▁Ex ped ition ▁in ▁eight ▁volumes , ▁among ▁others . ▁▁ ▁At ▁the ▁national ▁level , ▁major ▁efforts ▁to ▁collect ▁and ▁publish ▁important ▁documents ▁from ▁the ▁revolution ary ▁era ▁were ▁undert aken ▁by ▁Jonathan ▁Elli