The purpose of this society shall be to bring together those people interested in history, and especially in the history of Sullivan County. Understanding the history of our community is basic to our democratic way of life, gives us better understanding of out state and nation, and promotes a better appreciation of our American Heritage.
      The society's major function will be to discover and collect any material which may help to establish or illustrate the history of the area; its exploration, settlement, development, and activities in peace and in war; its progress in population, wealth, education, arts, science, agriculture, manufactures, trade, and transportation. It will collect printed material such as histories, genealogies, biographies, descriptions, gazetteers, directories, newspapers, pamphlets, catalogs, circulars, handbills, programs, and posters; manuscript material such as letters, diaries, journals, memorands, reminiscences, rosters, service records, account books, charts, surveys, and field books; and museum material such as pictures, photographs, paintings, portraits, scenes, aboriginal relics, and material objects illustrative of life, conditions, events, and activities of the past and the present.
      The society will provide for preservation of such material and for its accessibility, as far as may be feasible, to all who wish to examine or study it, to co-operate with officials in insuring the preservation and accessibility of the records and archives of the county and of its cities, towns, villages, and institutions, and to undertake the preservation of historic buildings, monuments, and markers.
      The society will disseminate historical information and arouse interest in the past by publishing historical material in the newspapers or otherwise; by holding meetings with pageants, addresses, lectures, papers, and discussion; by marking historic buildings, sites and trails; and by using the media of radio and television to awaken public interest.
      The society will co-operate with the state historical society to collect and preserve materials of state-wide significance so that these materials can be made available to students and scholars.

      The name and address of each incorporator is as follows:

      The name and directors constituting the first board of directors shall be the name and addresses of each such director as set forth below:

      A. The address of the corporation's initial registered office in this state shall be:

      B. The initial registered agent of this corporation shall be:

      Upon dissolution of this corporation assets of the corporation shall be disposed of in the following manner:

1. Museum and genealogy assets which were given or loaned to the subject Society under a reversion arrangement shall be returned to the donor/lender or if he/she is deceased then to the person legally entitled thereto;

2. Genealogy assets including all items located in the genealogy room in the Sullivan County Public Library which are owned outright by said Society shall be given to the Sullivan County Public Library;

3. All other assets including museum assets owned outright by said Society shall be given to the Missouri State Historical Society.

(Signed)
Mary Francis Moran
Hugh Baldridge
Ray MaNally
Emma Johnson
Lucile Purdy
Ruth Montgomery
Gladys Crumpacker
Mary Ann Cowgill
Glen R. Simmons

(Notarized)
The Incorporators who are
personally known to me
and whose signatures appear
hereon, executed this
instrument before me in
my office in Milan, Missouri
on or before November 18, 1981.

(Signed & Sealed)
Delores Damewood
Division Clerk

(Stamped)
FILED AND CERTIFICATE OF
INCORPORATION ISSUED
DEC 4 1981
James C. Kirkpatrick (Secretary of State)