Illinois Museum of Natural History facts for kids
The Illinois Museum of Natural History was a special place for learning about nature. It started in 1858 in Bloomington, Illinois. Back then, it was called the Museum of the Illinois State Natural History Society. It was located at the Illinois Normal School. The museum was on the third floor of a building known as Old Main. It welcomed visitors until 1877.
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How the Museum Began
The idea for the museum started in December 1857. Teachers met in Decatur, Illinois. A man named Cyrus Thomas from Carbondale, Illinois suggested creating a State Natural History Society. He thought the Illinois Normal School would be a great home for its museum.
Forming the Society
Following Cyrus Thomas's idea, a meeting was held in June 1858. This meeting took place at the Normal University in Bloomington. They made a plan for how the society would work. They also chose their leaders. Professor J. B. Turner was chosen as the president.
Growing Interest and Collections
Over time, more and more people became interested. The society held yearly meetings. At these meetings, experts shared their knowledge. For example, Professor J.B. Turner talked about "Microscopic Insects." Dr. Frederick Brendel spoke about "Forests or Forest Trees."
The university building was designed with a large hall for the museum. This hall was 100 feet long and 33 feet wide. Charles D. Wilber worked very hard for the society. He helped collect nearly 60,000 specimens in just two years! The museum also started a library. It had books about natural history and science. The library began with 300 books. Ira Moore was the first librarian.
What the Museum Looked Like
The State Normal University was chosen to keep all the natural history collections. These collections came from the society and from donations. To hold everything, two large halls in the university building were joined together. They formed a huge gallery. This gallery was 100 feet long and 33 feet wide.
Inside the Museum Hall
This large area was called the Museum of Geology and Natural History. Its design was inspired by other famous museums. Richard H. Holder of Bloomington visited museums like the Philadelphia Academy of Sciences. He used ideas from these visits to plan the Illinois museum.
Inside, there were twelve large glass cases near the windows. Each case was four feet wide, eight feet long, and ten feet tall. These cases were for the bird collection. Birds were arranged by their families. Each bird had a name and showed where it lived. At first, most of the birds were from Illinois.
Across an aisle, there were twelve more glass structures. These were three feet wide and twelve feet long. On top of them were glass display cases. In the lower parts of these structures, visitors could see large fossils. These included ancient plants like Lepidodendra and Sigillaria.
Important People Connected to the Museum
Many important people helped the museum grow and succeed. Here are a few of them:
- Richard Edwards (educator): He joined the Illinois Natural History Society in 1862. He was also part of the Illinois State Teachers' Association.
- Stephen Alfred Forbes: He later became the first Chief of the Illinois Natural History Survey. This survey studies plants and animals in Illinois.
- John Wesley Powell: He was an educator and famous explorer. He helped the museum grow and served as its curator. A curator is someone who manages a museum's collections.
- Almon Harris Thompson: He was appointed as the acting curator in 1869.
- George Vasey (botanist): He was one of the founding members of the society.
