Thomas J. Howell (botanist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thomas Jefferson Howell
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Thomas J. Howell in 1910
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| Born | October 8, 1842 |
| Died | December 3, 1912 (aged 70) Portland, Oregon, United States
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| Occupation | Botanist |
Thomas Jefferson Howell (born October 8, 1842 – died December 3, 1912) was an American botanist. A botanist is a scientist who studies plants. Howell was one of the best self-taught plant experts in the Pacific Northwest. He learned mostly on his own. He is considered one of the top three self-taught botanists of his time. The other two were Wilhelm Nikolaus Suksdorf and William Conklin Cusick.
Contents
About Thomas Howell's Life
Thomas Howell was born in Cooper County, Missouri, in 1842. When he was eight years old, he moved west with his family. His parents, Benjamin and Elizabeth Howell, and his four brothers and sisters traveled to Oregon in 1850.
Growing Up in Oregon
In 1854, the Howell family claimed land on Sauvie Island. Thomas had only six months of formal schooling. His father, a doctor, taught him some Latin and science. But Thomas mostly taught himself while farming near the Clackamas River.
He later owned several grocery stores. These stores were located in the Portland area. He also worked as a postmaster. He was the first postmaster for the Willamette Slough post office. This was on Sauvie Island, starting in 1873.
Family Life
Thomas Howell married Effie McIlwane in 1892. They had two sons. Their first son, Dorsey R. Howell, was born in 1894. Their second son, Benjamin A. Howell, was born in 1904. Thomas Howell passed away on December 3, 1912. He died in Woodstock, Oregon. Today, Woodstock is a neighborhood in southeast Portland.
Thomas Howell's Career as a Botanist
Soon after arriving in Oregon, Thomas and his brother Joseph became very interested in plants. In 1878, they sent an aquatic plant to Harvard University botanist Asa Gray. Gray named this plant Howellia aquatilis in their honor. This was a special way to recognize their work.
Collecting and Cataloging Plants
In 1877, Howell started an herbarium. An herbarium is a collection of dried plant specimens. In his herbarium, he carefully listed 2,152 different plant species. Today, his plant collections are found in many herbaria. You can see them in America and Europe. A large part of his collection is at Oregon State University.
Publishing His Work
Howell published his first list of regional plants in 1881. This was a big step for him. Between 1897 and 1903, he wrote and published a major book. It was called A Flora of Northwest America. This book was a huge project.
He did not have much money for printing. So, he borrowed type and set the book by hand. He would prepare a few pages at a time. Then, he would take them to Portland to be printed. His book was the most complete list of plants from Oregon and Washington at that time.
Thomas Howell's Lasting Impact
Thomas Howell's work left a big mark on botany. More than 30 plant species are named howellii to honor him. This shows how important his discoveries were.
His Plant Collection
He gave his large collection of plants to the University of Oregon. This collection had about 10,000 plant specimens. In 1993, the collection was moved to Oregon State University. He spent the 1903–1904 school year organizing this collection.
Honors and Recognition
Thomas Howell is one of 158 people honored in the Oregon State Capitol. Their names are painted in the friezes of the House and Senate chambers. These people were important in Oregon's early history. Howell's name is on the side of the House.
His family's home, the Bybee–Howell House, is also famous. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Thomas's brothers, Joseph and John, bought the house in 1873. It was next to their parents' home.
See also
In Spanish: Thomas Jefferson Howell para niños
