Smithsonian Institution Archives

Finding Aids to Personal Papers and
Special Collections in the Smithsonian Institution Archives

Record Unit 7083
Edgar Alexander Mearns Papers,
circa 1871-1916, 1934 and undated

By William Cox, William Massa


Introduction

Historical Note

Descriptive Entry

Series Descriptions

  Series 1. GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE, 1886-1909, AND UNDATED.

  Series 2. BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIAL, 1879, 1885-1900, 1934.

  Series 3. FIELD NOTES, RESEARCH NOTES, SPECIMEN LISTS, MANUSCRIPTS, AND REPRINTS, 1871-1911, AND UNDATED.

  Series 4. UNITED STATES - MEXICAN INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY SURVEY, 1892-1894. CORRESPONDENCE, PHOTOGRAPHS, DRAWINGS, AND RESEARCH DATA ON MAMMALS, CIRCA 1891-1907.

  Series 5. CORRESPONDENCE, NOTEBOOKS, NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS, AND RESEARCH MATERIALS CONCERNING THE MAMMALS OF RHODE ISLAND, CIRCA 1899-1902.

  Series 6. FIELD NOTES, CIRCA 1872-1916. LOCATED IN DIVISION OF BIRDS.



INTRODUCTION

This finding aid was digitized with funds generously provided by the Smithsonian Institution Women's Committee.


HISTORICAL NOTE

Edgar Alexander Mearns (1856-1916) was an army surgeon and field naturalist. He developed an early interest in natural history, studying the flora and fauna around his home in Highland Falls, New York. Mearns was educated at Donald Highland Institute, Highland Falls, and in 1881 graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New York. In 1883, he was commissioned assistant surgeon in the Medical Corps of the Army and assigned to duty at Fort Verde, Arizona. He was transferred to Fort Snelling, Minnesota, in 1888. In 1891, Mearns was assigned to serve as medical officer with the United States-Mexican International Boundary Survey. From 1892 to 1894, Mearns explored the boundary line from El Paso, Texas, to San Clemente Island and collected 30,000 specimens of flora and fauna which were deposited in the United States National Museum (USNM). From 1894 to 1903, Mearns continued his natural history investigations while stationed at Fort Myer, Virginia; Fort Clark, Texas; Fort Adams, Rhode Island; and Fort Yellowstone. He also conducted field research in the Catskill Mountains and Florida during this period. Between 1903 and 1907, Mearns served two separate tours of duty in the Philippine Islands. While in the Philippines he made natural history collections and participated in expeditions to the three highest mountains in the islands, Mount Apo, Grand Malindang, and Mount Halcon. After returning to the United States, Mearns served at Fort Totten, New York, until his retirement from the Army on January 1, 1909. Later in that year, he was invited by Theodore Roosevelt to accompany the Smithsonian-Roosevelt African Expedition as naturalist. From 1909 to 1910, Mearns explored parts of British East Africa from Mount Kenia to the White Nile. Mearns' last expedition was in 1911, when he served as a naturalist with the Childs Frick Expedition to Africa.

Edgar A. Mearns, 1900
Edgar A. Mearns, 1900

Mearns' primary biological interests were ornithology and mammalogy. He was a founding member of the American Ornithologists Union and in 1909 was appointed honorary associate in zoology of the USNM.


DESCRIPTIVE ENTRY

This collection documents Mearns' career as a field naturalist and expedition member and consists of correspondence, 1898-1909, including photocopies of letters written by Mearns while he served on the Smithsonian-Roosevelt African Expedition of 1909; biographical material on Mearns and his family; field notes, research notes, specimen lists, photographs, and related materials concerning Mearns' field work, 1871-1911; and correspondence, photographs, drawings, and research data regarding Mearns' work on the United States-Mexican International Boundary Survey, circa 1891-1907. This finding aid also describes Mearns' papers housed in the Division of Birds, National Museum of Natural History (see series 6; boxes 8-27).


SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

SERIES 1.
GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE, 1886-1909, AND UNDATED.

This series consists mostly of incoming correspondence received by Edgar Alexander Mearns regarding his study of Rhode Island mammals, 1899-1901. Correspondents include J. Henry Blake, William H. Dall, Edward D. Keith, Wirt Robinson, James Mortimer Southwick, and Charles Torrey Simpson. Also included are photocopies of correspondence written by Mearns to family members while he served on the Smithsonian-Roosevelt African Expedition of 1909. The letters document the progress of the expedition and include references to John Alden Loring, Edmund Heller, and Theodore and Kermit Roosevelt.

Box 1 of 27
Folders1-3   Incoming correspondence, 1898-1909, and undated. Arranged alphabetically.
Folder4   Photocopies of correspondence from Mearns to his family while he served on the Smithsonian-Roosevelt African Expedition, 1909. Arranged chronologically.

SERIES 2.
BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIAL, 1879, 1885-1900, 1934.

This series consists of a biographical sketch of Edgar Alexander Mearns written by his daughter Lillian Mearns in 1934; copies of newspaper articles and newspaper clippings concerning Mearns, 1885-1900; and an autobiographical sketch of Mearns' grandfather, Alexander Mearns, 1879.

Box 1 of 27
Folder5   Biographical sketch of Edgar Alexander Mearns written by his daughter, Lillian Mearns, 1934. Also includes correspondence between Lillian Mearns and Alexander Wetmore regarding the sketch.
Folder6   Copies of newspaper articles concerning Mearns, 1885-1899.
Folder7   Newspaper clippings regarding Mearns, 1899-1900.
Folder8   Autobiographical sketch of Alexander Mearns, 1879.

SERIES 3.
FIELD NOTES, RESEARCH NOTES, SPECIMEN LISTS, MANUSCRIPTS, AND REPRINTS, 1871-1911, AND UNDATED.

This series consists primarily of material documenting Edgar Alexander Mearns' research on mammals. Included are field notes kept by Mearns during investigations in Yellowstone National Park, 1889, 1902-1903; Rhode Island, 1899-1901; Florida, 1901; and Fort Snelling, Minnesota, 1889 and 1902. Also included are photographs of mammals taken in Arizona; research notes; specimen lists; manuscripts and reprints; and reports of the United States Army Medical Department stationed in the Philippine Islands, 1901-1902. The material is arranged chronologically.

Box 2 of 27
Folder1   Miscellaneous specimen lists, 1871, 1878, 1882, 1898-1902, and undated.
Folder2   List of shells collected by Edgar Alexander Mearns, 1876-1896.
Folders3-4   Photographs of mammals taken while Mearns served at Fort Verde, Arizona, 1886-1887.
Folder5   Bibliography of Edgar Alexander Mearns, 1886-1898.
Folder6   Mammals observed on a trip from Fort Snelling, Minnesota, to the Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, July 21-August 1889.
Folder7   Reprints of Edgar Alexander Mearns, 1890, 1900, 1914.
Folder8   Field notes, 1897-1901. Consists mostly of notes kept during field work in Rhode Island, 1899-1901. Also includes notes on the flora of Arkansas and Texas.
Folders9-10   Manuscript, reprint, and research material on Rhode Island mammals, 1899-1901, and undated.

Box 3 of 27
Folder1   "Notes on a Collecting Expedition to Chepachet Post Office, Glocester Township, Providence County, Rhode Island, made by Dr. Edgar A. Mearns and his son, Louis di Zerega Mearns, September 1-8, 1900."
Folder2   Field notes, 1901-1902. Consists mostly of notes kept during field work in Florida, 1901. Also includes notes kept by Mearns on a train trip to Fort Yellowstone, 1902.
Folder3   Reports of the United States Medical Department in the Philippine Islands, 1901-1902. Includes photographs.
Folder4   Mammals observed on a trip from Fort Yellowstone, Wyoming to Fort Snelling, Minnesota, December 16-19, 1902.
Folder5   Notes on the mammals of Yellowstone National Park, 1903.
Folder6   "Description of a new rabbit from islands off the coast of Virginia," by Edgar A. Mearns. Proceedings of the United States National Museum, vol. 39, #1784, pp. 227-228, 1911, Manuscript and plates.
Folder7   Notes on Florida mammals, undated.
Folder8   Notes on Philippine mammals, undated.
Folder9   Miscellaneous notes on mammals.

SERIES 4.
UNITED STATES - MEXICAN INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY SURVEY, 1892-1894. CORRESPONDENCE, PHOTOGRAPHS, DRAWINGS, AND RESEARCH DATA ON MAMMALS, CIRCA 1891-1907.

From 1892 to 1894, Edgar Alexander Mearns served as medical officer with the United States - Mexican Boundary Survey. He was also authorized to establish a biological section of the survey and collect natural history specimens. Along with his assistant, Frank X. Holzner, Mearns collected about 30,000 specimens which were deposited in the United States National Museum (USNM). Mearns' study of the mammals collected on the survey resulted in the publication of "Mammals of the Mexican Boundary of the United States," USNM Bulletin #56, 1907. This series documents Mearns' role in the natural history work of the survey and includes correspondence with Holzner and others concerning collections made and the publication of reports on the survey, 1891-1898; photographs taken on the survey, 1892-1894; and drawings of and research data on mammals collected, circa 1892-1907. Much of the research data was prepared by Mearns for publication in USNM Bulletin #56. For other material regarding Mearns' role in the United States - Mexican Boundary Survey, see series 5.

Box 4 of 27
Folder1   Correspondence, 1891-1898. Arranged chronologically.
Folders2-5   Photographs, 1892-1894. Consists mostly of landscapes and photographs of boundary sites.

Box 5 of 27
Folders1-3   Drawings of mammals, circa 1892-1907. Includes drawings by John L. Ridgway.
Folders4-16   Research data on mammals, circa 1892-1907.

Box 6 of 27
Folders1-10   Research data on mammals, circa 1892-1907.

SERIES 5.
CORRESPONDENCE, NOTEBOOKS, NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS, AND RESEARCH MATERIALS CONCERNING THE MAMMALS OF RHODE ISLAND, CIRCA 1899-1902.

While stationed at Fort Adams, Rhode Island, during 1899-1901, Edgar Alexander Mearns conducted a survey of mammals of the state. This series consists of correspondence, notebooks, newspaper clippings, notes, lists, maps, and publications documenting his work. See also series 1 and 2.

Box 7 of 27
Folder1   Correspondence, A-H. Correspondents include Glover M. Allen, 1901; Outram Bangs, 1900; Reginald Herber Howe, Jr., 1899-1902.
Folder2   Correspondence, J-S. Correspondents include Gerrit S. Miller, Jr., 1900; Wirt Robinson, 1900; James H. Southwick, 1899-1902; Witmer Stone, 1900.
Folder3   Correspondence, T-W. Correspondents include A. O'D. Taylor, 1899-1902; Frederick William True, 1900.
Folder4   Notebooks, circa 1899-1900.
Folder5   Notes, lists, maps, and publications, circa 1899-1901.
Folder6   Newspaper clippings, circa 1899-1901.

SERIES 6.
FIELD NOTES, CIRCA 1872-1916. LOCATED IN DIVISION OF BIRDS.

This series consists of field notes, specimen lists, catalogues, itineraries, manuscripts, drawings, plates, and related materials of Edgar Alexander Mearns, circa 1872-1916, housed in the Division of Birds, National Museum of Natural History. The material thoroughly documents Mearns' career as a field naturalist and includes notes from his early investigations in New York; his field work while serving as a surgeon in the United States Army, particularly investigations in the Philippine Islands, 1902-1907; and his collecting activities as a member of the United States-Mexican International Boundary Survey, 1892-1894, the Smithsonian-Roosevelt African Expedition, 1909, and the Childs Frick African Expedition, 1911-1912. Also included are papers of Mearns' son, Louis di Zerega Mearns (1886-1912), mostly concerning his field work in Rhode Island. The material is arranged chronologically.

Box 8 of 27

NEW YORK, CIRCA 1872-1884.

Box 9 of 27

Box 10 of 27

Box 11 of 27

Box 12 of 27

FORT VERDE, ARIZONA, 1884-1888.

Box 13 of 27

Box 14 of 27

FORT SNELLING, MINNESOTA, 1888-1891, 1903.

Box 15 of 27

UNITED STATES-MEXICAN INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY SURVEY, 1892-1894.

Box 16 of 27

FORT MYER, VIRGINIA, 1894-1897.

FORT CLARK, TEXAS, 1897-1898.

FORT ADAMS, NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND, 1899-1900.

Box 17 of 27

FORT YELLOWSTONE, 1902.

PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, 1902-1907.

Box 18 of 27

Box 19 of 27

Box 20 of 27

Box 21 of 27

Box 22 of 27

Box 23 of 27

FORT TOTTEN, NEW YORK, 1907-1908.

SMITHSONIAN AFRICAN EXPEDITION, 1909-1910.

Box 24 of 27

MISCELLANEOUS FIELD NOTES AND CATALOGUES.

Box 25 of 27

CHILDS FRICK EXPEDITION, 1911-1912.

Box 26 of 27

MISCELLANEOUS

Box 27 of 27

LOUIS DI ZEREGA MEARNS COLLECTION, 1891-1903.


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