Reference Request
Finding Aids to Personal Papers and Special Collections in the Smithsonian Institution Archives
Record Unit 7123
Walsh, Benjamin Dann, 1808-1869
Benjamin Dann Walsh Field Notebooks, 1860-1869
Historical Note
Benjamin Dann Walsh (1808-1869) was born in Great Britain and educated at Oxford. Prepared for the Church, he instead became a writer and, after emigrating to the United States, a farmer, lumber dealer, and entomologist. Walsh became state entomologist of Illinois in 1867 and, with Charles Valentine Riley, founded the American Entomologist in 1868, a year before his death.
Descriptive Entry
This collection consists of two field notebooks recording Walsh's observations of insect behavior and development in the vicinity of his home, Rock Island, Illinois. They also contain some clues to Walsh's reading habits and correspondents, as well as sketches and clippings from newspapers. The notebooks contain meticulous detail and show an evident interest in questions of economic entomology. The last pages of volume two contain an account of the founding of the Rock Island County branch of the Kansas Settlers Society of Chicago, June 12-25, 1856; Walsh was an officer and member of the Executive Committee of this body.
Index Terms
This collection is indexed under the following access terms. These are links to collections with related topics, persons or places.
Name
- Walsh, Benjamin Dann, 1808-1869
- Riley, Charles V. (Charles Valentine), 1843-1895
- Kansas Settlers Society of Chicago, Illinois
- Illinois State Entomologist
- American Entomologist (Serial)
Subject
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7123, Benjamin Dann Walsh Field Notebooks