Howell was born in Cooper County, Missouri, on October 8, 1842.[4] He came west with his parents, Benjamin and Elizabeth (Mathews) Howell, and his four siblings in 1850.[2] The Howells took up a Donation Land Claim on Sauvie Island in 1854.[2] Howell was largely self-taught, and only had six months of formal schooling.[5] His father was a doctor who had taught him some Latin and science, but he mostly educated himself while farming along the Clackamas River after leaving Sauvie Island.[2][5] He owned several grocery stores in the Portland area over years.[2] He served as the first post master of the Willamette Slough post office on Sauvie Island starting in 1873.[6] He later served as the first postmaster of Creighton post office in Oak Grove, Oregon, beginning in 1904.[6] Howell married Effie McIlwane in 1892.[2] The Howells had two sons, Dorsey R. Howell (born in 1894) and Benjamin A. Howell (born in 1904). Howell died on December 3, 1912, in Woodstock, Oregon (now a neighborhood in southeast Portland).[4]
Careeredit
Soon after arriving in Oregon, Howell and his brother Joseph developed an interest in botany.[2] An aquatic plant sent to Harvard botanist Asa Gray in 1878 was named Howellia aquatilis by him in the brothers' honor. In 1877, Howell started an herbarium, in which he cataloged 2,152 species.[5] Today his collections are in many American and European herbaria, with a large set at Oregon State University.[5] Howell published his first catalog of regional plants in 1881.[2] He compiled and published A Flora of Northwest America between 1897 and 1903.[2] Lacking funds, he borrowed type and hand-set the book a few pages at a time, taking them to Portland to be printed.[5] It was the most comprehensive list of Oregon and Washington plants published up to that time.[5]
Legacyedit
Over 30 species of plants bear the name howellii in honor of Howell.[2] He donated his collection of approximately 10,000 plant specimens to the University of Oregon, which was subsequently transferred to Oregon State University in 1993. He spent the 1903–1904 academic year cataloging the collection for the University of Oregon.[4]
Thomas Howell is one of the 158 names of people who are notable in the early history of Oregon painted in the friezes of the House and Senate chambers of the Oregon State Capitol.[5] Howell's name appears in the House side.[5]
^Love, Rhoda M. (Fall 1998). (PDF). Pacific Northwest Quarterly: 176. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-01-19.
^ abcOrnduff, Robert, "Thomas Jefferson Howell and the First Pacific Northwest Flora", Kalmiopsis (Volume 15), Native Plant Society of Oregon, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, pp. 32–41, 2008.
^ abcdefghCogswell, Philip Jr. (1977). Capitol Names: Individuals Woven Into Oregon's History. Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society. p. 126.
thomas, howell, botanist, thomas, jefferson, howell, october, 1842, december, 1912, american, botanist, howell, considered, three, self, taught, botanists, pacific, northwest, other, being, wilhelm, nikolaus, suksdorf, william, conklin, cusick, thomas, jeffers. Thomas Jefferson Howell October 8 1842 December 3 1912 was an American botanist 1 2 Howell is considered one of the top three self taught botanists of his era for the Pacific Northwest the other two being Wilhelm Nikolaus Suksdorf and William Conklin Cusick 3 Thomas Jefferson HowellThomas J Howell in 1910BornOctober 8 1842Cooper County MissouriDiedDecember 3 1912 1912 12 04 aged 70 Portland Oregon United StatesOccupationBotanist Contents 1 Personal life 2 Career 3 Legacy 4 References 5 External linksPersonal life editHowell was born in Cooper County Missouri on October 8 1842 4 He came west with his parents Benjamin and Elizabeth Mathews Howell and his four siblings in 1850 2 The Howells took up a Donation Land Claim on Sauvie Island in 1854 2 Howell was largely self taught and only had six months of formal schooling 5 His father was a doctor who had taught him some Latin and science but he mostly educated himself while farming along the Clackamas River after leaving Sauvie Island 2 5 He owned several grocery stores in the Portland area over years 2 He served as the first post master of the Willamette Slough post office on Sauvie Island starting in 1873 6 He later served as the first postmaster of Creighton post office in Oak Grove Oregon beginning in 1904 6 Howell married Effie McIlwane in 1892 2 The Howells had two sons Dorsey R Howell born in 1894 and Benjamin A Howell born in 1904 Howell died on December 3 1912 in Woodstock Oregon now a neighborhood in southeast Portland 4 Career editSoon after arriving in Oregon Howell and his brother Joseph developed an interest in botany 2 An aquatic plant sent to Harvard botanist Asa Gray in 1878 was named Howellia aquatilis by him in the brothers honor In 1877 Howell started an herbarium in which he cataloged 2 152 species 5 Today his collections are in many American and European herbaria with a large set at Oregon State University 5 Howell published his first catalog of regional plants in 1881 2 He compiled and published A Flora of Northwest America between 1897 and 1903 2 Lacking funds he borrowed type and hand set the book a few pages at a time taking them to Portland to be printed 5 It was the most comprehensive list of Oregon and Washington plants published up to that time 5 Legacy editOver 30 species of plants bear the name howellii in honor of Howell 2 He donated his collection of approximately 10 000 plant specimens to the University of Oregon which was subsequently transferred to Oregon State University in 1993 He spent the 1903 1904 academic year cataloging the collection for the University of Oregon 4 Thomas Howell is one of the 158 names of people who are notable in the early history of Oregon painted in the friezes of the House and Senate chambers of the Oregon State Capitol 5 Howell s name appears in the House side 5 His family s home the Bybee Howell House is on the National Register of Historic Places It was purchased by Howell s brothers Joseph and John in 1873 from James and Julia Bybee and was adjacent to their parents home 2 The standard author abbreviation Howell is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name 7 References edit Makers of American Botany Harry Baker Humphrey Ronald Press Company Library of Congress Card Number 61 18435 a b c d e f g h i j k Engeman Richard H 2009 The Oregon Companion An Historical Gazetteer of The Useful The Curious and The Arcane Portland Oregon Timber Press p 184 ISBN 978 0 88192 899 0 Love Rhoda M Fall 1998 Wilhelm Nikolaus Suksdorf 1850 1932 Pioneer Botanist of the Pacific Northwest PDF Pacific Northwest Quarterly 176 Archived from the original PDF on 2016 03 04 Retrieved 2015 01 19 a b c Ornduff Robert Thomas Jefferson Howell and the First Pacific Northwest Flora Kalmiopsis Volume 15 Native Plant Society of Oregon University of Oregon Eugene Oregon pp 32 41 2008 a b c d e f g h Cogswell Philip Jr 1977 Capitol Names Individuals Woven Into Oregon s History Portland Oregon Oregon Historical Society p 126 a b McArthur Lewis A McArthur Lewis L 2003 1928 Oregon Geographic Names 7th ed Portland Oregon Oregon Historical Society Press pp 713 1040 ISBN 978 0875952772 International Plant Names Index Howell External links edit nbsp Wikisource has original works by or about Thomas J Howell Thomas J Howell and Louis F Henderson Early Resident Botanists of the Pacific Northwest Thomas Howell The Oregon Encyclopedia Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Thomas J Howell botanist amp oldid 1188248456, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
