Thomas J. Howell (botanist)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Jefferson Howell (1842–1912) was an American botanist
from Oregon
.
, Missouri
on October 8, 1842.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. He came west with his parents, Elizabeth and Benjamin Howell, and his four siblings in 1850. The Howells took up a Donation Land Claim
on Sauvie Island
in 1854. Howell was largely self-taught, and only had six months of formal schooling. 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. He owned several grocery stores in the Portland
area over years. He served as the first post master of the Willamette Slough post office on Sauvie Island starting in 1873. He later served as the first postmaster of Creighton post office in Oak Grove, Oregon
, beginning in 1904. Howell married Effie McIlwane in 1892. 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).
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. Today his collections are in many American and European herbariums. Howell published his first catalog of regional plants in 1881. He compiled and published A Flora of Northwest America: Containing brief descriptions of all the known indigenous and naturalized plants growing without cultivation north of California, west of Utah, and south of British Columbia between 1897 and 1903. Lacking funds, he borrowed type
and hand-set the book a few pages at a time, taking them to Portland to be printed. It was the most comprehensive list of Oregon and Washington plants published up to that time.
howellii. Howell donated his collection of approximately 10,000 plant specimens to the University of Oregon
. He spent the 1903-1904 academic year cataloging the collection for the university.
Thomas J. Howell is one of the 158 names of people who are notable in the early history of Oregon painted in the frieze
s of the House and Senate chambers of the Oregon State Capitol
. Howell's name is in the House
side.
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.
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
from Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
.
Personal life
Howell was born in Cooper CountyCooper County, Missouri
Cooper County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. In 2010, the population was 17,601. Its county seat is Boonville. The county was organized in 1818 and is named for Sarshall Cooper, a frontier settler who was killed by Indians near Arrow Rock in 1814.-Geography:According to the 2000...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
on October 8, 1842.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. He came west with his parents, Elizabeth and Benjamin Howell, and his four siblings in 1850. The Howells took up a Donation Land Claim
Donation Land Claim Act
The Donation Land Claim Act of 1850 was a statute enacted by the United States Congress intended to promote homestead settlement in the Oregon Territory in the Pacific Northwest...
on Sauvie Island
Sauvie Island
Sauvie Island, in the U.S. state of Oregon, originally Wapato Island or Wappatoo Island, is the largest island along the Columbia River, at 26,000 acres , and the largest river island in the United States...
in 1854. Howell was largely self-taught, and only had six months of formal schooling. His father was a doctor who had taught him some Latin and science, but he mostly educated himself while farming along the Clackamas River
Clackamas River
The Clackamas River is an approximately tributary of the Willamette River in northwestern Oregon, in the United States. As it drains an area of about , the Clackamas passes through mostly forested and rugged mountainous terrain in its upper reaches, and passes through agricultural and urban areas...
after leaving Sauvie Island. He owned several grocery stores in the Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
area over years. He served as the first post master of the Willamette Slough post office on Sauvie Island starting in 1873. He later served as the first postmaster of Creighton post office in Oak Grove, Oregon
Oak Grove, Oregon
Oak Grove is an unincorporated community in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Oak Grove as a census-designated place . The census definition of the area may not precisely correspond to local understanding of the area with...
, beginning in 1904. Howell married Effie McIlwane in 1892. 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
Woodstock, Portland, Oregon
The Woodstock neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, United States, is located in the city's inner southeast section. It is bounded on the north by SE Holgate Boulevard, west by Cesar Chavez Boulevard , east by SE 60th and SE 45th, and south by Johnson Creek...
(now a neighborhood in southeast Portland).
Career
Soon after arriving in Oregon, Howell and his brother Joseph developed an interest in botany. An aquatic plant sent to HarvardHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
botanist Asa Gray
Asa Gray
-References:*Asa Gray. Dictionary of American Biography. American Council of Learned Societies, 1928–1936.*Asa Gray. Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed. 17 Vols. Gale Research, 1998.*Asa Gray. Plant Sciences. 4 vols. Macmillan Reference USA, 2001....
in 1878 was named Howellia aquatilis by him in the brothers' honor. In 1877, Howell started an herbarium
Herbarium
In botany, a herbarium – sometimes known by the Anglicized term herbar – is a collection of preserved plant specimens. These specimens may be whole plants or plant parts: these will usually be in a dried form, mounted on a sheet, but depending upon the material may also be kept in...
, in which he cataloged 2,152 species. Today his collections are in many American and European herbariums. Howell published his first catalog of regional plants in 1881. He compiled and published A Flora of Northwest America: Containing brief descriptions of all the known indigenous and naturalized plants growing without cultivation north of California, west of Utah, and south of British Columbia between 1897 and 1903. Lacking funds, he borrowed type
Typeface
In typography, a typeface is the artistic representation or interpretation of characters; it is the way the type looks. Each type is designed and there are thousands of different typefaces in existence, with new ones being developed constantly....
and hand-set the book a few pages at a time, taking them to Portland to be printed. It was the most comprehensive list of Oregon and Washington plants published up to that time.
Legacy
Over 30 species of plants are namedBinomial nomenclature
Binomial nomenclature is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin grammatical forms, although they can be based on words from other languages...
howellii. Howell donated his collection of approximately 10,000 plant specimens to the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
. He spent the 1903-1904 academic year cataloging the collection for the university.
Thomas J. Howell is one of the 158 names of people who are notable in the early history of Oregon painted in the frieze
Frieze
thumb|267px|Frieze of the [[Tower of the Winds]], AthensIn architecture the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Even when neither columns nor pilasters are expressed, on an astylar wall it lies upon...
s of the House and Senate chambers of the Oregon State Capitol
Oregon State Capitol
The Oregon State Capitol is the building housing the state legislature and the offices of the governor, secretary of state, and treasurer of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in the state capital, Salem. The current building, constructed from 1936 to 1938, and expanded in 1977, is the third...
. Howell's name is in the House
Oregon House of Representatives
The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....
side.
His family's home, the Bybee–Howell House
Bybee–Howell House
The Bybee–Howell House is a historic house, located on Sauvie Island , Oregon, United States. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As of 2010, it is part of Howell Territorial Park, administered by the Metro regional government.-External links:*, from the Historic American...
, is on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. It was purchased by Howell's brothers Joseph and John in 1873 from James and Julia Bybee and was adjacent to their parents' home.