LUCY,THOMAS,F. - EARLY BOTANIST OF THE CHEMUNG RIVER VALLEY, NEW-YORK

18 Pages·1993·8.3 MB·English

by  C L Kelloff

»
f
RHODORA,
Vol. 95, No. 882, pp. 137-154, 1993
THOMAS
EARLY
DR. LUCY: BOTANIST OF THE
F.
CHEMUNG NEW YORK
RIVER VALLEY,
i
Carol and
Kelloff' Lee Kass
L. B.
}
ABSTRACT
Thomas
Francis Lucy 844-1 906) was an eclectic medical doctor who devoted
(1
most
of his life to studying the plants of the Susquehanna Valley, specifically the
f
Chemung Chemung New He
River Valley, County, York. also spent his later
life
collecting and exchanging specimens of North American plants. The main col-
t lection of the Flora of the Upper Susquehanna that he prepared for the Elmira
Academy
of Sciences is currently housed at ech. Other specimens collected by
Lucy many
are located at bh-cu, >fYS, ny, f, us, and min. After his death, of his
t
North American specimens were deposited in buf. These are currently being
curated ech.
at
r
Key Words: Thomas Francis Lucy, Susquehanna Valley, Chemung County, Up-
Academy
per Susquehanna Flora, Elmira of Sciences, Elmira College
» New New
Academy York
Herbarium, York; Buffalo of Sciences,
INTRODUCTION
Thomas
This biography summarizes and work of Dr.
the
life
r
who
Lucy and
F. (1844-1906, Figure Table lived collected
1, 1),
Chemung
specimens in the
r
more Smithsonian
?;
herbarium and
t
framework
records of other local botanists provided the for Clute's
and
{IS9S) Flora Upper Susquehanna Tributaries. Clute's
ofthe Its
»
book was important during period, for completed a "chain
this
it
eastern
more
99
tario
me
mounted and
(Kelloff
Iciences et
ai
rms the nucleus of the Elmira
Herbarium
AND EDUCATION
PERSONAL
LIFE
bom
Thomas Lucy was on June 844 in Bredons
7
Francis
1
He Henry
was son of
Nortin Hall Worcester, England. the
parish,
NHB#166, Smithsonian
Institution,
Current Department of Botany,
address:
Washington,
D.C. 20560.
137
Rhodora
138 95
[Vol.
•>
\
Figure 1. Photo of Dr. Thomas Francis Lucy from a postcard written ca. 1900
Maud New
to his daughter (Mrs. Hattie "Maud" Seaman), who donated the
to
it
NY
York Museum
State Albany, (1938bl
at
*
Kass-Lucy
and
1993] Kelloff
139
*
Table Chronology of the of Thomas Francis Lucy M.D.
1. life (1844-1906).
Bom
844
in Worcester, England
1
New
1850's Lived Coming, York
in
1865-66 New
Attended Hobart Geneva, Member
College, York; Chi Phi
Fraternity
USA
1868
Naturalized Citizen of
1870-77
Married Josephine Searles, had two daughters; Lived Ashland,
in
New
York
,
1879
main
First botanical collections
1881 M.D. New
Eclectic Medical College of the City of York
Chairman Academy
of Botany, Elmira of Sciences
First botanical publication
1880's-1900's Collected plants for "Upper Susquehanna Flora"
1882
American
Elected to Society of Microscopists
1883-1900 New
Lived York
in Elmira,
1888
Listed in Cassino's International Scientist's Directory
1891 member
Corresponding Torrey Botanical Club
1892-1900
Prepared Herbarium of "Upper Susquehanna Flora" for the
f
Academy
Elmira of Sciences
1895 and
Listed in Cassino's Naturalist's Directory ofthe United States
Canada
1898 Publication of Clute's Flora of the Upper Susquehanna and
It's
Tributaries
f
1899 Upper
Advertised sale of duplicate specimens for "Flora of the
Susquehanna"
f 1900 Moved New York
to Buffalo,
New
1906 Died York
in Buffalo,
Academy
Lucy's duplicate plant specimens donated to Buffalo of
t
Sciences
barrister
Museum
Statistics
came America
to
New
Coming, York (N
Thomas Lucy and Harry
Lucy and younger Ellen
F. his siblings, S.
W.
Coming
Lucy, with
lived
in
t
Henry
Coming
York (New York Census Records,
City 1865).
State
Thomas
New
Geneva, York Hobart 1865-66) and
of College,
(Catalogue
was Upsilon Chapter of the "Secret Order of
initiated into the
Memorial Volume,
Chi on March Phi Centennial
Phi'' 14 (Chi
Rhodora
95
40 [Vol.
1
During
Hobart Robson, the
1924; College, 1865, 1867; 1977).
1800's appears to have been the custom for college au-
late
it
wherever
established.
thorities to grant charters to secret societies,
Omega was
The Alpha of Hobart College established
Fraternity
in 1866. Lucy listed as President and provider of this society
is
The and number of
(Hobart objective society
College, 1866).
Omega
members unknown. The Alpha dropped
Fraternity
are
was During soph-
into obscurity as quickly as established. his
it
omore Lucy was (Hobart Col-
year at Hobart, the class historian
866-
lege, 866). It was noted in the Catalogue of Hobart College (1
1
when went
Lucy was Catalogue to
not residence the
67) that in
Lucy was
According Report (1909-191
press. to the President's
1),
being "non-grad."
listed as a
Sometime prior to September 1868, Lucy submitted his ap-
County
and Steuben
plication petition for naturalization to the
New On
Courthouse, Bath, York. 28 September 1868, as wit-
New
nessed by Frank Brown and George Graves of Coming,
comm.
York, Lucy became of United
a citizen the States (pers.
New
Marianne Springer, County Clerk's Bath, York).
Office,
bom
Sometime Lucy
after 1870, married Josephine Searles,
(Chemung
1849 County and daughter
Historical Society, 1976)
of Alfred Searles, farmer and mill-wright (Child, 1868) and Sarah
—
Baker Searles of Pennsylvania (Bureau of Vital Statistics Elmira,
New
York
1890). Josephine was a school teacher in Ashland,
(Federal Census Records, 1870). They lived on the Searles farm
bom
Ashland and had two Anna May, and
in daughters, 1876,
bom
Maud, November
Hattie 1877 (Federal Census Records,
1880a, 1880b,
1900a).
In 1881 Lucy received Doctor of Medicine degree from the
his
New
Eclectic Medical College of York City (Bamhart, 1965).
New
According to the Eclectic Medical College of the City of
York Annual Announcement
the goal of "eclecticism [as
(1867),
most
practiced at the college] aim[ed] to enlarge and improve the
important portion of practical medicine, ... in exploring our in-
digenous medical botany, and obtaining medicinal principles
the
from each dose
isolated plant, so as to administer in the smallest
and most
agreeable form." In addition, no medical treatment
".
. .
should be allowed permanently powers."
that impairs the vital
1"
The
candidates were required "to have attained the age of 2
and be "of good moral Requirements graduation
character." for
med-
included the stipulation that candidates must have studied
and Kass-Lucy
1993] Kelloff
141
icine with a "respectable practitioner" 2-4 and must
for years
have
attended
several "full courses of lectures" at an accredited
was
college. Since it required for the candidate to attend the
last
lectures at the Eclectic Medical College, Lucy probably resided
New
York
in City during The
time. Medical
this Eclectic College
New
of the City of York closed its doors in 9 3 due to an inability
1 1
meet American
to Medical
Association supported
guidelines (Let-
W.
from
ter C. Black, Archivist, Lloyd Library and Museum,
to
Kass
Web(
Medicine. Although
ic
Elmira
City Directory
Directory
Medical
may
for use in treating his patients. appears, however, considering
It
medicinal
history
Chemung
of County
been able to devote time to his interest in botany due to the
financial support provided by
his wife.
Microscopists
meeting
recommendation
Thomas membership
mittee," F. Lucy was "elected to in the
Society" (Proceedings of the Amer. Society of Microscopists, 882).
1
Lucy was dropped from the in 1889 when the society had
rolls
him
failed to receive correspondence from in the preceding three
years.
New
Lucy and York towns of
his family lived in the
initially
Wellsburg, Lowman, and Chemung. Lucy botanized these areas,
herbarium
Chemung
we
Torrey Botanical Club, learned
the
if
moved
On
oped Academy
of 14
an Elmira Sciences.
with the
affiliation
$600 215
April 1885 Josephine Lucy purchased a house for at
Mt. Zoar from Charles and Aurelia Davis (Che-
Elmira,
Street,
mung
Deeds,
1885).
Josephine Lucy died on 21 January 1890 after a long illness
(Chemung
(Bureau of -Elmira, 1890). In her Will
Vital
Statistics
Rhodora
142 [Vol. 95
A- *' • ^r- - ^ FLORA OF NEW YORK.
EERBAKIUM AMERICMUM. :_'
!
h'
•
Kom.
Bot
A
KoEu. Va! " ^
v^ ' • V j ^ V 4 \ X /h^Y t-t^/^y- eUr,*.^- ^^'
Sims
?!
Dim
fit-i.
T^^T^V^^^ -^S^
Oas:rv.,^V^^—
'
Pbterv
,
ina../s.T4,
Di« .^^^-/".-/i'7/ Nni"
K
T
IKrlwrUiyi, Dr. Liifv
B
A
Sdsquehahna.
Watebs of ibk
r~~ Upfkr
the
^^v"^" Flora of
-
jf
""""'
^
!"V"
*/ -^
"5^ V^;Ji 'X fd^^ J /
' ' '
.
^
& _-
Hai>f1ai.J//.?:^\S^^:*^,f^,- .:.„„; Bertfi V
J
.5^
_iz^-
^---
:^:^^.!^: «.
«.^. D,^.
:
fr J '^ . • I. F. LDCY, M.D., ELXTSl, N.7. OJU T. F. LocT. M. D, Elm,r.. N. Y. j^ ^^J/Jl'
J
»
c
Thomas
Figure Examples of the various types of herbarium labels used by
2.
Lucy
Francis Lucy. These labels are less documented compared with the labels
prepared for the Elmira Academy of Sciences "Upper Susquehanna Flora (Kelloff
et al. 1990)." A. and B. Unmounted labels from Lucy's collection given to buf
an
after his death in 1906. C. Label from herbarium specimen at us obtained in
exchange with ny. D. Label from herbarium specimen at cu in the herbarium of
Stewart H. Burnham.
Deeds, Josephine of and personal"
1889), left "all [her] estate real
"May "Maud
to her two daughters Lucy" [14 and Lucy" [12
yr.]
To
yr.]. her husband she left "all monies accruing from [her] shares
Chemung and
Mutual Loan over
in the Valley Association
. . .
above " and "one
pay
sufficient to all [her] obligation hereto
complete set of the Encyclopaedia Britanicai to complete
[sic]
[her] last wishes as a intended for him."
gift
"Emma"
After Josephine's death, Lucy married Martha Shirey,
Anna
and remained
at Mt. Zoar Street with his two daughters,
May
and Hattie M. [Maud] (Chemung County Census Records,
Emma
bom
was December
862 Census Records,
892). (Federal
1
1
PA
Museum
900a) (New York Albany,
in Clearfield,
State at
1
By Emma's
1938a). 1896, brother, Wallace Shirey, a Linotype
Zoar
operator for the Gazette Elmira, boarded Mt.
office in also at
Street (Hanford, 896). The Elmira City Directory for 896 (Han-
1
1
May
Anna
ford, 1896) does not Mt. Zoar.
as a resident at
list
According
to the Indenture (Bill of Sale) for the Mt. Zoar property
Kass—
and Lucy
Kelloff 143
1993]
emung May
Anna
Deeds, was
married
vol. 102, 432),
p.
Mr. Smith unknown)
(date
Museum
Maud
concerns
to
May
"wrote
daughter: to at Bufi[alo] [but have] not heard anything
from Xmas." He Maud how
her since she wrote before asked she
him
liked the photo of (Figure which was printed on the card,
1),
and
sent his love to the "babes."
The (Chemung Maud
Indenture Deeds, 899) also revealed that
1
had married Mr. Seaman and was The
a living in Elmira. Federal
Maud
Census Records (1900b) revealed that was married to Wil-
M.
lice Seaman, lived at 507 Baldwin, Elmira, and had a daughter,
f
bom
May moved
Irene D., 1900. They later to 153-'/2 Steuben
&
New
York, where worked Martin
Street, Utica, Willice for
Seaman From
(Utica City Directory, 1904; Anon., 1906). the
file
we
to which the above mentioned postcard attached, learned
is
t
"Maud"
that in 1938, Mrs. Hattie Seaman, the donor of this
New
postcard, resided in Little Falls, Jersey.
Lucy purchased the house on Mt. Zoar Street from his two
May
Anna May Smith and M. Seaman, on 27
daughters, Hattie
sum (Chemung
899 for the of $ 500.00 Deeds, 899). In a letter
1
1 1
New
York Peck 833-1 October
to Botanist Charies 9 6
State
(1 1 7),
New
{ moved
1900, Lucy stated that he had recently to Buffalo,
York (New York Museum He may have
Albany,
State at 1900).
May
made move and
daughter
this to be closer to his his wife's
who
boarded
Mrs. Lewis Lanich and her brother Wallace,
sister C.
Lucy
with Lanich Census Records, 1900a). died in Buf-
(Federal
falo on 29 October 1906 of Bright's Disease (Bureau of Vital
Emma
beheved have died only a
Statistics— to
Buffalo, 1906).
is
Museum
(New York
few months February 1907 State at
later in
Albany,
1938a).
NATURAL
EARLY INTERESTS IN SCIENCES
Thomas
In 1878, he wrote to Spencer F. Baird (1823-1887), Secretary
informa-
Smithsonian Washington, D.C. requesting
Institution,
was
tion and an assortment of publications. Baird pleased to write
Record Unit he
back Archives, 33) that
(Smithsonian Institution
was ablp to "Qimnlv with a coov of Morris' 11862] Synopsis
iirvl
FT
Rhodora
144 95
[Vol.
Lucy had
of Lepidoptera, as requested." also offered to collect
Museum,
birds and their eggs for the National but Baird stated
Museum
that the would only be interested in "specimens of the
Lucy
same correspondence, Baird referred
rarer species." In this
M. Emerton of Salem, Mass., as an authority on spiders. In
to
J.
Loew
Lucy of H.
other letters to Baird, requested copies (1862,
Monographs
1864, 1873) and R. Osten Sacken's (1869) of the
Diptera of North America, parts 1-4; Classification of the Cole-
and
optera of North America (Le Conte, 1862, 1873), also re-
quested "M.O. Vol. 3^ 1862" (Smithsonian Institution Archives,
Record Unit Lucy also requested the Toner lectures I-VII
28).
Wood,
(Woodward, Brown-Sequard, DaCosta,
1873; 1877; 1874;
Adams, which were
1875; Keen, 1876; 1877; Shakespeare, 1879),
given in Washington, D.C. on medical subjects.
At Elmira College we located a large 10% x 16^4 x 1% inch
book which Lucy on and
leather-bound in kept notes his readings
research in natural science. This notebook currently housed in
is
the Elmira College Herbarium (ech) and be deposited in the
will
Among
Elmira were notes
College Archives.
his entries tables,
first
"common
and
descriptions of "Coleoptera" [beetles] to the East-
em
Amer-
and Western
Continents" as well as those "peculiar to
concentrating on Russian America" and found in
ica, species
Oregon and Lucy on
California. In addition to beetles, kept notes
fishes from California, Rocky Mountains and the Oregon Terri-
tory as reported by "Hayden's Survey of Montana and adjacent
from
Territories 1891." Other "orders" of organisms he
listed
Hayden's survey "Odonata" "Hemiptera"
are [true
[dragonflies],
bugs], "Lepidoptera" and moths], "Orthoptera"
[butterflies
and
[grasshoppers] "Plants."
Lucy 384 and abundance
listed plants including their localities
from "No. Washington
Catalogue of Terri-
3 Plants collected in
tory Vol. 12 Part 2^ Plants Collected from the Summit of the
Cascade Mts. Eastward upper Columbia and North-
to the River,
&
ward
to the 49"' Degree of Latitude between July Sept. 1853
[No
author
cited]."
In one 38-page of notebook Lucy a "Flora
section his listed
New
York and
State," beginning with "Order Ranunculaceae"
I
ending with "Order 20 Lycopodiaceae." Using red ink he listed
1
and
genera species followed in black ink by counties where the
plants should be found and when he apparently
often a date
located them.
Kass-Lucy
Kelloffand
1993] 145
"Coptis red Cohocton
i.e., trifolia [in ink] Salisb. Stub.
1872
Chemung
[Steuben] Co. Aug. Bogs. Co. [underlined
3.
Lowmans
Swamp."
made
Mosses
Introductory Essay to the Flora
systems
extensive of "Bentham and Hooker's
listing
Classification.
Reg.[num]
Veg.[etabilia]." Tables of animals and plants are
fossil
listed throughout the notebook. obvious from notes and
his
It is
letters to Dr. Lucy was interested in aspects of natural history.
all
Lucy's botanical interests
history
m
from medical
^fth
commented
on
specimen of "Cacalia
finding a single atriplicifolia
Having
L. at the side of the railroad Wellesburg in 1874.
at [sic]"
not seen the plant again, Lucy wondered if the seed had been
dropped by Lucy
a passing train. reported (1891) that his
first
mam
made
botanical collections were in 1879. Between 1895 and
1898 Lucy sent 266 of his specimens to the University of Min-
Ownbey
nesota Herbarium (min, from B. G. to C. Long, 4
letter
Nov. Lucy had probably been
1986). Clute (1898) reported that
From and
botanizing since 1868. Lucy's notes (Lucy 1883a)
ca.
herbarium we know made
labels (Figure that he also collections
2)
New
York and But Lucy
in the of Livingston Steuben.
counties
New
Chemung,
County of
concentrated his collecting in the small
Most
Millspaugh, 1887).
specimens
Lucy was
collected by Lucy. His herbarium labels indicate that
America
m
grasses
Vasey
822-1 Ewan, and (Smithsonian Institution
see 969,
(1 893);
1
him
Archives, Record Unit Lucy thanked Vasey for sending
220),
the No. United National Herbarium
Contributions of the States
1
He
was
(Vasey and he "par-
Rose, 1890a, 890b). also stated that
1
and and wanted
ticularly interested in the Solidagos Asters" spe-
Rhodora
95
146 [Vol.
cies from the southern states for comparison in order to complete
He was exchange specimens with any
herbarium. willing to
his
commented
same Lucy
southern In the that Mills-
botanist. letter,
paugh said he, Lucy, had a finer collection than Cornell Univer-
He Vasey was with north-
also told that his collection filled
sity.
[whom we
western species and that Dickenson believe to be
J.
&
them
Dixon] Drake of Portland, Oregon, "say send the
[D.]
I
best specimens they receive."
Lucy was Torrey Botanical Club
listed in the Bulletin of the
member, was
(1891) as a corresponding listed in the Naturalist's
and Canada and
Directory of the United States (Cassino, 1895)
the International Scientist's Directory (Cassino, 1888).
ACADEMY
THE ELMIRA OF
SCIENCES
UPPER SUSQUEHANNA FLORA
moved and
Lucy's botanical career advanced after he to Elmira
became with the Elmira Academy of Sciences. This so-
affiliated
was
ciety estabUshed in 1861 for the "pursuit of astronomical
Academy and
and
scientific studies" (Elmira of Sciences, 1881)
was housed in the Observatory opposite the Elmira Female Col-
(name 1890—
lege changed to Elmira College in Barber, 1955).
The Observatory was acquired by the college in 1881 (Barber,
Lucy Chairman of Elmira
1955; Kelloff the
et 990). listed as
al., is
1
Academy Academy of
of Sciences' Section of Botany (Elmira
member Admin-
Sciences, 1881, 1897) and a of the Council of
Academy
istration for the year 1886 (Elmira of Sciences, 1881).
As
reported by Clute (1898) in the preface to the Flora of the
Upper Susquehanna, "Dr. Lucy has also presented to the Elmira
Academy
of Sciences a nearly complete collection of the plants
of our region." This housed the Elmira
collection currently in
is
Herbarium
College
(ech, Kelloff et 1990).
al.,
Flora of the Upper Susquehanna was part of a "general plan for
an extended study of the flora of the headwaters of the Susque-
hanna Broome Coun-
river" (Clute, 1898). Based in Binghamton,
New
York, Clute (1869-1950) found very had been
ty, that
little
published on the of The and notes
flora this region. collections
of local botanists provided the needed information for this pro-
As
were
described
ject. in Clute's (1898) preface these botanists
"Mr. Frederick V[emon]. Coville [1867-1937], Botanist of the