The collector who was collected

August 3, 2016 5:06 PM

The last anyone heard of Robert Kennicott was his cheerful hum as he strolled into the Alaskan wilderness early on the morning of May 13, 1866.
posted by dfm500 (4 comments total)

For any Chicagoans reading, Kenicott grew up at The Grove, where you probably went in a frontier-era field trip!

The two things I recall are that he used to make his sisters shake out their petticoats after walks so he could examine the bugs they "collected," and that the township levied window and room taxes in various eras so the farmhouse is weirdly built/renovated to avoid them.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 5:13 PM on August 3, 2016

There are times I'm surprised that anyone survived 19th century medicine.
posted by happyroach at 7:51 PM on August 3, 2016 [5 favorites]

Sadly, I already used up my monthly allotment of free Washington Post stories following Trump's recent follies. I'll keep this handy for next time.
posted by mosk at 10:25 PM on August 3, 2016 [1 favorite]

Reading that the current Kennicott family agreed to let the Smithsonian keep his bones for research rather than rebury him was strangely touching. It seems pretty clear he was devoted to his science; it's like he's finally coming home.
posted by los pantalones del muerte at 6:07 AM on August 4, 2016 [3 favorites]