Charles Doolittle Walcott
1850 – 1927

Charles Doolittle Walcott

American paleontologist and 4th Secretary of the Smithsonian (1850-1927)

scientific collectormycologistbotanistbotanical collectorpaleontologist
Born
1850-03-31, New York Mills
Died
1927-02-09
Birthplace state
New York

Biography

Charles Doolittle Walcott was born in New York Mills, New York, in 1850 and died in 1927. He worked as a paleontologist, geologist, naturalist, botanist, mycologist, and scientific and botanical collector. From 1907 until his death, he administered the Smithsonian Institution and served as the third director of the United States Geological Survey. In 1909 he discovered well-preserved fossils in the Burgess Shale of British Columbia, Canada, among them some of the oldest soft-part imprints.

Occupation

Charles Doolittle Walcott is recorded as a scientific collector, a mycologist, a botanist, a botanical collector, a paleontologist, a geologist and a naturalist, born in New York (1850–1927).

Connections to New York

Charles Doolittle Walcott was born in New York Mills, New York in 1850. Explore other notable figures from New York, historic sites connected to this era, and the full colonial and statehood history of the state using the links below.

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Charles Doolittle Walcott came from New York Mills. A full Aubrey report on New York Mills pulls together everything the historical record holds about that place, from the first settlers to the twentieth century:

Overview
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The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Frequently asked about Charles Doolittle Walcott

Who was Charles Doolittle Walcott?
Charles Doolittle Walcott was American paleontologist and 4th Secretary of the Smithsonian (1850-1927), born in New York (1850 – 1927).
When and where was Charles Doolittle Walcott born?
Charles Doolittle Walcott was born on 1850-03-31 in New York Mills.
When did Charles Doolittle Walcott die?
Charles died on 1927-02-09.
What was Charles Doolittle Walcott known for?
Charles Doolittle Walcott is recorded as a scientific collector, a mycologist, a botanist, a botanical collector, a paleontologist, a geologist and a naturalist.
Source

Biographical content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Source: Wikipedia.

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