Charles Lewis Anderson
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Charles Lewis Anderson (1827-1910) was an American medical doctor who, in addition to the practice of medicine, made important contributions to fields of
natural history Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...
, especially botany. Educated in Indiana, he spent most of his professional life in the upper Midwest and West (Hennepin Co., Minnesota; Carson City, NV; and Santa Cruz, CA). Many plants collected by him were subsequently named in his honor. He wrote about local natural history, and actively engaged in public service in places where he resided.


Biographical

He was born in
Roanoke County, Virginia Roanoke County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, its population was 96,929. Its county seat is Salem, but the county administrative offices are located in the census-designated place of ...
September 27, 1827. His family relocated to
Morgan County, Indiana Morgan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 71,780. The county seat (and only incorporated city) is Martinsville. Morgan County is between Indianapolis, in Marion C ...
, when he was 10, and his further education took place in that state. He attended Franklin College and
DePauw University DePauw University ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Greencastle, Indiana, United States. It was founded in 1837 as Indiana Asbury College and changed its name to DePauw University in 1884. The college has a Methodist heritage and was ...
(known, then, as Indiana Asbury University), and obtained his medical credentials from the latter in 1852. He then spent 10 years engaged in medical practice in
Hennepin County, Minnesota Hennepin County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,281,565, and was estimated to be 1,273,334 in 2024, making it the most populous county in Minnesota and the 34th-most populous count ...
. In 1862 he relocated to
Carson City, Nevada Carson City, officially the Carson City Consolidated Municipality, is an Independent city (United States), independent city and the capital of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 58,63 ...
(to be joined a year later by his wife and two daughters). He resided in Carson City for four years, then moved with his family to
Santa Cruz, California Santa Cruz (Spanish language, Spanish for "Holy Cross") is the largest city and the county seat of Santa Cruz County, California, Santa Cruz County, in Northern California. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city population ...
, where he lived until his death in 1910. During his college years he developed a strong interest in natural history, especially botany. His lifetime income was derived principally from medical practice, but he devoted much effort to the study of botany and other aspects of natural history.


Hennepin County, Minnesota

In 1852 he was one of the earliest physicians to set up medical practice in the region that later became
Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
. Th
St. Anthony and Minneapolis Union Medical Society
was organized in 1855 with Dr. C. L. Anderson as vice-president. He was active in geological and geographical exploration to the west of the Minneapolis area, locating the Kandiyohi Lakes region, and going as far as the present states of Montana and Idaho. He was sometimes referred to as a geologist, and co-authored a report to the Minnesota state government suggesting a geological survey for the state, but the governor was reluctant to do so at that time. He helped build a public school and served as the first school superintendent of Hennepin County.
Henry David Thoreau Henry David Thoreau (born David Henry Thoreau; July 12, 1817May 6, 1862) was an American naturalist, essayist, poet, and philosopher. A leading Transcendentalism, transcendentalist, he is best known for his book ''Walden'', a reflection upon sim ...
, in 1861 (the last year of his life), seeking a more healthful climate
visited the Minneapolis area
for about two weeks. He wished to study the flora and fauna of the region, and was accompanied most of that time by Dr. Anderson, whom Thoreau had sought out when learning of his extensive knowledge of the area's natural history. In March 1862, Anderson left Minnesota. As related by Shutter (p. 359): "He had many friends, and his departure was deeply regretted."


Carson City, Nevada

After settling his wife and two daughters in Beloit, Wisconsin, he commenced the arduous trek to Carson City. While travelling, and after arriving and establishing a practice there, he wrote frequently to his wife. In one letter he wrote:
The height of my ambition is to have a pleasant quiet cottage of 5 or 6 rooms, one for a library where we could read and converse evening or enjoy other amusements, a small garden of vines and fruits with a few choice flowers. A business that would yield a comfortable living and a few select friends to come and see us. Out of debt so that what I earned I could call my own, my motto then could be to "owe no man anything." In the study of Nature, and Nature's God, we would be enabled to live nearer to Him, and with greater happiness to ourselves."
His wife and daughters, braving the rigors of a wagon train journey, joined him in August 1863. His four years in Nevada saw him travelling widely around Carson City, discovering and collecting many plant species new or only poorly known to science. Public service included being superintendent of schools in Ormsby Co., and surgeon-general under Nevada's governor.


Santa Cruz, California

Dr. Anderson spent 10 years in Minneapolis, 4 years in Carson City, then 43 years, the rest of his life, in Santa Cruz. In each case he joined a community in its infancy, and was a significant contributor to its maturation. In Santa Cruz he served local schools, and helped found the Santa Cruz City Public Library in 1868, serving as president of its first board of trustees. Subsequently, he oversaw the funding of a Carnegie library building. He was a "United States Examining surgeon for pensions", and served as "president of the City Board of Health"; he was also active in the
Sons of Temperance The Sons of Temperance was and is a brotherhood of men who promoted the temperance movement and Benefit society, mutual support. The organization was started in New York City in 1842. In the 1840s, it spread quickly across the United States and ...
,
Chautauqua Chautauqua ( ) is an adult education and social movement in the United States that peaked in popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Cha ...
Literary and Scientific Circle, and
Freemasonry Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...
.


Conservation

Anderson was an early proponent of wildlife conservation. He wrote that the "shooting of birds to get an exact measurement of the different parts of their bodies, the color, etc., is practiced too much and becomes a cruelty. A spyglass, close observation, and a ready ear would give all the information we need in most cases."(p. 144) He acknowledged his indebtedness to two ornithologists who provided him with information for his essay on ''Our Feathered Songsters'', but commented parenthetically "I only wish they would not use their little guns so much."(p. 145) He also remarked negatively on catching trout in freshwater streams ("they are more beautiful there than in our fish basket" Logging of coast redwoods was well underway in the later 1800s along the central and northern California coast. In his 1879 booklet Anderson wrote of his concerns:
REDWOOD FORESTS . . . Although the supply of timber is very great in the mountains it cannot be considered inexhaustible. The rapid increase of population and consequent demand for building material and fuel will in time lead to the denudation of the region nearest the large cities. Consequently a preservative policy should be adopted at an early date by which a portion of the land should retain, at least, the younger for future use. It would indeed be a wise policy to enforce a law to this effect if it cannot be done otherwise. The general future good of our State requires it . . .


Death

Extract from an obituary in the ''Santa Cruz Sentinel'' of December 23, 1910:
"Dr. C. L. Anderson, one of the most respected of Santa Cruz County's old pioneers, passed away at the advanced age of 83 years and 8 months . . . leaving his widow and their three children, all of this county . . . The cause of the death was paralysis, brought on by old age. . . . The doctor, who for many years enjoyed an enviable medical practice in this community, was a man of scholarly attainments . . . was a man of exemplary character, of an even disposltion, quiet in his ways, unpretending, self-sacrificing, of a very kindly nature. Santa Cruz was made much richer by his presence amongst us, for he lived a life of service, caring little for pecuniary emoluments.


Collecting, and eponymous scientific names


Flowering plants

During the period 1862 - 1867, when Anderson lived in Nevada, he collected many specimens of
flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...
s, which he sent to
Asa Gray Asa Gray (November 18, 1810 – January 30, 1888) is considered the most important American botany, botanist of the 19th century. His ''Darwiniana'' (1876) was considered an important explanation of how religion and science were not necessaril ...
's
herbarium A herbarium (plural: herbaria) is a collection of preserved plant biological specimen, specimens and associated data used for scientific study. The specimens may be whole plants or plant parts; these will usually be in dried form mounted on a sh ...
for analysis. According to Tiehm, 34 of the plants collected in Nevada became
type specimens In biology, a type is a particular specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally associated. In other words, a type is an example that serves to anchor or centralizes t ...
(as did at least one, collected later, when he lived in Santa Cruz, CA; namely, ''Arctostaphylos andersonii'' A.Gray). Many binomial scientific names honor an Anderson; the ones below honor Charles Lewis Anderson, and are currently (2020) accepted (see references and ITIS). Each name is followed by the (plant family name), a common name, and the region where Anderson collected the type specimen. Photographs of each flowering plant may be found at CalPhotos, and further information is available at CalFlora. *'' Arctostaphylos andersonii'' A.Gray (
Ericaceae The Ericaceae () are a Family (biology), family of flowering plants, commonly known as the heath or heather family, found most commonly in acidic and infertile growing conditions. The family is large, with about 4,250 known species spread acros ...
), Santa Cruz manzanita, near Santa Cruz, CA *''
Astragalus andersonii ''Astragalus andersonii'' is a species of milkvetch known by the common name Anderson's milkvetch. It is native to eastern California and western Nevada, where it is found in the plateaus at the foot of the Sierra Nevada, including the Modoc Pla ...
'' A.Gray (
Fabaceae Fabaceae () or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomen ...
), Anderson's milkvetch, near Carson City, NV *'' Cirsium andersonii'' (A. Gray) Petr (
Asteraceae Asteraceae () is a large family (biology), family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the Order (biology), order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchi ...
), Anderson's thistle,
Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada ( ) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primari ...
">riginal name: ''Cnicus andersonii'' (A. Gray)*'' Delphinium andersonii'' A.Gray (
Ranunculaceae Ranunculaceae (, buttercup or crowfoot family; Latin "little frog", from "frog") is a family (biology), family of over 2,000 known species of flowering plants in 43 genera, distributed worldwide. The largest genera are ''Ranunculus'' (600 spec ...
), Anderson's larkspur, eastern
Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada ( ) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primari ...
*''
Lupinus andersonii ''Lupinus andersonii'' is a species of lupine known by the common name Anderson's lupine. Description It is native to California and adjacent sections of Oregon and Nevada, where it grows in dry mountain habitat of various types. This lupine i ...
'' S.Watson (
Fabaceae Fabaceae () or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomen ...
), Anderson's lupine, near Carson City, NV *''
Lycium andersonii ''Lycium andersonii'' is a species of flowering plant in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. Its common names include water-jacket, redberry desert-thorn,Solanaceae Solanaceae (), commonly known as the nightshades, is a family of flowering plants in the order Solanales. It contains approximately 2,700 species, several of which are used as agricultural crops, medicinal plants, and ornamental plants. Many me ...
), Anderson thornbush, S.E. NV *''
Oreostemma alpigenum ''Oreostemma alpigenum'' (formerly ''Aster alpigenus'')Sierra Nevada Wildflowers, Karen Wiese, 2nd E., 2013, p. 206 is a perennial plant to subshrub in the family Asteraceae Asteraceae () is a large family (biology), family of flowering pla ...
'' var. ''andersonii'' (A. Gray) G.L. Nesom (
Asteraceae Asteraceae () is a large family (biology), family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the Order (biology), order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchi ...
), Anderson's aster, near Carson City, NV (Original name: ''Aster andersonii'' (A.Gray) A.Gray *'' Prunus andersonii'' A.Gray (
Rosaceae Rosaceae (), the rose family, is a family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera. The name is derived from the type genus '' Rosa''. The family includes herbs, shrubs, and trees. Most species are deciduous, but som ...
), desert peach, eastern
Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada ( ) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primari ...
*'' Ranunculus andersonii'' A.Gray (
Ranunculaceae Ranunculaceae (, buttercup or crowfoot family; Latin "little frog", from "frog") is a family (biology), family of over 2,000 known species of flowering plants in 43 genera, distributed worldwide. The largest genera are ''Ranunculus'' (600 spec ...
), Anderson's buttercup, eastern
Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada ( ) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primari ...
*'' Trifolium andersonii'' A.Gray (
Fabaceae Fabaceae () or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomen ...
), Anderson's clover, near Carson City, NV


Marine algae

After settling in Santa Cruz, Anderson collected many specimens of marine algae. He sent them to W. G. Farlow, a prominent phycologist, who wrote of "the many interesting species discovered by Dr. Anderson", and named some in Anderson's honor. With W. G. Farlow and
Daniel Cady Eaton Daniel Cady Eaton (September 12, 1834 – June 29, 1895) was an American botanist and author. After studies at the Rensselaer Institute in Troy and Russell's military school in New Haven, he gained his bachelor's degree at Yale College, then w ...
he issued the
exsiccata Exsiccata (Latin, ''gen.'' -ae, ''plur.'' -ae) is a work with "published, uniform, numbered set of preserved specimens distributed with printed labels". Typically, exsiccatae are numbered collections of dried herbarium Biological specimen, spe ...
series ''Algae exsiccatae Americae Borealis'' (1877-1889). The following is currently (2020) an accepted name:
andersonii''
(Farlow) Levring (Chordariaceae), hairy brown seaweed, Santa Cruz, CA


Publications

*Anderson, C. L. 1861. Report on Geology and Plan for a Geological Survey of the State of Minnesota. State of Minnesota. Retrieved from the University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy, http://hdl.handle.net/11299/59459 *Anderson, C. L. 1871. A Catalog of Nevada Flora. Third Biennial Report of the State Mineralogist. p. 116-128. *Anderson, C. L. 1879. Santa Cruz for Homes: The Climate, Botany, Geology and Health of Santa Cruz and Vicinity. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044106424104&view=1up&seq=13 *Anderson, C. L.(Ed). 1890. Catalog of Flowering Plants and Ferns of Santa Cruz County, California. Santa Cruz Surf Print. *Anderson, C. L. 1892. Chapter VI: Geology or the Ancient History of Santa Cruz, pp 90–97 *Anderson, C. L. 1892. Chapter VII: The Gardens of the Seashore, pp 98–110 *Anderson, C. L. 1892. Chapter VIII: The Fishes of Monterey Bay, pp 111–117 *Anderson, C. L. 1892. Chapter IX: Catalogue of Flowering Plants and Ferns of Santa Cruz County, California, pp 118–128 *Anderson, C. L. 1892. Chapter X: Lists and Notes of Native and other Grasses Found Growing Wild in Santa Cruz County, pp 129–135 *Anderson, C. L. 1892. Chapter XII: Our Feathered Songsters, pp 144–150 *Anderson, C. L. 1894. Some New and Some Old Algae but Recently Recognized on the California Coast . . . . Zoe 4(4):358


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Charles Lewis 1827 births 1910 deaths People from Roanoke County, Virginia Physicians from Virginia Botanists active in California Botanists active in North America Sons of Temperance Temperance activists from California