“The Place Where All Such Things Should Go,” Erwin H. Barbour’s Impact on the Nebraska State Museum

E.H. Barbour & leg of T. osborni. Paleontological excavation Daemonelix display

Anna Krause, History 250: The Historian Craft

Erwin H. Barbour worked tirelessly to improve the Nebraska State Museum upon his appointment in 1891. Through his background in geology and zoology, as well as his partnership with Charles H. Morrill, Barbour accelerated the progress of the museum. His enthusiasm led to thousands of acquisitions and the State Museum’s expansion into new buildings. He was in constant pursuit of a complete museum, where “fauna and flora, the fossils and minerals, and all natural products of the state” could be preserved. He wanted a place where “teachers and students in public schools, high schools, and colleges may resort” to for education of the natural world.[1] Barbour positively impacted the State Museum through his acquisition of significant items and his push for the Museum’s development and expansion.

Erwin H. Barbour’s relevant education and expeditions to Western Nebraska helped him collect valuable items for the State Museum. Barbour completed his Ph.D. from Yale while working on the U.S. Paleontological Survey.[2] He also studied under the famed paleontologist, O.C. Marsh, who often led his own students on field expeditions. It was through Marsh that Barbour was first introduced to Nebraska and its potentially profitable dig sites.[3] After a few years of work, Barbour was offered and accepted a position at Nebraska University in 1891 to become a professor of geology and zoology. He was to also be the new director of the State Museum. The young professor was met with immediate challenges when he took on the position. The Museum was comprised of a few underwhelming artifacts, which included “mounted skeletons of the domestic cow and horse… a few specimens preserved in alcohol, and some Indian Relics.”[4] The Museum also had no allotted funds for fossil collecting, so Barbour was forced to pay for his own expedition in the summer of 1891. The expedition still proved to be a success, and it attracted the attention of the wealthy new University Regent, Charles H. Morrill. Morrill gave 1,000 dollars to fund Barbour’s 1892 Western Nebraska Badlands expedition. Barbour took five students with him, including Morrill’s own son.[5] Morrill continued to finance Barbour’s expeditions until his death in 1928. The funded trips, known as “Morrill Geological Expeditions” were one of Barbour’s primary resources for acquiring thousands of new and exciting fossils for his Museum and helped establish it as a respectable component of University.[6]

One of the most plentiful acquisition resources for the State Museum were members of the community. Barbour himself was in constant communication with individuals all over the country to see their potential items for the museum. He was arguably most commended for his many mammoth acquisitions. The director wrote to Nebraskan J.H. Pickering and said, “I am greatly interested in the mastodon which you have found,” and expressed his intention to visit the bones himself.[7] Barbour often sacrificed his own time to directly choose the next items for the State Museum. He wrote to another man with supposed Mammoth bones, R.E. Barney, and said, “if it is possible for them to be saved at all, we can do it” and planned to leave five days later to do so.[8] The correspondence showed Barbour’s drive to acquire new and exciting specimens for his museum. He went on to discover and name fifteen new species of extinct elephants.[9] His Mammoth collection was respected by scholars and beloved by the public.

Many other unique items were brought in to the State Museum that helped expand its notoriety. Barbour wrote to Chancellor Andrews about an exceptional fossil at the Museum called “Moropus” and said, “we had good fortune last year to discover the only one ever found.” He also wrote about the fossil’s popularity, and how a man had already offered to buy it for a hefty sum of 600 dollars, and when denied, asked to at least make a cast of it for his own museum.[10] The transaction showed both Barbour’s direct involvement with each new material, and the attention the Museum was gaining from rival natural history museums. The State Museum was also highly regarded for its alligator collection. Barbour stated, “there is no other skeleton as important for study as our common alligator,” and the museum strove to keep its specimens in top condition for its visitors.[11] In 1892, the Museum boasted one large alligator, five small ones, one skeleton, and several eggs, all of which made an “imposing” set. That collection was also funded through Charles H. Morrill, further increasing his and Barbour’s partnership.[12]  One of the most intriguing acquisitions under Barbour was a collection of four Peruvian mummies from Hon. Patrick Egan, valued at 1000 dollars in 1892.[13] The mummies were quite famous when revealed to the public, and attracted “A thousand sight-seers” during their first week.[14] However, the mummies sparked some controversy as to how they should be properly stored. Within the first month of their time at the Museum, a student commented about their apparent “smell.”14 The exceptional items acquired under Barbour helped garner attention toward the State Museum.

One of Barbour’s most significant discoveries and additions to the State Museum was Daemonelix, a mystery fossil that he played a pivotal role in researching. The fossil was a puzzling piece when scientists first unearthed it in the Badlands of Nebraska in 1891. The locals knew them as “Devil’s corkscrews,” but the scientists had little idea what they might actually be. Barbour was present during the expedition and brought back a “large amount of excellent material” for the museum. He was fascinated by them and claimed “their forms are magnificent; their symmetry perfect; their organization beyond my comprehension”[15] At the time, Barbour and other scientists thought that the peculiar fossils were remnants of large plants. Instead, scientists later determined that the mysterious items were in fact trace fossils from an extinct beaver called Paleocastor. The rodents burrowed downward in a corkscrew shape, using their teeth and claws to burrow into the earth. The rodents were hypothesized to live in colonies, which explained why scientists like Barbour found so many corkscrews so close together. The grooves on the surface of the fossils that were thought to be plant tendons were actually teeth marks from Paleocastor. [16] Even though Barbour’s initial hypothesis was incorrect, he played an influential role in its research, bringing the State Museum into more relevance as he did.

The State Museum was honored with an educational exhibit at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. The displays were presented among others in the Education Hall at the fair. The most prominent exhibit was the “moving pictures representing agricultural and other resources of Nebraska.” [17] The exhibits received a lot of attention, especially for the limited budget the University had for them. The Nebraska displays scored very well at the fair, with four of them receiving a rank of 100. Barbour himself was in charge of all the materials, as well as overseeing their transportation. Barbour and Morrill also coordinated their stays at the fair, as they both stayed in the “modern” home of “Miss Margaret Fitzpatrick.” [18] Barbour’s role in the fair showcased his importance, and influence over the items in the State Museum.

Despite the Nebraska State Museum talent for acquiring fascinating items, it was often met with challenges of space and funding. Part of Barbour’s goal to make the Museum an academic resource for the State involved the identification of items brought in directly. He was forced to reject many of these identifications due to a lack of funding, and “lacking the necessary literature” to document the items. [19] Restrictions such as those were a personal frustration to Barbour as they worked against his academic goals for the State Museum. Students that visited the museum called the overcrowding “painful” and stated that it “defeats the very purpose of a state museum.”[20] The students felt that did they did not have an environment that showcased the materials meaningfully, and many intriguing specimens were lost in the clutter. Barbour also continuously referenced the lack of display cases for his new specimens. He pointed out in a letter to Chancellor James Canfield that “when they wrote to me about coming here they said plainly that there would be $2500 for cases… I have not enjoyed one cents worth of this bona fide promise.”[21] His effort that brought in donations from all over Nebraska was blocked by the inability to make display cases for them. In 1893 the Barbour estimated that over “twenty-five thousand specimens” had come into the museum, but he believed that they could have accepted twice as many if he had proper “cases and provisions.”[22] The student newspaper commented that other institutions had more adequate space for materials and were “certain to get” them over Nebraska. The paper stated that there were Nebraskans who would donate “14,000” worth of material to their state museum, if only the space became available.[23]

Barbour consistently requested the University for a larger building to accommodate his growing number of specimens, and he had good reason to. Old Nebraska Hall, which housed the Museum, was full of structural issues. Morrill stated it was “known to be the poorest constructed building on campus” and an obvious “fire-trap.”[24] In 1905, the first floor of the building even collapsed under the weight of Barbour’s acquisitions. The vulnerability of the items had already caused the museum to place “over fifty tons” of materials in an unoccupied steam tunnel under the campus.[25] Barbour had to make the difficult decision to protect the items he had instead of displaying them for the public’s education. For the safety and preservation of Barbour and Morrill’s work, the University had to relocate the museum.

In 1906 the State Museum was moved to a larger building, mainly funded by donors. Morrill himself donated 5000 dollars to the project.[26] The building’s architect was the famed Thomas R. Kimball, who went on to design the Nebraska State Capitol in the 1930s. The “Museum Building” was still too small to accommodate the State Museum, Geology Department, and State Geological Survey that all called it home. It was originally meant to have three wings, but budget cuts only allowed for one square shaped wing.[27] It was built with fire-proof brick to ensure the safety of the items. It promised to be “one of the best” buildings to grace the campus, or at least be more sufficient than Old Nebraska Hall.[28] Yet Barbour’s worst fears came to life when a fire started in the building in 1912, which damaged a staircase and many specimens inside. The damage was estimated to be $10,000, including a prized mammoth tusk. Barbour felt a huge personal loss due to the fire. His “life’s work” was damaged, and 2,000 dollars of his individual property was scorched.[29] Even after all of the work to secure more space and ensure the safety of the items, the Museum could not remain in the second building.

In 1926, the Board of Regents approved the construction of Morrill Hall.[30] Chancellor Avery declared that “no more useful building than Morrill Hall could be erected to help… the general congestion on the city campus.”[31] The building housed the Museum on the lower floors, and Fine Arts finally had their department under one roof on the top two floors. The departments thought that it would be convenient for visitors to be able to see the geological and art collections in the same location. Barbour had been heavily suggesting to the University since 1907 that the State Museum should honor Morrill, and with the newest building he finally got his wish.[32] He wanted to rightfully thank the man who had funded his archeological expeditions and museum expansions year after year.

Morrill Hall was officially dedicated on May 28th, 1927, just one year before its namesake’s death. The ceremony was blazoned with the words “Here will the future of our land be shaped… A greater Athens – a more glorious Rome.” It was high praise for the new building, yet it has lasted over 90 years on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s city campus. In 2018 Morrill Hall opened a new temporary exhibit about Barbour and Morrill’s friendship and their positive impacts on the museum. It displayed them as crucial contributors to the State Museum and its success. Also, in 2018 the State Museum announced a new 11.4-million-dollar project called Cherish Nebraska, that was stated to be featured in Morrill Hall’s fourth floor. The floor had been closed to the public for 50 years. The new exhibit promised to continue on the legacy of Barbour and Morrill’s “Grand Museum.”[33]

Erwin H. Barbour transformed the Nebraska State Museum from being a few collections in a dilapidated building to becoming a nationally renowned institution. His dedication to personally finding items, working with the University, and his partnership with Charles H. Morrill helped drastically improve the facility. Barbour positively impacted the State Museum through his compilation of significant items and his push for the Museum’s development and expansion. From his time as director until 1941, Barbour’s persistent work made the State Museum a place of learning for local and nonnative visitors. The museum boasted the most contact with Nebraska residents and general visitors of any University of Nebraska scholastic department.[34] His legacy has continued to live on throughout Morrill Hall and is planned to continue through the next era of the Museum.

Endnotes:
  1. Erwin H. Barbour to Chancellor James Hulme Canfield, Erwin H. Barbour Museum Records, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Box 72, Folder 1
  2. Hannah Vahle, “Barbour Arrives,” 2013, Nebraska U, http://unlhistory.unl.edu/exhibits/show/morrill-hall/barbour/barbour-arrives.
  3. “The O.C. Marsh Story,” n.d., Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, http://peabody.yale.edu/collections/archives/oc-marsh-story.
  4. History, UNL Buildings and Grounds Records, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Box 17, Morrill Hall Folder
  5. Wall Text, Morrill’s Patronage Begins, Fossils and Friendship, Nebraska State Museum, Lincoln, NE.
  6. Morrill’s Patronage Begins
  7. Erwin H. Barbour to J.H. Pickering, Erwin E. Barbour Museum Records, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Box 72, Folder 6
  8. Erwin H. Barbour to R.E. Barney, Erwin E. Barbour Museum Records, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Box 72, Folder 8
  9. Wall Text, Nebraska Elephants, Elephant Hall, Nebraska State Museum, Lincoln, NE.
  10. Erwin H. Barbour to Chancellor Andrews, Erwin E. Barbour Museum Records, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Box 72
  11. Erwin H. Barbour to Chancellor Canfield
  12. The Nebraskan, November 1, 1892, Nebraska Newspapers, http://nebnewspapers.unl.edu/lccn/sn96080313/1892-11-01/ed-1/seq-12/#date1=1844&city=&rows=20&words=mummies+Peruvian&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=0&date2=1987&proxtext=peruvian+mummies&page=1.
  13. Erwin H. Barbour to Chancellor Canfield
  14. The Nebraskan, November 1, 1892
  15. Erwin H. Barbour, “History of the Discovery and Report of Progress in the Study of Daemonelix” (University Studies, January 1897), Google Books, https://books.google.com/books?id=F8gDAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA124&dq=%22university+studies%22+the+university+of+nebraska+volume+I+1892&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiIp8uK9K3YAhUHHGMKHc8bCZkQ6AEILjAB#v=onepage&q=%22university%20studies%22%20the%20university%20of%20nebraska%20volume%20I%201892&f=false.
  16. Vasika Udurawane, “Legend of the ‘Devil’s Corkscrews,’” n.d., Earth Archives, http://www.eartharchives.org/articles/legend-of-the-devil-s-corkscrews/.
  17. “Our UNL Showing,” The Daily Nebraskan, May 27, 1904, Nebraska Newspapers, http://nebnewspapers.unl.edu/lccn/sn96080312/1904-05-27/ed-1/seq-1/#date1=1844&city=&rows=20&words=Barbour+fair+world&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=0&date2=1987&proxtext=barbour+world%27s+fair&page=1.
  18. Erwin H. Barbour to Charles H. Morrill, Erwin H Barbour Museum Records, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Box 76, Folder 27
  19. Our UNL Showing,” The Daily Nebraskan
  20. Hesperian 1893
  21. Erwin H. Barbour to Chancellor James Hulme Canfield, Erwin H. Barbour Museum Records, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Box 72, Folder 8
  22. Erwin H. Barbour to Chancellor James Hulme Canfield
  23. Hesperian 1893
  24. Charles H. Morrill to Chancellor Andrews, Board of Regents Records, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Box 17, Folder 145
  25. Erwin H. Barbour to Charles H. Morrill
  26. Charles H. Morrill to Chancellor Andrews, Board of Regents Records, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Box 11, Folder 138
  27. Wall Text, The Museum Building, Fossils and Friendship, Nebraska State Museum, Lincoln, NE.
  28. “Museum Building,” The Daily Nebraskan, March 15, 1906, Nebraska Newspapers, http://nebnewspapers.unl.edu/lccn/sn96080312/1906-03-15/ed-1/seq-3/#date1=1906&city=&rows=20&words=BUILDING+building+MUSEUM+Museum&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=0&date2=1906&proxtext=museum+building&dateFilterType=year&page=1.
  29. “Loss in Museum Fire Greater Than Thought,” The Daily Nebraskan, March 8, 1912, Nebraska Newspapers, http://nebnewspapers.unl.edu/lccn/sn96080312/1912-03-08/ed-1/seq-4/#date1=1772&city=&rows=20&words=FIRE+MUSEUM&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=0&date2=1987&proxtext=museum+fire&page=1.
  30. Hannah Vahle, Nebraska U
  31. “Morrill Hall Plan Approved,” The Daily Nebraskan, October 24, 1925, Nebraska Newspapers, http://nebnewspapers.unl.edu/lccn/sn96080312/1925-10-24/ed-1/seq-1/#date1=1925&city=&rows=20&words=HALL+Hall+MORRILL+Morrill&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=3&date2=1926&proxtext=morrill+hall&dateFilterType=year&page=1.
  32. Erwin H. Barbour to Chancellor Andrews, Erwin H. Barbour Museum Records, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Box 79, ‘A’ Folder
  33. Wall Text, Morrill Hall, Fossils and Friendship, Nebraska State Museum, Lincoln, NE.
  34. The Museum, UNL Buildings and Grounds Records, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Box 17, Morrill Hall Folder

Bibliography:

 

“The Place Where All Such Things Should Go,” Erwin H. Barbour’s Impact on the Nebraska State Museum