Box 2, Folder 6: Draft Biography of Increase Lapham

Memories of my Father, Increase Allen Lapham A Pioneer Scientist of Wisconsin

"Write me as one who loved his fellow men." Leigh Hunt.

At the entrance to Lapham Park in Milwaukee stands a large boulder with a bronze tablet showing a profile bust and the following inscription;

"In memory of [Increase crossed out] Increase Allen Lapham Naturalist

MDCCCXI MDCCCLXXXV

Elected by his friends in commemoration of his services to the cause of human knowledge and his unselfish devotion to the welfare of the people----- under the auspices of the Old Settler's Club of Milwaukee County.

"These are many testimonies to the personal character of Dr. Lapham. They all ascribe to him unimpeachable integrity in business and domestic relations. He was free and honest as the sunlight. ... He lived more for the service of others than himself. N. H. Winchell Am. Geolist [Jan.?] 1894

"Known to the world as an able scientist; to [the?] many who casually met him, as a modest, manly, cultivated gentleman; he was honored and beloved, as it falls to the lot of few men to be, for virtues that were not worn upon his sleeve, for a mobility that intimacy, alone could reveal. xxx

There was in his attitude no bidding for popular applause in any thing which he did. He toiled for science for a love of science but with a thorough and intelligent comprehension of the great possibilities that lie in this field of research." Eugene R. Leland before the Wisconsin Academy of Science Arts and Letters.

"For forty years an inhabitant of Wisconsin, his loss will be specially felt in that state, whose resources have been so remarkably developed by his historical, botanical, geological, and mineralogical investigations and publications. And beyond Wisconsin and his own continent even in Europe, where for several years, Dr. Lapham has occupied a high rank among scientists, his memory will be cherished."

Preamble to resolution adopted by the New England Historic Geneological Society 182

My father's first American ancestor was John Lahpam, who came from England in 1635 and settled at Providence Rhode Island.

On his mother's side the Allen family trace their lineage back to about the same date.

His immediate ancestors were members of the Society of Friends, or Quakers and he lived and died in that faith seeing no reason to change his views. His Quaker training made him simple and unassuming in his tastes and habits, unselfish, generous thoughtful of others and thoroughly honest in business and scientific pursuits, giving full credit to others, even where a large share was due himself.

Very early in life it became necessary for for him to aid the support of his family. His work as rodman and later assistant engineer on some of the great canals did not allow a regular attendance at school. This was always a great sorrow to him.

He was fortunate in having friends interested as he was, in the wonders of nature, and a regular correspondence was carried on among them.

Capt. Basil Hall the English traveller and writer and Mann Butter the historian of Louisville were among the friends all of whom gave him the uses of their books and collections.

December 6th, 1827, Professor Benjamin [Gilliman?] editor of the "American Journal of Science and Art" wrote "I have received your communications on the' Louisville and Portland Canal' and the 'Geology of the Vicinity and consider them ^sensible manly productions 236

creditable to your taste and habits of observation.

Time will, perhaps sooner than you realize, remove the difficulty of youth and I trust you will improve year by year in every thing wise and good and become a blessing to your fellow men."

This was the first of my father's scientific articles ever published. In it is an account of petroleum, or 'rock oil' as it was then called, and was the first account of it ever published. The writer was sixteen years old at the time.

American Scientists of those early days included all natural sciences in their studies and this boy neglected none of them, antiquities botany, conchology, geology and meteorology, all were studied by him. His first meteorological tables were published in "The Focus" Louisville's weekly journal. Here, too, began his correspondence and exchange of plants with some of the best known botanists of this country. few of whom realized the writer was 'only a boy".

The following letter to his father shows the earnest desire of Young Lapham for a collegiate education. From shippings [port?] he wrote on the first of April 1829, "Perhaps you are aware it has long been a favorite project with me to procure a collegiate education. Many have been the methods which occured to me for accomplishing it and almost as many have been found deficient and therefore abandoned before they had passed the limits of my imagination xxx In the many lonely walks I have taken between this place and Louisville my mind has been occupied

in the same way and I have at last hit upon a plan which I think is likely to succeed.

It is to procure the funds from some friend who is both able and willing, and to return such funds to him after receiving my education. xxx

Mr. Canvass White, the engineer, has declared himself my friend, and resolved to try him, accordingly after his return from New [York crossed out] Orleans I submitted to him the letter of which I enclose a copy. xxx

I am aware that you will lose the profits of any wages while at college but, can not this be repaid or, can it not be arranged in some way not to prevent my going if Mr. White should succeed in getting me in at Yale? xxx

Please let me hear from you soon."

The great disappointment of this aspirant for an education is shown by a note in his diary [for?] 1829 July 18th, "Mr. White told Mr. Henry he was at New Haven, Conn. only about two hours and consequently did nothing about getting me a situation at Yale? xxx

A letter from Dr. Wm Darlington of Westchester Pa., a botanist of note, for whom a new variety of pitcher plant was named, was dated Sept. 2d 1829 and was the beginning og a life long correspondence and friendship.

"Your favor of the 7th [?] was received a few days since. I should be happy to to exchange minerals for your fresh water shells if I thought I could furnish an equivalent