Collection Summary
C. Hart Merriam Papers 1864-1938
1864-1938
MSS32698
Merriam, C. Hart, 1855-1942
5,000 items
71 containers plus 1 oversize
28.5 linear feet
10 microfilm reels
English
native American
Collection material in English and native American languages.
Manuscript Division, Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
Naturalist, zoologist, and ethnologist.
Correspondence, writings, journals, bibliographies, maps, and other papers. Includes
journals of scientific expeditions and compilations of Indian vocabularies, with
accompanying large-scale maps showing the distribution of all known Indian tribes in
California and Nevada, as well as notes relating to the Adirondack Mountains and files
pertaining to other sites and regions in the United States and abroad. Contains subject
material relating to the Bering Sea Tribunal of Arbitration and the Harriman Alaska
Expedition.
Selected Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC
Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and
by occupation and listed alphabetically.
People
Merriam, C. Hart (Clinton Hart), 1855-1942.
Organizations
American Ornithologists' Union.
Bering Sea Tribunal of Arbitration.
Harriman Alaska Expedition (1899)
United States. Bureau of Biological Survey.
United States. Division of Biological Survey.
United States. Division of Economic Ornithology and Mammalogy.
Washington Academy of Sciences (Washington, D.C.)
Subjects
Biology--California.
Biology--Nevada.
Biology.
Ethnology--California.
Ethnology--Nevada.
Ethnology.
Indians of North America--California.
Indians of North America--Languages.
Indians of North America--Nevada.
Natural history--California.
Natural history--Nevada.
Natural history.
Sealing--Alaska--Pribilof Islands.
Zoology.
Places
Adirondack Mountains (N.Y.)--Discovery and exploration.
Alaska--Discovery and exploration.
California--Discovery and exploration.
United States--Discovery and exploration.
West (U.S.)--Discovery and exploration.
Occupations
Ethnologists.
Naturalists.
Zoologists.
Acquisition Information
The papers of C. Hart Merriam, naturalist, zoologist, and ethnologist, were given to the
Library of Congress as a bequest of Merriam in 1947. Additional material was given by
the National Geographic Society in 1976.
Processing History
The C. Hart Merriam Papers were processed in 1947. Additions and revisions were made
between 1976 and 1987 and again in 2002. The finding aid was revised in 2014.
Copyright Status
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of C. Hart Merriam is governed by
the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
Access and Restrictions
Restrictions apply governing the use, photoduplication, or publication of items in this
collection. Consult reference staff in the Manuscript Division for information
concerning these restrictions. In addition, many collections are stored off-site and
advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use.
Microfilm
A microfilm edition of part of these papers is available on ten reels. Consult a
reference librarian in the Manuscript Division concerning availability for purchase or
interlibrary loan. To promote preservation of the originals, researchers are required to
consult the microfilm edition.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information:
Container or reel number, C. Hart Merriam Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of
Congress, Washington, D.C.
Biographical Note
Date
Event
1855, Dec. 5
Born, New York, N.Y.
1872
Naturalist, Hayden Survey of the territories
1877
Published
A Review of the Birds of Connecticut
. New Haven: Tuttle, Morehouse, & Taylor
1879
M.D., Columbia University, New York, N.Y.
1883
Surgeon, Proteus (Bark)
1884
Published
Mammals of the Adirondacks
. New York: L. S. Foster
1885
1910
Head, U.S. Department of Agriculture's Division of Economic Ornithology and
Mammology (later the U.S. Division of Biological Survey and then the U.S. Bureau
of Biological Survey)
1886
Married Virginia Elizabeth Gosnel
1889
Participated in U.S. Biological Survey to the San Francisco Mountains,
Ariz.
1891
Participated in U.S. Biological Survey of Death Valley, Calif.
Appointed to commission to investigate the problems of pelagic sealing in
the Bering Sea
1891
1892
President, Biological Society of Washington
1898
Participated in U.S. Biological Survey of Mount Shasta, Calif.
1899
Participated in Harriman Alaska Expedition
1900
1902
President, American Ornithologists' Union
1905
Published "Indian Population of California"
1907
Published "Distribution and Classification of the Mewan Indians of
California"
1910
1936
Conducted biological and ethnological investigations with California Indian
tribes
1910
Published
Dawn of the World
. Cleveland: A. H. Clark
1917
1925
Chairman, U.S. Board on Geographic Names
1919
1921
President, American Society of Mammalogists
1920
1921
President, Anthropological Society of Washington
1924
1925
President, American Society of Naturalists
1928
Published
An-nik-a-del, the History of the Universe, as told by the Modes-se
Indians of California
. Boston: Stratford Co.
1942, Mar. 19
Died, Berkeley, Calif.
Scope and Content Note
The papers of Clinton Hart Merriam (1855-1942) span the years 1872-1938 and consist of
correspondence, writings, journals, bibliographies, maps, and other papers. Especially
prominent are more than a hundred journals of scientific expeditions and an extensive
set of Native American vocabularies, with accompanying large-scale maps showing the
distribution of Indian tribes in California and Nevada, as well as notes relating to the
Adirondack Mountains and files relating to the Bering Sea Tribunal of Arbitration and
the Harriman Alaska Expedition. Other topics include subject material relating to
expeditions and regions and sites in the American West as well as others parts of the
country and abroad.
Merriam's indexed journals form a continuous record of his accomplishments in science as
well as of his personal relations and cooperation with scholars in the United States and
internationally. In addition to twenty-five years of service as organizer and head of
the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Division of Economic Ornithology and Mammology
(later the U.S. Division of Biological Survey and then the U.S. Bureau of Biological
Survey), and a somewhat longer period of ethnological and biological research in
California and Nevada, begun in 1910 under the Harriman Fund of the Smithsonian
Institution, Merriam's many activities included a twenty-year membership on the Board on
Geographic Names, of which he was chairman from 1917-1925. Also documented are his
activities with the American Ornithologists' Union and the Washington Academy of
Sciences, Washington, D.C. In 1891 he was appointed fur seal commissioner to represent
the United States on a joint American and British commission to study the problems of
pelagic sealing on the Pribilof Islands. In 1899 he visited Alaska as part of the
Harriman Alaska Expedition and later served as editor of the publications of its
scientific staff.
The Merriam Papers are organized by type of material or topic and are arranged largely
as received by the Library. Indian vocabulary terms in the container list were
transcribed from information extracted from files or folders in the collection.
Arrangement of the Papers
This collection is organized by type of material or topic and are arranged largely as
received
Container List
Container
Contents
1
Adirondack vertebrates, notes, vols.
1-3
Fauna and flora of Lewis County, N.Y.,
notes
Vol. 1, 1878
1878
Vol. 2, 1878-1879
1878-1879
Vol. 3, 1879-1880
1879-1880
Vol. 4, 1881-1883
1881-1883
2
Vol. 5, 1883-1884
1883-1884
Vol. 6, 1884-1885
1884-1885
Journals
1873
1873
1873-1874
1873-1874
1874-1875
1874-1875
1875-1876
1875-1876
1876-1878
1876-1878
3
1878-1879
1878-1879
1881-1882
1881-1882
1882
1882
1883
1883
1881, trip of Proteus
1881
1881, Bermuda notes
1881
1882, trip to Big Moose Lake and
Lake Terror
1882
1885, trip to Europe
1885
1885, Lake Champlain
notes
1885
1886, rice fields of Georgia and
South Carolina
1886
1887, Great Smoky
Mountains
1887
4
1887, Tennessee and North
Carolina
1887
1888, Puget Sound to Southern
California
1888
1889, Arizona
1889
(2 folders)
1890, Idaho
1890
1891, Death Valley expedition
1891
(2 folders)
1891, Bering Sea
1891
5
1892, Big Marble Cave, Missouri,
short trip in Indian Territory
1892
1892, Roan Mountain
1892
5
Journals
Some journals available on microfilm. Shelf no.
19,605
1893, Winter Park, Fla.
1893
1893, Utah and Wyoming
1893
1894 and 1896, Arizona
1894 and 1896
1895, Dismal Swamp
1895
1896, Oregon
1896
Vol.1
6
1
Vol. 2
1897, Washington, vol. 1 Also available on microfilm shelf no. 18,001
1897
1897, Washington and Oregon, vol.
2
1897
1897, Washington, vol. 3 Also available on microfilm shelf no. 18,001
1897
1898, California, vols.
1-2
1898
7
1-2
1898, California, vols.
3-4
1898
1899, Alaska expedition vols.
1-3
1899
8
2-3
1899, California, vols.
1-2
1899
1900, California, vols.
1-2
1900
1901, California, vols.
1-2
1901
9
3
1902, California, vols.
1-4
1902
1903, California, vols.
1-2
1903
10
3-4
1903, California, vols.
3-5
1903
1904, California, vols.
1-2
1904
1905, California, vol.
1
1905
11
4-5
1905, California, vols.
2-4
1905
1906, California, vols.
1-3
1906
12
5
1907, California, vols.
1-5
1907
1908-1909, Montana buffalo
range
1908-1909
1909, California
1909
13
5-6
1910, California, vols.
1-2
1910
1911, California, vols.
1-2
1911
1912, California
1912
1913, California
1913
14
6-7
1914, California
1914
1915, California
1915
1916, California
1916
1917, California
1917
1919, California
1919
Vol. 1
15
7
Vol. 2
1920, California, vols.
1-2
1920
1921, California, vol. 1, and
1922, California, vol. 1
1921
1922
1922, California, vol.
2
1922
16
7-8
1923, California, vols.
1-2
1923
1924, California
1924
1925, California, vol.
1
1925
1925, California, vol. 2, and
1926, vol. 1
1925
192
1926, California, vol.
2
1926
1927, California
1927
17
8
1928, California
1928
1929, California
1929
1930, California
1930
1931-1932, California
1931-1932
1932-1933, California
1932-1933
1934, California
1934
18
1935-1936, California
1935-1936
1937-1938, California
1937-1938
Home journals
1896-1899
1896-1899
1900-1901
1900-1901
1901-1903
1901-1903
1903-1904
1903-1904
19
1904-1905
1904-1905
1906-1907
1906-1907
1907-1908
1907-1908
1908
1908
1908-1909
1908-1909
1909-1910
1909-1910
1910-1911
1910-1911
20
1911-1913
1911-1913
1913-1914
1913-1914
1914-1916
1914-1916
1916-1917
1916-1917
1918-1919
1918-1919
21
1919-1922
1919-1922
1922-1926
1922-1926
1926-1929
1926-1929
1929-1935
1929-1935
22
1935-1937
1935-1937
Miscellaneous notes
Annotated list of birds of East Hampton,
Hampshire County, Mass, 1874
1874
Birds
(2 folders)
Birds seen at big Moose Lake, Herkimer and
Hamilton Counties, N.Y., 1882
1882
Catalogue of birds eggs, vol. 1
Catalogue of birds eggs, vol. 2
Godbout River, Quebec, Canada, lists,
1881
1881
Mammal skins
Maminalia, Big Moose Lake
Notes on a brief trip to the marches and outer
beach near Freeport, Long Island, N.Y., 1883
1883
Notes on the birds observed near Godbout, PQ,
Canada
Ornithological
Ornithological directory of state of New
York
Private catalogue of specimens of natural
history
Seal Island investigations
Seals
1875
1875
1883
1883
Skins, Big Moose Lake
23
Account books, 1864-1884
1864-1884
(4 folders)
Anatomio del canino
Appointment books, 1894, 1916
1894, 1916
(2 folders)
Brown=s tract journal,
1884
1884
Bay of Fundy, East Port, Maine,
1876
1876
Echinodorata
Invertebrates
Diary, 1896
1896
Journal, 1897
1897
Materia medica, tables used by Edward Curtis,
1878-1879
1878-1879
Muskrat as a fish eater
Myalogical variations
Plants found at Big Island
Plants found at Brantingham Lake,
N.Y.
Sasufen Isac River, lists of birds and
plants
Zoology
24
Locus Grove, Lewis County, N.Y., native study,
1875
1875
Zoological lecture notes from class of A. E.
Verrill
Indian vocabularies
Ab-sah`-ro-kan
Ahts-oo-kā`-e
(2 folders)
Aś-tah-ke-wí-che
25
Ah̷-choo-mah̷-we
Algonkian
Apache
Athapaskan
(2 folders)
At-wum-we
Blackfeet
Cheyenn̷
Cree
Ham-amah̷-we
Hoo̷-pah
Mo-des̷-se
Pā̷-gan
Sak-e-fot
26
Hwil-kut
Kah̷-to
Ken-nes̷-te
Ket̷-tel
Kittel̷
Lo-lahn-kōk
Mattōl
Nek̷-kan-ni
Ojibwa or Chippewa
To-kub̷-be Ke-ah
27
Che-mar-re-ko
Chumash
Ennesen
Set-ten-bi̷-d-enkā̷-ah
To-cho̷-be Ke̷ah
Tol̷-lo-wah
Tsen-hah-ken-nes
28
Mo-kăl̷-um-ne
Hoo-koo-e-ko
Karokan
(2 folders)
Klamath
Mewan
(2 folders)
Modok
29
Chow-lah Mew-wŭh
(2 folders)
Me̷-wuk (Northern)
(3 folders)
Me̷-wuk (Pleasant Valley)
O-la ment ke
O-lā̷-yo-me
Southern Mu̷wah
30
Miduan
Cushna
Kow̷wahk
Kum-mo̷-win
Mitchōpdo
Nis-sim-pa-we-han
(2 folders)
Pā-we-nan
Wi̷pā
31
Es-tōm-se-nan
Ne-se-non (Northern)
Ne-se-non (Southern)
No-to-koi̷yo
(2 folders)
No-to̷-mus-se
Tahn̷-kum
Than̷kum (Oleepa)
Muskogean
Choktaw
Seminole
32
Olhonean
Hoo̷-mon-twash
Kah-koon̷ of San Lorenzo or Santa
Clara
Piman
Papago
Pemah
Poliklan
Ner-er̷-ner
Yorok
Tribes of California
by Stephen Powers
Pomoan
Bōōh
Hah̷-nah̷bah
33
Hram-fo
Kah-chi̷-ah
Kah̷-tah-we chum̷-ni
Kl-yow̷-bah
Kulanapo
Mah̷-kah-mo chum̷-mi
Mah̷-to po̷-mah
Me̷-dah-kah̷ tum̷-mi
34
Me-tum̷-ki
Po-mo-ke-chah
Sho-ko̷-ah
Sho-te̷-ah
Tah-bah-tā
We̷shah̷ chum̷-mi
Yo-ki̷-ah
35
Shastan
Kah-we-sik̷=tem
Konomehe
Okwahnoochu
Shaste
Shoshonean
Akatchman
Akatchma
So-bo-bo
Hah-to-ke-wuk
Piyumkos
36
Mahl̷ke Cahvilla
Pow̷-we-yam Cahvilla
Ketanamwits
Koopa
Monache
Em-tim̷-bitch
Mo-hin-e-am
37
Ko-ko-he-bah
Nim
To-win-che̷-bah
Wo-pon-nutch
Wuk-să-che
Panamit Shoshone
Northern Piute
Bridgeport
38
Mono Lake
Owens Valley and Lone Pine
Pyramid Lake
Walker Lake
Malheur Lake, Oregon
39
Southern Piute
New-oo-ah
Tol-chin̷-h
ChemeWeve
(2 folders)
Ow̷-wah-tum
Moapa Valley
Nu-vah̷-an-dits
Ki-vav̷vits
40
New-wents
Pi̷ēˋds
Sivvits
Shoshone
Bannok
Fort Hill, Idaho
Austin, Central Nevada
Northeast Nevada
Utah
Ho-pe
Comanche
41
Goseute
Ute
Soolah̷telukan
Soo-lah̷-te-luk
Tlohomtoi
Tlohomtahoi
Tongvan
Tongvā
Indian vocabularies collected by Merriam,
regarding these Indians
42
Tubotelobelan
Pahn̷-kă-lă-che
(2 folders)
Tu-bot-e-lob̷-e-lā
Washuan
Washoo
(3 folders)
Yahna
43
Wintoon
Choo-hel̷-men sel
Klet̷-win
Ko̷-roc
Nōm̷-lak̷-ke
Nor̷-rel-muk
Patwin
Poo̷-e-win
Win Kopěh̷
44
Wintu
Ono wintu
Wintoon Northern
Yokutan
Choei`mne
Choi-yo̷-choi-ye̷
Chuk̷-chan-se
Win Kopěh̷
45
Kosh-o̷-o
Ko-yet̷-te
No-tu-no-to
Pal-low̷-yam-me
Tā-dum-ne
Tah̷-che
Tal-linche
Tin̷-lin-ne
46
Wik-chum̷-ne
Yow-lan̷ch
Yow̷-wel-man̷-ne
Yokut vocabularies
Yuman
Hevasupi
Kammei Imperial Valley,
Colorado
47
Kam̷-mei
Kwe-tsahn̷
Marikopa
Mohave
Walapi
Chinook
Chnook
Wasko
Eskimoan
Eskimo
Klikatal
Kutchin
Sahaptian
Shahaptan (Nez Perce)
Walla Walla
Salish
Sā̷-lish
48
Published writings
Nos. 1-94, 1872-1884
1872-1884
(7 folders)
49
Nos. 95-202, 1884-1888
1884-1888
(7 folders)
50
Nos. 203-269, 1888-1892
1888-1892
(7 folders)
51
Nos. 270-395, 1892-1897
1892-1897
(7 folders)
52
Nos. 396-486, 1897-1903
1897-1903
(6 folders)
53
Nos. 487-573, 1904-1916
1904-1916
(5 folders)
54
Nos. 548, 1910
1910
Nos. 549, 1910
1910
Nos. 574-583, 1917-1924
1917-1924
Nos. 584-627, 1917-1924
1917-1924
Nos. 608-615a,
1925-1934
1925-1934
55
Nos. 616-639, 1925-1934
1925-1934
Bibliography
Comments by Merriam and others regarding his
biography
Early drafts to 1912
1912
Second manifesto,
1872-1925
1872-1925
Third manifesto,
1873-1926
1873-1926
Ribbon copy, 1872-1930
1872-1930
56
Duplicate material, 1925-1927, of that
prepared for binding by Library of Congress
1925-1927
Scientific matters,
1884-1913
1884-1913
Scientific observations and comment on a paper by
Merriam
Mount Rainier proposed name change
Merriam's role and statement,
1924
1924
Concerned citizens' letters to Merriam and
others, 1917-1929
1917-1929
Reprints of articles,
1889-1933
1889-1933
57
Subject file A
Arizona and Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon
Colorado and District of Columbia
58
Florida and the Everglades
Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana,
Maine, Michigan
Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana,
Nebraska
59
Nevada and New England
New Mexico and New jersey
New York, North Carolina North Dakota,
Ohio
60
Oregon
(2 folders)
61
(1 folder)
Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah,
Virginia
62
Washington-Mount Ranier
Name change proposal,
1924
1924
Other
Washington State
(1 folder)
63
(1 folder)
Wisconsin
Wyoming and Yellowstone National
Park
64
Subject file B
Alaska
(2 folders)
Canal Zone
Hawaii
Canada
(3 folders)
65
(1 folders)
British Columbia
(2 folders)
Northwest Territories
Labrador
(1 folder)
66
(2 folders)
Manitoba
Newfoundland
(2 folders)
67
New Brunswick, Nova Scotia,
Quebec
Ontario
Saskatchewan and Alberta
Africa and Asia
Albania
Australia
Bermuda
China
68
Cuba
Europe: Germany, Austria, Hungary, South
Orknies
Greenland
Greece
Iceland
Japan
Mediterranean, physical and
historical
Mexico
Miscellaneous
Edward W. Nelson, field notes
Edward L. Palmer, notes and personal
letter
Monaco
Montenegro
New Zealand
69
Pacific islands
Panama
Russia, mainly Siberia
Serbia
South America
Antarctic
70
Arctic
(3 folders)
Duplicated material in A. W. Greely
collection
71
Miscellaneous
(2 folders)
Duplicate material
OV 1
Maps detailing location of Indian tribes referred
to in Indian vocabularies section (Container 37) Available
on microfilm shelf no. 19,605, Reel 9