Welcome to Henry's Travel Blog!
Although he kept detailed business papers, Missouri Botanical Garden founder Henry Shaw left little personal material for biographers to consider in analyzing his life. One of the few items which remain is a series of five journals. Following his retirement from the hardware business in 1840, Shaw traveled abroad and made notes, recollections, and even sketches in these small bound books. Join us as we chart Henry's journey to Europe and beyond.
 
Shaw's variable spellings, punctuation, and grammar, preserved throughout, are typical even for well-educated gentlemen in the 19th Century. Important note (4/14/09): The entries from March 11, 2009 through April 8, 2009, correspond to recently discovered text from Henry Shaw's journal. They will be posted online under the correct dates to preserve chronological accuracy.
 
   
   

Posted Online Thursday, March 5, 2009

August 4, 1840: Ithaca

Went for a short and pleasant ride thro Waterloo and Seneca Falls to Cayuga Bridge - wooden structure to cross the foot of Cayuga Lake - arrived about noon and in less than half an hour embarked on the beautiful Lake in an elegant steamer -

A delightful two voyage of four hours up the Lake the shores of which are high and gently undulating - diversified with towns and villages - Aurora (fairest goddess of the morn) is the principal - the Lake is terminated or rather commences in a low swampy valley - but behind the trees and shrubery the town of Ithaca suddenly opens to our view (population 5,000) a tavern with Corinthian columns, a number of churches, and a number of retail mercantile concerns must bespeak a place of some importance. It is singularly surrounded with lofty hills on every side in the evening took a stroll to the top of them and had a glorious and brilliant sunset -

The fineness of the evening had allowed out a number of the fair sex - the gallant manners of dress of some of the younger and more handsome very refreshing to my Bachelor eyes.

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