Welcome to Henry's Travel Blog! |
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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. | |
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July 2, 1841: Casino or news room |
The weather rather hot did not go out much today - by the kindness of Mr. Flori have access to the Casino or news room - all the papers are french – can’t imagine why English papers are excluded unless that the former language is the more universal -
I was born on July 24, 1800, in Sheffield, England. On May 3, 1819, I arrived at a small French village on the Mississippi called St. Louis. I owned a hardware store and worked there from 1819 to 1840. In 1840, I retired and traveled around the world. In 1851, after seeing the beautiful Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, outside London and the Chatsworth gardens in Devonshire, I decided to create my own garden in St. Louis.
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