Klem — The History of Science in St. Louis. 113 



"More than forty years ago, five or six young men, of 

 whom I was one, met together, on Main street, near 

 Chestnut, in the office of the Honorable Judge, Mary P. 

 Leduc. The object was to found an Academy of Science, 

 but not one of our number really knew enough of science 

 to found a primary school, except Dr. George Engel- 

 mann, who was an enthusiastic student, especially in 

 botanical research, and who inspired us all with some- 

 thing of his zeal. We organized a society and proceeded 

 to purchase five or six acres of ground, far out of the 

 city, I think near Eighth street and Chouteau avenue. 

 There Dr. Engelmann began a botanical garden and 

 aboretum on a small scale. It was kept up, after a fash- 

 ion, for some years, but the society faded out and the 

 land was sold, and apparently there was an end of the 

 academy. But under the law of the survival of the fittest, 

 Dr. Engelmann 'survived' and became an academy of 

 science in himself. ' ' 



This was the "Western Academy of Natural Sciences. 37 

 The foundation for this first edifice of science in the Mis- 

 sissippi Valley and probably the first west of the Alle- 

 ghany Mountains was laid in 1837, when a charter was 

 granted to H. King, George Engelmann, B. B. Brown, P. 

 A. Pulte, William Weber, Theodore Engelmann and G. 

 Schuetze, as incorporators. The main promoters of this 

 new society were Dr. Engelmann and Dr. Wislizenus, 

 both destined to play important roles in the future Acad- 

 emy of Science. 



Through the efforts of these men the lamp of science 

 was kept burning for some years, at a time when St. 

 Louis was nothing more than a small frontier town. An 

 address, together with the Act of Incorporation, Consti- 

 tution and By-Laws, were respectfully submitted to the 

 "friends of knowledge," soliciting funds, new members, 

 and contributions to the proposed museum and library. 



37 Act of incorporation, constitution and by-laws of the Western 

 Academy of Natural Sciences at St. Louis. 1S27. 



