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THE FIRST MUSEUM AND LIBRARY 
In the Act of Incorporation of the Academy of Science of St. 
Louis it is stated that its purpose was the advancement of science 
and the establishment of a museum and library for the illustration 
and study of its various branches. The first several meetings of the 
Academy were held in the Hall of the Board of Public Schools. At 
the second meeting the generous oflFer of Dr. Charles A. Pope for 
space in the dispensary building of the St. Louis Medical College 
was accepted, and here were established the first museum and library 
of the Academy. 
The museum showed encouraging growth immediately. The library 
and collections of the Western Academv of Natural Science were 
acqu 
many sources. Charles P. Chouteau donated numerous mounted and 
preserved specimens of mammals, birds, reptiles and fish collected 
on the Upper Missouri river in the course of his fur trade. During 
Ae Civil War, when the Federal troops confiscated McDowell 
Medical College, the Western Sanitary Commission deposited with 
the Academy what remained of the natural history collections of 
that institution. Many palaeontological collections were added in- 
cluding an extensive collection of fossils collected by F. V. Hayden 
in the Bad Lands of Nebraska. Minerals of various kinds, including 
a collection of meteorites, skulls, skins of mammals and birds, speci- 
mens of plants, -models of fungi, marine and fresh water shells, 
insects injurious to vegetation, etc. were among the choice possessions 
or the museum. 
The growth of the museum was quite rapid and it soon became 
evident that larger quarters had to be obtained. While a special 
commiuee was negotiating for securing rooms in the Polytechnic 
'^ St. Louis. 
May, 1869, destroying the entu-e c 
rhiis ended the first natural history 
THE SECOND MUSEUM 
th 
No further effort to establish a museum was made by the Academy 
' '°"^e years following the disastrous fire in 1869. During this period 
■ Academy held meetings in the Public School Library Buildmg, 
^ashmgton University and the Missouri Historical Society. Most ot 
a^ !f orts were confined to holding meetings and the publication ot 
'^l^^^^tiom. Small accessions were acquired from time to time 
Arl "^^'^ ^«^«^d up and stored away. In 1876 and 1877 the 
^^haeological Section of the Academy made extensive excavations 
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