HISTORY OF THE MUSEUM 
Meteorites. 
"Ahnighito." 
"Woman." 
"Dog." 
"Willamette' 
Meteorite. 
from Iowa and Illinois purchased in 1878, and the Braun Collection of 
fossil crinoidea, purchased in 1880. 
The Museum's collection of meteorites in 1896 represented twenty- 
six falls and finds, thirteen of which were aerosiderites (iron meteorites), 
seven aerosiderolites (iron-stone meteorites), and six aerolites (stone 
meteorites), discovered in various parts of the world, and received 
with the Bailey Collection of minerals, and through individual purchases 
and gifts. 
The Ward-Coonley Collection of meteorites was deposited with the 
Museum in 1901. This collection is said to be the largest in the world 
and to be exceeded in value only by that of Vienna. It contains 1,600 
specimens, representing 603 falls and finds. 
The meteorites now in the Foyer belonging to the Museum collec- 
tion are: Canon Diablo, from Arizona, weight 1,087 lbs.; Brenham 
(two masses, 75 and 52.5 lbs.), from Kansas; Forest City (75 lbs.), 
from Iowa; and Long Island (86 lbs.), from Kansas. 
The Tucson meteorite is a reproduction in cast iron, the original 
of which was found in Arizona and is now in the National Museum of 
Washington. The model was presented by the Smithsonian Institution. 
The weight of this cast is the same as that of the original, 1,400 lbs. 
The three meteorites from Cape York, Greenland, known as "Ahni- 
ghito," or "The Tent," "The Woman," and "The Dog," were visited 
by Commander Peary in 1894 and 1895, and brought to New York in 
1895 and 1897. "Ahnighito," the largest and heaviest meteorite 
known, weighs 36.5 tons and was obtained by Commander Peary in 
1897. "The Woman," which weighs 6,000 lbs., and "The Dog," 1,100 
lbs., were brought back in 1895. All were acquired by the Museum 
in 1909 as the gift of Mrs. Jesup. 
"Willamette," the gift of Mrs. WiUiam E. Dodge, 2d (cost, $20,600), 
is the largest meteorite ever found in the United States and one of 
the three largest known. It weighs 31,107 lbs., and was discovered 
in 1902 near Portland, Oregon. With the acquisition of "Willamette," 
in 1906, the Museum's collection of meteorites became one of the finest 
known to science. 
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