University of Chicago Library

Guide to the W.F.E. Gurley. Papers 1861-1897

Descriptive Summary

Title:	Gurley, W.F.E. Papers
Dates:	1861-1897
Size:	2.5 linear ft. (5 boxes)
Repository:	Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center University of Chicago Library 1100 East 57th Street Chicago, Illinois 60637 U.S.A.
Abstract:	The collection is comprised of letters written to Gurley by amateur and professional paleontologists with whom he exchanged fossils and opinions; virtually all of the letters were written between 1869 and 1897. Several hundred individuals are represented, including some of the eminent naturalists of the time-for example, John C. Branner, Edward Drinker Cope, Thomas Davidson, Sir John William Dawson, Albert Gaudry, Franz von Hauer, Leo Lesquereux, Fielding Bradford Meek, Edward S. Morse, Charles Schuchert, Samuel H. Scudder, and Henry Shaler Williams, to name only a few.

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Citation

When quoting material from this collection, the preferred citation is: Gurley, W.F.E. Papers, [Box #, Folder #], Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library

Biographical Note

William Frank Eugene Gurley was born in Oswego, New York on June 5, 1854. His family moved to Danville, Illinois when he was ten years old, and he lived there until he came to the University of Chicago in 1900. Gurley became interested in geology in his adolescence, and spent several years learning surveying. After two years of study at Cornell University, he returned to Danville, where he remained for some years in the employ of the city as a civil engineer. From 1893 until 1897 Gurley was the State Geologist of Illinois. In 1900 he became Associate Curator of the paleontologic collections in Walker Museum, and continued as an honorary member of the Department of Geology until his death on June 27, 1943. He was a charter member of the Geological Society of America; paleontology was his principal interest, and he began his enthusiastic collecting of fossils at the age of fifteen.

Scope Note

The collection is comprised of letters written to Gurley by amateur and professional paleontologists with whom he exchanged fossils and opinions; virtually all of the letters were written between 1869 and 1897. Several hundred individuals are represented, including some of the eminent naturalists of the time-for example, John C. Branner, Edward Drinker Cope, Thomas Davidson, Sir John William Dawson, Albert Gaudry, Franz von Hauer, Leo Lesquereux, Fielding Bradford Meek, Edward S. Morse, Charles Schuchert, Samuel H. Scudder, and Henry Shaler Williams, to name only a few.

The correspondence is contained in five grey manuscript boxes, and is arranged alphabetically. Following the alphabetized correspondence, in the back of Box 5, is a folder of letters written to Gurley which are of no intrinsic interest, but which have been retained for their autograph value, and a scrapbook compiled by Gurley in 1938, containing an autobiographical letter and photostats of some of the letters in the collection.

Related Resources

Browse finding aids by topic.

R. T. Chamberlin in the Proceedings of the Geological Society of America for 1943, p. 135-140.

INVENTORY

Box 1 Folder 1

Frank S. Aby 6, letters
W. H. Adams, 22
A. Albers, 1
D. Alkire, 2
Wm. Allarsh, 2
J. F. Anderson, 1
Clark F. Ansley, 1
P. A. Armstrong, 6
Delos Arnold, 15
George Ashman, 1
Samuel Aughey, 2
A. C. Austin, 2

Box 1 Folder 2

A. H. Bailey, 2
Wm. Heller Baily, 1
Federico Barmeister, 1
J. W. Barnes, 1
S. I. Barrett, 3
W. H. Barris, 12
D. H. Bassett, 2
W. H. Bates, 1
Ernen Bayer, 1
Charles S. Beachler, 14
C. Beale, 1
Charles F. Beale (Jr.), 3
C. E. Beecher, 1
J. C. Bennett, 3
W. S. Bell, 1
A. C. Benedict, 6

Box 1 Folder 3

John C. Branner, 10
I. H. Britts, 1
G. C. Broadhead, 1
W. A. Brownell, 1
Byron Bryan, 10
L. B. Budd, 1
N. K. Burket, 4
Mrs. A. E. Bush, 3
Wm. J. Butcher, 4
R. M. Byrnes, 4

Box 1 Folder 4

E. Butts, 46

Box 1 Folder 5

James G. Caldwell Jr., 5
W. W. Calkins, 27
Van B. Campbell, 6
P. H. Carpenter, 5
L. B. Case, 6
Warren H. Chapman, 2
D. S. Chatfield, 15
Samuel Clark, 26

Box 1 Folder 6

John Collett, 18 letters
Theo. B. Comstock, 3
A. H. Conrad, 5
L. H. Corey, 20
John M. Coulter, 10
E. T. Cox7
L. A. Cox, 27
Ben Crawford, 2

Box 1 Folder 7

J. C. Carr, 50

Box 1 Folder 8

Edward Drinker Cope, 55

Box 2 Folder 1

Robert F. Damon, 12
James D. Dana, 1
L. E. Daniels, 9
Francis Darwin, 1
John Davis, 2
Tho. Davidson, 4
J. W. Dawson, 7
Edmund de Cew, 4
S. W. Denton, 1
Orville A. Derby, 4
H. B. Derr, 3
E. E. Deslongchamos, 1
J. Donald, 1
J. A. Dunlap, 1
A. C. Durbin, 1
J. L. DuSouchet, 1
John Duty, 33

Box 2 Folder 2

Charles R. Eastman, 6
W. C. Egan, 3
M. N. Elrod, 2
W. O. Emery, 2
Edwin Evans, 4
Jos. Even, 1

Box 2 Folder 3

Charles L. Faber, 3
R. Fahs, 3
Charles Fairman, 2
R. D. Farley, 1
P. J. Farnsworth, 1
W. A. Finkelnburg, 1
D. G. Fischer, 1
M. Fischer, 1
Thos. Fletcher, 4
A. F. Foerste, 2
A. E. Foote, 3
S. A. Forbes, 4
V. Fric, 1
L. A. Fuller, 10

Box 2 Folder 4

George H. Gallagher, 1 letter
Albert Gaudry, 2
D. Geddes, 1
Wm. Gibson, 16
G. K. Gilbert, 1
Manuel Gil y Flores, 1
A. C. Goodwin, 5
C. H. Goold, 4
S. S. Gorby, 7
Horace G. Griffith, 3

Box 2 Folder 5

George K. Greene, 102

Box 2 Folder 6

Mary P. Haines, 15
James Hall, 9
G. Hambach, 4
John F. Hammell, 12
L. A. Hammond, 30

Box 2 Folder 7

Hugh W. Hanna, 5
E. B. Harden, 1
Sid J. Hare, 14
Edward S. Harper, 3
Geo. W. Harper, 8
Mrs. D. L. Harris, 2
I. H. Harris, 5
Sarah C. Harris, 9
Geo. B. Harrison, 1
S. H. Harrod, 18
Franz von Hauer, 6
Geo. D. Hawley, 2
R. E. Hawley, 3
A. P. Hay, 2

Box 2 Folder 8

Laura J. F. Hecox, 2
Henry Hemphill, 2
J. S. Henshall, 1
Oscar H. Hershey, 1
L. E. Hicks, 1
Homer D. Hill, 8
H. H. Hill, 3
Wheellon Hind, 1
W. Hindman, 2
Orlande Hobbs, 1
Irving Holecomb, 2
E. O. Hovey, 11
Geo. D. Hubbard, 1
E. Hurlburt, 1
Otto W. Humburg, 11
J. W. Huett, 3
Theo. Hughett, 2
Sam Huston, 9
W. D. Hutchings, 2
Alpheus Hyatt, 2
Louis H. Hyde, 4

Box 3 Folder 1

Robert T. Jackson, 7
Joseph F. James, 1
E. Jewett, 1
Fr. Johnstrup, 2
G. D. Julien, 1
F. L. Kern, 2
Charles R. Keyes, 5
J. D. King, 4
F. M. Kinin, 1
George Kinsley, 1
E. Kittl, 1
James Knapp, 1
Ezra B. Knapp, 3
H. Knowles, 1
W. J. Knowlton, 1
H. W. Kochersperger, 1
L. G. De Koninck, 8

Box 3 Folder 2

R. D. Lacae, 12
Y. Lambert, 1
S. Z. Landes, 2
John Lansterer, 2
*** Lataste, 1
Isaac Lea, 1
J. Peter Lesley, 3
Leo Lesquereux, 7
Frank Leverett, 3
James Lewis, 4
Martin S. Lewis, 3
Joshua Lindahl, 15
A. C. Lindemuth, 1
G. Lindstrom, 1
Jos. B. Livezey, 1
Thomas B. Long, 2
P. de Loriol, 12
L. Lortet, 3
Frank Loucks, 2
James Love, 4

Box 3 Folder 3

Victor W. Lyon, 37

Box 3 Folder 4

Wm. Mcadams, 7
John McCabe, 7
M. S. McBride, 3
Tyler McWhorter, 5
C. Malaise, 1
O. J. Markle, 1
Wm. B. Marshall, 1
W. D. Maxwell, 1
Enoch May, Sr, 18
P. L. Mead, 1
F. B. Meek, 11
***. H. Mell, Jr, 2
E. T. Merrick, 3
C. A. Miller, 9
Claude H. Miller, 1 letter
(cont.), Mrs. J. M. Milligan, 2
Paul Mohr, 8
J. B. Moose, 1
N. J. Morrison, 2
Edward S. Morse, 3

Box 3 Folder 5

S. A. Miller, 70

Box 3 Folder 6

S. A. Miller, 90

Box 3 Folder 7

Emma Nettleroth, 1
I. S. Newberry, 6
J. N. Newcomer, 1
E. Alleyne Nicholson, 1
Geo. Wm. Nickam, 1
J. P. Nickles, 2
Fletcher M. Noe, 8
***. N. Norton, 1
C. J. Norwood, 2
Folder 8: O. H. Oldroyd, 1
Corwin O'Neal, 1
Goe. H. O'Neall, 1
Edward Orton, 1
Lucy A. Osband, 1
B. F. Osgood, 1
A. O. Osborn, 6

Box 4 Folder 1

A. S. Packard, Jr, 6
W. F. Pate, 3
C. F. Perce, 1
Victor E. Phillips, 2
Ad. Piret, 2
Julius Pohlman, 3
Lois L. Pope, 1
E. A. Popenoe, 1
Jules Poupel, 1
C. W. Proctor, 2
A. H. Prosser, 3
A. H. Purdue, 1
S. C. Quereau3

Box 4 Folder 2

W. J. Parrish, 32

Box 4 Folder 3

E. Raguin, 1
E. H. Raymour, 1
W. H. Need, 2
P. J. Renson, 1
B. E. Rhoads, 1
Sugene N. S. Ringueberg, 2
O. W. Robinette, 2
F. C. Robinson, 1
Ferdinand Roemer, 3 letters
Charles W. Rolfe, 3
Albert D. Rust, 1
Horatio N. Rust, 5

Box 4 Folder 4

R. R. Rowley, 45

Box 4 Folder 5

Jas. M. Safford, 1
W. F. Saffrington, 1
O. St. John, 11
E. N. Schowatter, 4
Charles Schuchert, 3
F. L. Scott, 3
Mrs. W. E. Shutt, 12
Frederic W. Simonds, 2
L. Simonton, 3
H. W. Slocum, 1
A. G. Smith, 1
J. Alden Smith, 1
S. I. Smith, 2

Box 4 Folder 6

E. H. Snow, 2
J. F. Snyder, 3
Société Belge de Géologie, 1
Société Géologique de France, 1
Frank Springer, 1
L. Stadtmüller, 4
Frederick Starr, 1
S. W. Stavage, 2
Chas. H. Sternberg, 3
J. J. Stevenson, 1
J. F. Steward, 4
L. W. Stilwell, 1
C. L. Stratton, 1
Hattie R. Stratton, 7
S. S. Strong, 8
B. Stürtz7
G. Style, 1

Box 4 Folder 7

S. H. Scudder, 32

Box 4 Folder 8

Henry Talbott, 4
J. E. Talmage, 1
G. F. Taylor, 1
William Thorne, 1
A. S. Tiffany, 6
Joseph Tingley, 1
David H. Todd, 23
C. M. Tracy, 13
R. H. Traquair, 3
H. Trautschold, 8
J. M. Troutman, 5
S. H. Trowbridge, 1
A. C. Trueblood, 1
A. Wallis Tryon, 5
Geo. W. Tryon Jr, 2

Box 4 Folder 9

J. A. Udden, 1
Edward O. Ulrich, 12
R. S. Van Winkle, 1
A. W. Vodges, 2

Box 5 Folder 1

J. G. Wainwright, 2
Chas. D. Walcott, 3
R. R. Washburn, 2
Clement L. Webster, 1
Stuart Weller, 1
Charles Welsch, 1
W. S. West, 3
Chas. M. Wheatley, 4
R. P. Whitfield, 5
George Wilkinson, 2
G. A. Williams, 10
Henry S. Williams, 7
Thos. Wiltshire, 2
I. C. Winslow, 1
John Wolf17
Chas. K. Worthen, 6
Thomas A. Worthen, 2

Box 5 Folder 2

Charles Wachsmuth, 38

Box 5 Folder 3

A. G. Wetherby, 42

Box 5 Folder 4

C. A. White, 29

Box 5 Folder 5

A. H. Worthen, 19

Box 5 Folder 6

John P. Altgeld, 2
Frank C. Baker, 1
Joseph G. Cannon, 7
Zachariah Chandler, 1
Shelby Moore Cullom, 1
Colombus Delano1
W. H. (William Henry) Flower, 6
G. Brown Goode, 1
James Hall, 1
L. O. Howard, 1
Joseph henry, 1
Clarence King, 2
Jules Marcou, 1
H. Alleyne Nicholson, 2
Robert Dale Owen, 1
A. S. (Alpheus Spring) Packard Jr., 1
J. W. (John Welsey) Powell, 2
Richard Rathbun, 1
Henry M. Teller, 1

Box 5

Scrapbook compiled by W. F. E. Gurley, containing a letter written by him to the Secretary of the Geological Society of America, December 26, 1938, in which is given biographical information about his early years; and photostats of various letters in the collection, selected by him to attest to the serious and professional nature of his interest in paleontology