AHJ_ah00554 Inventory of the Vernon Bailey papers, 1828-1958 Bailey (Vernon) papers Processed by Susan Horan The creation of the EAD-version of this finding aid was made possible through a grant from the National Historic Publications and Records Commission. University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center.
American Heritage Center Dept. 3924, 1000 E. University Avenue University of Wyoming Laramie, WY 82071 Phone: 307.766.2574 Fax:307.766.5511 Email:ahcref@uwyo.edu URL:http://ahc.uwyo.edu/
2006

University of Wyoming

 Finding aid encoded by Ann Mulfort July 2006 Finding aid is in English Collection Summary Bailey, Vernon, 1864-1942 Vernon Bailey papers 1828-1958 1884-1942 00554 9.25 cubic ft. (20 document boxes and 1 slim document box) University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center. English Collection contains correspondence, manuscripts, articles, scientific field reports, journals, notebooks, and photographs documenting Vernon Bailey’s career as a naturalist and revealing his personal and family life as well. Biography of Vernon Bailey

Vernon Orlando Bailey, naturalist and mammalogist, was born 21 June 1864 at Manchester, Michigan. He was the sixth of eight children born to Hiram and Emily (Taylor) Bailey. He completed high school in Elk River, Minnesota. After farming for several years, he attended the University of Michigan from 1893-1894 and Columbian University (now George Washington) from 1894-1895.

From 1887 to 1896 Bailey was a field naturalist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Division of Economic Ornithology and Mammalogy. In 1897 he became Chief Field Naturalist and Senior Biologist of the Department of Agriculture’s Biological Survey Bureau, making many field trips throughout the west and southwest until his retirement in 1933. He authored several books on mammals, birds, and plants, including Wild Animals of Glacier National Park, Animal Life of Yellowstone National Park, and Animal Life of Carlsbad Cavern. He was also responsible for adding specimens of North American mammals to the U.S. National Museum collection and writing technical descriptions of new species.

Vernon Bailey founded the American Society of Mammalogists in 1933 and was president of both that society and the District Biological Society. He was also a member of the American Ornithologists Union.

In 1899 Vernon Bailey married Florence Merriam (1863-1948), who herself was an accomplished naturalist and author of several books on ornithology. They had no children. Bailey died at his home in Washington, D.C. on 20 April 1942.

 Scope and Content

The Vernon Bailey papers, 1828-1958, contain correspondence, manuscripts, articles, scientific field reports, journals, notebooks, and photographs documenting Bailey’s career as a naturalist and revealing his personal and family life as well.

Professional Correspondence includes many letters between Bailey and his brother-in-law, C. Hart Merriam, chief of the U.S. Biological Survey. Personal Correspondence contains a large amount of correspondence with Bailey’s sister, Anna B. Mills, his mother and father, brother, and various nieces and nephews. The Mills Family correspondence contains letters belonging to Anna B. Mills, her husband John, and their daughter Laura, who lived in Fallon, Nevada.

The General Files are mostly scientific in nature, containing articles and manuscripts written by Vernon and Florence Bailey and scientific field reports. There is also information on Vernon Bailey’s interest in humane trapping and his development of the “Verbail” trap. There are several folders with biographical and genealogical data on the Bailey family. Photographs include pictures of both the Merriam and Bailey families, as well as scientific photographs of wildlife and traps.

 Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.

 Copyright Information

The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

 Related Materials

To view other archival materials created by Vernon Bailey, see:

Vernon Bailey Papers, 1889-1941 and undated, Record Unit 7267, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Washington, DC Acquisition Information

The Vernon Bailey papers were donated to the American Heritage Center by Elizabeth Hone during 1958-1959, with additional material from May M. Crew and Richard L. Mills in 1994.

 Processing Information

The collection was processed by Susan Horan in May 2000. Original order was maintained where possible, and a descriptive folder title was created where no original folder title existed. Newspaper clippings were replaced by preservation copies.

 Preferred Citation

Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Vernon Bailey papers, 1828-1958, Collection Number 00554, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

 Access Terms Merriam, C. Hart (Clinton Hart), 1855-1942. Bailey, Florence Merriam, b. 1863. United States. Dept. of Agriculture. Division of Economic Ornithology and Mammology. United States. Bureau of Biological Survey. American Society of Mammalogists. American Ornithologists’ Union. Zoology--North America. Mammals--North America. Birds--North America. Beaver--North America. Life zones--North America. Trapping--North America. Ornithology--North America. Diaries. Photographs. Biologists. Ornithologists. <?xm-replace_text {Title as Subject}?> Education Fisheries and Wildlife Science Clubs and Societies Container List Series I. Correspondence 1841-1958 5.85 cubic ft. (13 document boxes) Subseries 1. Professional Correspondence 1885-1942

Arranged chronologically. Correspondence with colleagues from the Biological Survey and other naturalists concerning business and scientific matters.

 1 1-14 Professional Correspondence 1885-1896 2 1-19 Professional Correspondence 1897-1916 3 1-11 Professional Correspondence 1917-1926 4 1-11 Professional Correspondence 1927-1931 5 1-9 Professional Correspondence 1932-1935 6 1-7 Professional Correspondence 1936-January 1938 7 1-11 Professional Correspondence February 1938-1940 8 1-6 Professional Correspondence 1941-March 1942, undated Subseries 2. Personal Correspondence 1841-1942

Arranged chronologically. Correspondence with friends and family members.

 8 7-13 Personal Correspondence 1841-1884, 1887-1889 9 1-12 Personal Correspondence 1890-1895 10 1-17 Personal Correspondence 1896-1903, 1907-1922 11 1-13 Personal Correspondence 1923-June 1935 12 1-12 Personal Correspondence July 1935-1942, undated Subseries 3. Mills Family Correspondence 1901-1958

Arranged alphabetically. Personal correspondence between Bailey’s sister Anna, brother-in-law John, and niece Laura.

 13 1-3 Mills, Anna Bailey 1901-1951 13 4 Mills, John 1908-1910 13 5-6 Mills, Laura 1907-1914, 1922-1958 Series II. General Files 1884-1941 2.70 cubic ft. (6 document boxes)

Arranged alphabetically. Includes biographical information on Vernon Bailey and genealogical data on the Bailey family, manuscripts and articles by Vernon Bailey, field reports, lectures, and newspaper clippings.

 13 7 Animal Life of Carlsbad Cavern: Book Reviews 1928 13 8 Anthony, Alfred Webster: Biographical Data & List of Publications undated 13 9 Bailey, Vernon: Biographical & Genealogical Data 1895-1940 13 10-11 Bailey Family: Genealogical Data 1895-1937 14 1 Beaver: General Material 1926-1931 14 2-3 Beaver: Manuscript-“Beavers of North America,” undated 14 4 Beaver: Manuscript-“How Beavers Build Their Homes,” undated 14 5 Beaver: Wood Buffalo Park, Alberta-Notes undated 14 6 Bebb, Dr. William: Letters & Biography 1934-1937 14 7 Biological Surveys: Work & Policies 1907-1935 14 8 Birds & Mammals of High Sierra: Reports 1931 14 9 Birds & Mammals of Montana: Report 1930 14 10 Birds & Mammals: Notes 1885-1888 14 11 Boll Weevil 1904 14 12 Boy Scouts 1917-1937 15 1 Breeding 1926 15 2 Carlsbad Cave-Birds 1924 15 3 Carlsbad Cave-Mammals & Reptiles 1924-1925 15 4 Cervas Elk (Rocky Mountain) 1917-1935 15 5 Christmas Trees 1936 15 6 Coyotes 1906-1935 15 7 Deserts 1931 15 8 Destruction of Wildlife by Trappers 1892 15 9 Expense Lists 1887, 1906 15 10 Experiments in Beaver Farming 1924-1926 15 11 Field Reports-General undated 15 12 Field Reports-Trip to North Dakota & Montana May-November 1887 15 13 Forest Service: Material on Wolves 1906-1940 15 14 Fuertis, Louis: Recollections Of undated 15 15-16 Fur Farming 1923-1940 15 17 “Gulls of Lahonton”: Manuscript undated 15 18 Hibernation 1926 16 1 Humane Traps 1932-1939 16 2 Howe, Reginald Heber: Biographical Data 1932 16 3 Illustrations for Report on Predatory Animal Control Work 1930 16 4 Kentucky Cave Life 1929-1930 16 5-6 Lectures on Mammals 1896-1911, 1924-1939 16 7 Lecture: “Our Fur-Bearing Animals,” 1939-1940 16 8 Life History of Grasshopper Mice 1923, 1929 16 9 “Little Four Toes”: Manuscript undated 16 10 Lists of Publications 1934 16 11 “Making Friends With Woodchucks”: Manuscript undated 16 12 Mammals & Trapping in Washington 1930 16 13 Mammal Catalogues-Skull, Birds, Eggs 1884-1889 17 1 “Mammals of Grand Canyon Region”: Article 1935 17 2 Mammals of Mount Desert Island: Report 1925 17 3 Mammals in Oregon: Report 1916, 1930 17 4 “Meals Worth Remembering”-Sierra Club April 1938 17 5 Meats of Common or Rare Use in Human Food: Report undated 17 6 Meeting of Conservation Commission at Albany, New York September 15, 1931 17 7 Merriam, Dr. Charles Hart: Scientific Work undated 17 8 Merriam Family: Writings On undated 17 9 Miscellaneous Drawings, Writings & Lists 1888-1929 17 10 Newsletters: Scientific Survey, Department of Agriculture 1932-1940 17 11 Newspaper Clippings: Ornithology & Wildlife-Related 1928-1941 17 12 North Dakota: Field Work 1912 17 13 Passenger Pigeons 1885-1900 17 14 Patents on Traps 1932-1939 17 15 “Pet Otters”: Article Review 1937 17 16 Poems & Quotations 1888-1922 17 17 “Raising Bannertails”: Manuscript & Notes undated 17 18 “Sciurus Caroliveusis,” Squirrel Food”: Manuscripts 1933 17 19 “Soo-Noo-Kook”-Manuscript by A. McG. Beede undated 17 20 Teeth of Young Mammals undated 17 21 Trapping, Humane: Articles & Manuscripts 1926-1941 17 22 Trapping, Live: Manuscript undated 17 23 Trapping, Wolf: Report undated 18 1 “Ways of the Beaver People”: Article & Manuscript 1932 18 2 Wild Animals of Glacier National Park: Appendix undated 18 3 Yellowstone Park: Article From Journal Notes 1915 18 4 Zone Mammals-North America: Notes 1908 Series III. Photographs and Negatives 1858-1942 0.90 cubic ft. (2 document boxes)

Arranged alphabetically. Includes photographs of Vernon & Florence Bailey, their families, western research trips, various wildlife, and traps.

 18 5-6 Bailey Family 1858-1933 18 7 Bailey, Florence Merriam 1909-1941 18 8 Bailey, Vernon 1887-1942 18 9 Bailey, Vernon & Florence (Together) 1918-1941 18 10 Grand Canyon Trip 1929 18 11 Merriam Family 1871-1941 18 12 Mills Family 1930, undated 18 13 Miscellaneous and Unidentified 1901-1941 19 1 Northern Minnesota June 1932 19 2 Northern Minnesota-Chester Hill & His Cows June 1932 19 3 Traps 1930-1937 19 4 Wildlife 1921-1938 19 5 Wildlife 1925-1941 19 Photograph Album: California 1907 19 Photograph Album: Texas & Dog Canyon, Big Thicket 1901, 1904 19 Photograph Album: Various Wildlife and Traps circa 1930s 19 6 Postcards: Hawk Mountain & New Orleans 1937 19 7 Negatives: Wildlife; Northern Minnesota; Merriam & Mills Families 1932, 1941 Series IV. Journals, Notebooks, and Artifacts 1828-1839 0.70 cubic ft. (1 document box and 1 slim document box)

Arranged alphabetically. Includes journals of Vernon Bailey’s daily activities in Minnesota and during a trip west, field notebooks containing scientific data, and several notebooks containing class notes.

 20 Address Book undated 20 Dictionary February 20, 1875 20 Exercise Folio-Written Manuscript undated 20 Field Notebook No. 1 May 15-June 23, 1888 20 Field Notebook No. 2 June 23-July 27, 1888 20 Field Notebook No. 3 July-August 1888 20 Field Notebooks September 11-December 1888 20 1-3 Journals-Minnesota (With Transcription) May 11, 1887-November 1888 20 4 Journal-Trip West (With Transcription) October 1888-July 1889 20 Journal Notebook: Grand Canyon, Arizona April-May 1939 20 Notebook: Bailey, Anna-With Inscriptions of Friends 1887-1888 20 Notebook: Miscellaneous Writings undated 20 Notebook: Poetry and Other Writing Christmas 1889 20 Notebook: Botany Notes May 1888-May 1890 20 Notebook: Botanical Lab Notes 1894 21 Notebook: History of Botany undated 21 Notebook: Zoology Notes undated Artifacts: 21 Napkins-“Made From Grandmother Taylor’s linen tablecloth…,” 1828

(with handwritten label)

 21 Lock of hair belonging to Emily Bailey undated

(Vernon’s mother)

 Additional Container Lists

The American Heritage Center is in the process of converting its older container lists to a more accessible format. This link is to an older version of a container list.

 Link to Accessioning Worksheet (PDF)