William Thompson Davis (1862–1945) was an American
naturalist,
entomologist
Entomology () is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as arach ...
, and
historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the stu ...
especially associated with
Staten Island
Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...
in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. He was prominent in the
borough's affairs throughout his life.
Biography
Davis was born in
New Brighton, Staten Island
New Brighton is a neighborhood located on the North Shore of Staten Island in New York City. The neighborhood comprises an older industrial and residential harbor front area along the Kill Van Kull west of St. George. New Brighton is bounded by ...
in 1862. His family history on Staten Island dates back to the 17th century. He was largely self-taught, but nonetheless made huge contributions to the study of Staten Island’s community and natural history. Davis wrote a number of books about the history and natural geography of Staten Island. In 1892 he wrote ''Days Afield on Staten Island'' which catalogues the island’s plants and animals, while ''Staten Island and Its People'', which he coauthored with
Charles W. Leng (1859-1941) in 1930, is one of the greatest accounts of Staten Island history. He was also an entomologist enjoying an international reputation as an expert on
cicada
The cicadas () are a superfamily, the Cicadoidea, of insects in the order Hemiptera (true bugs). They are in the suborder Auchenorrhyncha, along with smaller jumping bugs such as leafhoppers and froghoppers. The superfamily is divided into two ...
s.
Civic affairs
In 1881, Davis and Nathaniel Britton, Arthur Hollick, Edward Delevan, and Charles W. Leng founded the Natural Science Association of Staten Island. That organization would later become the
Staten Island Institute of Arts & Sciences. Davis was vice-president.
[Davis and Leng. ''Staten Island and Its People: A History 1609-1929'' (1930), title page, New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company]
In the 1930s, Davis and
Loring McMillen
Loring McMillen (March 10, 1906 – March 19, 1991) was Staten Island's official historian who preserved the works of Alice Austen and worked to restore Historic Richmond Town.
Biography
He was born in Staten Island on March 10, 1906. He ...
led volunteer preservationists from the
Staten Island Historical Society Staten Island Historical Society is an organization devoted to the history of Staten Island and its neighboring communities, from the colonial period to the present day. The Society operates and interpreting Historic Richmond Town, the largest and ...
in transforming the former County Clerk's Office and Surrogate's Office at the former county seat of Richmondtown into a museum. That was the beginning of
Historic Richmond Town
Historic Richmond Town is an authentic town and farm museum complex in the neighborhood of Richmondtown, Staten Island, in New York City. It is located near the geographical center of the island, at the junction of Richmond Road and Arthur Kill R ...
.
Davis was president of the Staten Island Historical Society,
[ and its collections include material relating to Davis, including a straw hat that belonged to him.
]
Wildlife refuge
A bird sanctuary was created in a marshy area of New Springville, Staten Island
New Springville is a neighborhood in Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City, USA.
History
Located near the island's geographical center, the neighborhood was founded in 1680 in Karle's Neck,
so it was later named Karle's Neck ...
, in 1933 at the urging of Davis. It was maintained by the National Audubon Society and the New York City Parks Department
The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, also called the Parks Department or NYC Parks, is the department of the government of New York City responsible for maintaining the city's parks system, preserving and maintaining the ecolog ...
. Enlarged to in 1956, it was renamed the William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge
The William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge (WTDWR) is an wildlife refuge straddling the New Springville and Travis sections of Staten Island. The park was named in honor of Staten Island native William T. Davis, a renowned naturalist and entomolog ...
in his honor.
Bibliography
*''Days Afield on Staten Island'', 1892
*''Homestead Graves'', 1889, New Brighton, N.Y.: Natural Science Association (paper on epitaphs)
*''Staten Island Names, Ye Olde Names and Nicknames'', 1896 (supplemented 1903), New Brighton, N.Y.: Natural Science Association
*''North American Cicadas'', (reprints from ''New York Entomological Society Journal'', March 1915 - March 1921)
*''The Church of St. Andrew, Richmond, Staten Island: its history, vital records, and gravestone inscriptions'', with Charles W. Leng and Royden Woodward Vosburgh, 1925, Staten Island Historical Society
*''The Conference or Billopp House'', 1927, Staten Island Historical Society
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, William T.
American entomologists
American naturalists
Historians from New York (state)
People from Staten Island
1862 births
1945 deaths
Scientists from New York (state)
Historians of New York City
History of Staten Island