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Tag Archives: Helen Fitch Parker
The History of the Butterfly, Part 141: Happy Alaska Day
Today is “Alaska Day”, a legal holiday in the State of Alaska. By a coincidence, some of the people involved in Alaska Day can be linked easily to the characters I have talked about in this blog. You may remember … Continue reading
History of the Butterfly, Part 93: The Civil War
I have been watching a couple of episodes of Ken Burn’s documentary The Civil War. It reminded me of some of the things I have read about while looking in to the lives of the characters associated with the Poweshiek … Continue reading
History of the Butterfly, Part 42: More about Helen Parker
If you have been following this blog, you know that the History of the Butterfly is about events related to Oarisma poweshiek, the Poweshiek Skipper. The description of the butterfly was published under Henry Webster Parker’s name, but I have suggested … Continue reading
History of the Butterfly, Part 41: Helen’s Life and a New Mystery
Last Friday I went to the third floor of The University of Iowa’s Main Library, and visited the “Iowa Women’s Archives”. I was hoping to find some information about Helen Eliza Fitch Parker there. The archives of the Bradley Family listed … Continue reading
History of the Butterfly, Part 36: Helen
Helen Parker was 38 at the end of the Civil War when she and Henry moved to Iowa. She was apparently suffering from some chronic disease or condition at that time. Josiah Grinnell remembered her in his autobiography: “Prof. Parker … Continue reading
History of the Butterfly, Part 34: Henry’s List
Already I have to correct myself. I did find the list of butterflies that Henry Parker had published in April, 1870. He adds 13 species to the list of 29 species that Samuel H. Scudder had published previously for Iowa. … Continue reading
History of the Butterfly, Part 32: Helen’s Other Books
In the long list of books that Helen Parker wrote, three seem to be about natural history and deal with invertebrates. Rambles after Land Shells is the only one available on line. Frank’s Search for Sea Shells has been available in the … Continue reading
History of the Butterfly, Part 31: Snails in the Civil War
The story cannot escape from its time, which was the middle of the Civil War. The characters in Rambles after Land Shells go to see soldiers off to war: “Four o’clock came, and with it a great cloud of dust … Continue reading
History of the Butterfly, Part 28: Introducing Helen Fitch Parker
I have an obsession with this little butterfly, Oarisma poweshiek, which was discovered in Grinnell, Iowa, just twenty or so miles from where I grew up. I have tried unsuccessfully to photograph it, and tried (before I realized just how … Continue reading
History of the Butterfly, Part 27: Helen talks about Columbus
Helen Fitch Parker was the wife of Henry W. Parker, the poet who described the Poweshiek Skipper. I will tell you later why I believe that Helen probably discovered the butterfly, or at least had a major hand in its discovery. … Continue reading
