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A Guide to the Papers at the Indiana University Archives

Electronic finding aid encoded by Ryan K. Lee

Summary Information

Repository
Indiana University Archives
1320 East Tenth Street
Herman B Wells Library E460
Bloomington, IN 47405-7000
Phone: 812-855-1127
Email: archives@indiana.edu
http://www.libraries.iub.edu/archives

Creator
Deam, Charles Clemon, 1865-1953.

Collection no
C22

Extent
5.2 cubic ft.

Language
Materials are in English.

Abstract
Indiana's first state forester; Deam was a taxonomic botanist known for his work on trees, plants, shrubs, and flowers of Indiana. Collection consists of diaries, correspondence, copies of published books, library records, financial records, notations on specimens, records of sale of Deam's library and herbarium to Indiana University, articles about him, information about his family, and a paper by Deam on the pharmacy business. Includes correspondence from Charles A. Weatherby, curator of Gray Herbarium at Harvard University.

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research.

Advance notice is required.

Biographical Note

Charles C. Deam was a taxonomic botanist known for his work on plants, trees, flowers, and shrubs of Indiana. He was born on August 30, 1865 on a farm in Wells County, Indiana. He graduated from Bluffton High School in 1884, taught school for a year, and attended DePauw University between 1885 and 1887. Forced to drop out due to a lack of funds, Deam went on to work at odd jobs, including that of drug store apprentice. In 1891 he started a drug store business which he operated on his own until he sold a part interest to J. Spivey in 1910. At the time of his death in 1953, he still held a one third interest in the business.

Deam began collecting plants sometime in the 1890s when, as he frequently recounted, his doctor ordered long walks to counteract ill effects of his job. From then on he devoted most of his time to botanical interests. At first he considered the whole world his subject and made some trips to Central America at the turn of the century to collect plants there. Soon after, though, he decided to concentrate on Indiana and by the end of his career claimed that he had been in and collected plants from every township of the state. By the time he gave his herbarium to Indiana University it contained at least 63,000 specimens, some of which he was first to identify. Although he never earned a degree in botany, he did receive honorary degrees from Wabash College, DePauw University, and Indiana University.

Deam held government positions related to his interests: State Forester, 1909-1913; Acting State Forester, 1917-1918; State Forester, 1919 to 1928; and State Forestry Researcher, 1928-1940. In 1921, he wrote and pushed through House Bill 77 which protected woodlands and reduced the taxes on them.

Deam published many articles and four books, each in several editions: Trees of Indiana (1912); Shrubs of Indiana (1924); Grasses of Indiana (1929); and Flora of Indiana (1940).

In 1893, Deam married Stella Mullin (1870-1953). She taught school at that time and later became active in community and women's groups in Bluffton. They had two children: Robert Mullin Deam (1896-1898) and Roberta Deam Ortenburger (1900-1961).

Scope and Content Note

This collection contains material created and collected by Charles C. Deam, an Indiana taxonomic botantist, forestry official, and businessman. The Charles C. Deam Papers comprise 5.4 cubic feet and span the period from 1881 to 1983 with the bulk of the records created between 1900 and 1953. The collection is divided into five series: Personal information; Journals; Publications by Charles Deam; Correspondence; and Subject files. The Subject files series is divided into four sub-series: Administrative files; Botany and science; General files; and Unpublished works and notes.

The first series is Biographical information. It contains materials from the years 1884-1983. The series consists primarily of articles written about Deam and published in newspapers, magazines, and newsletters. Included in this series are one of his father's patents, a letter to Deam’s daughter, Roberta Deam Ortenburger, from Gene Stratton Porter, and information about his wife, Stella Mullin Deam. The series also includes a folder of speeches about Deam that were delivered by Harriet Winch.

Journals is the second series and spans the years 1900-1953. The series includes Deam's personal professional journals, dating from 1900 to 1953, with those written after October 1913 containing entries for almost every day. These journals read almost like diary entries and include personal as well as professional information. Some also include newspaper clippings taped to the pages.

The next series covers the years 1912-1953 and is entitled Publications by Charles Deam. This series contains copies of Deam's texts including Shrubs of Indiana , Trees of Indiana, Grasses of Indiana, and Flora of Indiana . The files include handwritten notes and corrections made by Deam. The series also includes a folder of newspaper articles written by Deam dating from 1914-1919.

The next series is Correspondence, 1896-1953, and includes letters Deam wrote and received as well as special bound collections of letters he received honoring him on special occasions. Especially noteworthy is correspondence from Charles A. Weatherby, curator of the Gray Herbarium at Harvard University, a good part of which includes notations and messages by Deam. There is also much correspondence between Deam and Harriet Winch, Paul Weatherwax, T.E. Shaw, and Ray Friesener. This series is arranged alphabetically by surname.

The last series is Subject files. This series is divided into four sub-series: Administration; Botany and science; General files; and Unpublished works and notes. The sub-series are arranged alphabetically as are the folders within them. The material in this series dates from 1881-1953.

The first sub-series is Administration. It spans the years 1881-1953. This sub-series contains financial records of both personal and professional nature. It also includes Deam’s labor record from 1909-1913 and lists of magazine subscriptions and library transactions, which Deam meticulously recorded in two bound volumes.

The second sub-series spans the years 1885-1952 and is entitled Botany and science. It includes brochures and information about botanical gardens that Deam had visited, a leaf specimen that he had collected, and an article written by Elmore Barce that caught Deam’s attention. It also contains the minutes of the Spenser Club, which are mostly written by Deam’s wife, Stella. The Spenser Club was a botany club run by Deam and his wife on the Indiana University campus.

General files is the third sub-series and contains materials from the years 1884-1953. Of particular interest is House Bill No. 77 which was proposed by Deam during his time as state forester. The awards file contains cards of recognition from Deam’s time as a primary school student as well as certificates of travel in South America from later times in his life. There is also a folder of articles written by Roland M. Harper. The folder also contains an article about Harper himself, but offers no explanation of how his articles found their way into this collection. The articles are of a mostly political character, and it is presumed that Deam was either interested in these topics or a friend of the author.

The last sub-series is Unpublished works and notes. The material in this sub-series spans 1883-1952. The bulk of the material is comprised of Deam’s notes on different plant specimens, some of which is found in spiral bound notebooks. The series also contains some of Deam’s high school assignments, such as the Latin exercise book and the school essays and drawings. The photo record is a list of photos taken by Deam on his expeditions.

Arrangement

Arranged in five series: Biographical information; Journals; Publications; Correspondence; and Subject files. The Subject files series is divided into four sub-series: Administration, Botany and science, General files and Unpublished works and notes.

• Indexing Terms

• The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in IUCAT, the IU Libraries' online catalog. Materials about related topics, persons or places can be found by searching the catalog using these terms.

• • Names
  • Deam family.
  • Deam, Charles Clemon, 1865-1953 --Archives.
  • Deam, Charles Clemon, 1865-1953 --Correspondence.
  • Weatherby, Charles Alfred, 1875-1949 --Correspondence.
  • Weatherby, Charles Alfred, 1875-1949. Correspondence. Selections.
• • Topics
  • Diaries.
  • Botany --Indiana.
  • Plants --Classification.
  • Botanists --Indiana --Archives.
  • Botanists --Indiana --Correspondence.
  • Forest conservation --Indiana.
  • Drugstores --Indiana --Bluffton --Management.

Separated Material

Administrative Information