H. W. Harkness

H. W. Harkness
Born 1821
Pelham, Massachusetts
Died 1901
San Francisco, California
Residence Sacramento, California (1850–1869),
San Francisco, California (1869–1901)
Nationality United States
Fields Mycology, Natural history
Institutions California Academy of Sciences
Known for Earliest cataloging of California fungal species
Author abbrev. (botany) Harkn.

Harvey Willson “H.W.” Harkness (1821–1901) was an American mycologist and natural historian best known for his early descriptions of California fungal species. Born and raised in Massachusetts and trained as a physician, Harkness came to California during the Gold Rush in 1849. He rose to prominence as physician, educator, real estate developer, and newspaper editor in Sacramento, becoming part of the social circle of early California notables such as Leland Stanford, Charles Crocker, Collis Huntington, and Mark Hopkins. Harkness was a participant in the ceremony marking the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad, representing California and bearing the Golden Spike that was driven by Leland Stanford marking the completion of the railroad.[1]

Having earned a large fortune in Sacramento real estate, Harkness retired his medical practice in 1869 and relocated to San Francisco. There, he joined the faculty of the California Academy of Sciences, becoming its president from 1887–1896. He devoted himself to research into the natural history of the Pacific States, publishing articles on the age of the Lassen Cinder Cone[2] and the nature of the fossil footprints discovered near Carson City, Nevada.[3]

The bulk of his research was devoted to cataloging the previously undescribed fungi of California. In the last 30 years of his life, Harkness authored or coauthored a number of papers on California fungi, ranging from simple species lists to a detailed monograph of California hypogeous fungi.

Legacy

References

  1. Tutorow, Norman E. (2004). "Chapter 6: Building the Central Pacific Rail Road of California—1863–1869". The Governor: The Life and Legacy of Leland Stanford (PDF). Spokane, Washington: Arthur H. Clark Co. p. 292. ISBN 0-87062-326-5.
  2. How Old is "Cinder Cone"?—Solving a Mystery in Lassen Volcanic Park, California | USGS Fact Sheet at pubs.usgs.gov
  3. Carson City "Giant Human Tracks" at paleo.cc
  4. "Author Query for 'Harkn.'". International Plant Names Index.

External links

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