Shaw's Garden

Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)

a popular name for the Missouri botanical garden at St. Louis. It was founded in 1849 by Henry Shaw, a prosperous hardware dealer of the city. Mr. Shaw came from Sheffield, England, the city of cutlery, to St. Louis in 1819 in time to profit by the immense plains business and Santa Fe trade. He began his garden simply as a gentleman's modest suburban grounds, but increasing interest and increasing wealth led him to purchase adjacent land and lay out an extensive arboretum after the fashion of European plant gardens. From this time on the garden became the ruling passion of Mr. Shaw's life. By special legislative enactment he was authorized to provide for the maintenance of his garden as a perpetual school of science. Mr. Shaw endowed a chair of botany in Washington University, and at his death left $5,000,000 for the maintenance of his garden and for botanical investigation. For many years the garden and herbarium have been in charge of Director William Trelease. The groves, grounds, library, laboratories, and extensive hothouses--illustrating palms, orchids, ferns, tropical fruits, and flowers--are open to visitors under the most reasonable rules. Mr. Shaw left the management of the chair and gardens to the judgment of trustees, making special provision in his will for flower premiums, an annual sermon "on the wisdom and goodness of God as shown in the growth of flowers, fruit, and other products of the vegetable kingdom," and for two annual banquets, one for the trustees and one for the gardeners of the institution. The "Shaw banquets" are notable affairs, attended by botanical guests from a distance.