CLEVELAND ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES - The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History

The CLEVELAND ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES (known later as the Kirtland Society of Natural Sciences) was Cleveland's first scientific organization and the forerunner of the CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. The academy was formally organized on 24 Nov. 1845 by JARED P. KIRTLAND†, JOHN LANG CASSELS†, and SAMUEL ST. JOHN† as trustees. The group occupied a room, known as the Cleveland Academy of Natural Sciences, which housed specimens in mineralogy, geology, botany, zoology, natural history, and natural sciences. During the winter, lectures were held at the museum, located at the Cleveland Medical College of Western Reserve at St. Clair and Erie (E. 9th) Sts.

In 1876 the Kirtland Society of Natural Sciences opened a museum in CASE HALL which contained the bird and mammal collection of William Case, the bird collection of Rufus K. Winslow, the insect collection of John Fitzpatrick, and fish specimens from the collections of Jared Kirtland and Elisha Sterling. After Kirtland's death, the geological, zoological, and botanical exhibits were moved to the Case School of Applied Science. The museum continued to function until 1920 when the Cleveland Museum of Natural History was established and the various collections were transferred to it.

Cleveland Academy of Natural Sciences Records, 1845-58, WRHS.

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