{"id":823,"featured":0,"modified":"2026-04-17 19:32:18","latitude":46.72842239999999947031028568744659423828125,"longitude":-117.0065938999999985981048666872084140777587890625,"title":"Stillinger Herbarium","subtitle":"","fullsize":"https://www.intermountainhistories.org/files/fullsize/9963e7472cf392bb249fbc1e385bb4eb.jpg","address":"","all_locations":[],"zoom":5,"creator":["Cristal A. DeSantiago, Northern Arizona University"],"description":"In 1893, the University of Idaho in Moscow hired Louis F. Henderson as its first botanist. Henderson gave the school a collection of local plants he gathered for personal study, and in 1893, it became the foundation of the herbarium. Henderson became the herbarium's first director and retired in 1906. During this time, Henderson accumulated over 10,000 specimens from various locations in Idaho, storing the herbarium archives in the University of Idaho Administration building. However, a fire destroyed 85,000 specimens from the herbarium collection and Henderson's files, such as notebooks and letters, when the Administration building burned down on March 30, 1906. After 1908, when Henderson retired as director, the herbarium's growth was gradual but not forgotten. Botanists William H. Baker and J.H. Christ continued their exploration of the local plants and were significant contributors to the regrowth of the herbarium. By the mid-1900s, the collection had increased to about 50,000 specimens. The herbarium received additional aid to its development when Charles Roy and Nettie May Stillinger created the Stillinger Trust in 1957. Charles was a former university student and afterward became a teacher in botany and science. Charles and his wife dedicated their trust to the University of Idaho, with most of its income to the school herbarium and twenty percent to the Nettie May Stillinger Memorial Scholarship Fund. Their trust funded the development of the herbarium collection for the past sixty-six years and continues to do so to this day.

The herbarium saw a range of new directors that aided the collection's growth—starting with Douglass M. Henderson. He was in charge from 1972 to 1996 and doubled the plant archives' size. However, after his sudden death in 1996, Dr. Pamela Brunsfeld took over in 2001 until 2008. Brunsfeld was an Instructor of Systematic Botany at the university. After the resignation of Brunsfeld, the current director, Dr. David Tank, began. Tank is a biologist and leads active collection-based research programs involving students, staff, and professional hobbyists to aid in the growth and development of the Stillinger Herbarium. Tank's program has led to the current collection of 215,000 specimens, making it a major resource for studying the plants of Idaho and the Pacific Northwest.","sponsor":null,"accessinfo":"","lede":"Louis F. Henderson established The Stillinger Herbarium at the University of Idaho when he became the school's first botanist. Then, a fire destroyed half of the herbarium collection and slowed the institution's growth. Despite this setback, the herbarium recovered and continued to thrive, becoming the largest herbarium in Idaho and the seventh largest in the Pacific Northwest.","website":"","related_resources":["

“About the Herbarium.” University of Idaho. Accessed November 14, 2023.About the Herbarium (uidaho.edu)

","

Henderson, Louis Forniquet” Smithsonian Institution Archives. Accessed December 5, 2023. Henderson, Louis Forniquet | Smithsonian Institution Archives (si.edu)

","

“History of Stillinger Herbarium.” University of Idaho. Accessed November 14, 2023. History of Stillinger Herbarium (uidaho.edu)

","

“Idaho Native Plant Society, White Pine Chapter: Archived Event Calendar 2015.” White Pine Chapter- Idaho Native Plant Society. INPS White Pine Chapter. Last revised December 4, 2015. Accessed November 30, 2023.  White Pine Chapter - Idaho Native Plant Society (whitepineinps.org)

","

Love, Rhoada. “ Louis F. Henderson (1853-1942).” Oregon Encyclopedia. Portland State University and the Oregon Historical Society. Last revised August 10, 2022. Accessed November 14, 2023. Louis F. Henderson (1853-1942) (oregonencyclopedia.org)

","

Love, Rhoda.“ Sage Notes, Winter 2000, Vol 22(1) Newsletter of the Idaho Native Plant Society.” Idaho Native Plant Society. Accessed November 30, 2023.  Idaho Native Plant Society -- Sage Notes

","Robertson, Rylee. “University of Idaho: Then and Now.” University of Idaho Digital Initiatives. University of Idaho Library. Accessed November 14, 2023.  University of Idaho: Then and Now | Admin (uidaho.edu). ","

“Strategic Plan Stillinger Herbarium, University of Idaho 2020.” University of Idaho. Accessed on November 14, 2023. stillinger-herbarium-strategic-plan.pdf (uidaho.edu)

","“Stillinger Herbarium: A Library of Plants” University of Idaho. Accessed November 14, 2023. Stillinger Herbarium - College of Science|University of Idaho (uidaho.edu)","“Stillinger Trust.” University of Idaho. Accessed November 14, 2023. Stillinger Trust (uidaho.edu) "],"factoids":[],"files":{"https://www.intermountainhistories.org/files/fullsize/9963e7472cf392bb249fbc1e385bb4eb.jpg":{"id":3633,"mime-type":"image/png","title":"Lysichiton americanus, also known as a Western Skunk Cabbage","description":"This is a sample of a Lysichiton americanus, also known as a Western Skunk Cabbage, from the Stillinger Herbarium database. It was discovered at Bonner, Idaho, by David C. Tank in 2016. Accession #: 174202 |

Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria, Lysichiton americanus. Available at CPNWH Search Results (pnwherbaria.org)

","thumbnail":"https://www.intermountainhistories.org/files/square_thumbnails/9963e7472cf392bb249fbc1e385bb4eb.jpg"},"https://www.intermountainhistories.org/files/fullsize/f265fc6403b8e11afff88da9e5f89bee.jpg":{"id":3634,"mime-type":"image/png","title":"Leaf Fossil From Clarkia, Idaho","description":"A leaf fossil that is recorded and digitized into the Stillinger digital database collected from a dig site in Clarkia, Idaho. | University of Idaho, Leaf Fossil From Clarkia, Idaho, Dig Site available at Stillinger Herbarium - College of Science|University of Idaho (uidaho.edu)","thumbnail":"https://www.intermountainhistories.org/files/square_thumbnails/f265fc6403b8e11afff88da9e5f89bee.jpg"},"https://www.intermountainhistories.org/files/fullsize/7b1ebe77d7a12eddfe34961f8bc99843.jpg":{"id":3635,"mime-type":"image/png","title":"1900 photograph of Administration Building","description":"The old Administration building in 1900 before the fire. |

 The University of Idaho Digital Initiatives , 1900 photograph of Administration Building, available at University of Idaho: Then and Now | Admin (uidaho.edu)

","thumbnail":"https://www.intermountainhistories.org/files/square_thumbnails/7b1ebe77d7a12eddfe34961f8bc99843.jpg"},"https://www.intermountainhistories.org/files/fullsize/b6dd89073778a7643ad724961857a7ec.jpg":{"id":3636,"mime-type":"image/png","title":"Louis F. Henderson in 1925 at age 72.","description":"Louis F. Henderson in 1925 at age 72. |

UO Archives Photographs, University of Oregon. “ Louis Henderson Portrait.” Accessed 5 December, 2023 available at Henderson Louis Botany Portrait | Oregon Digital 

","thumbnail":"https://www.intermountainhistories.org/files/square_thumbnails/b6dd89073778a7643ad724961857a7ec.jpg"}}}