Name William Davis Role Historian | Died 1945 | |
P s 31 william t davis
William Thompson Davis (1862–1945) was an American naturalist, entomologist, and historian especially associated with Staten Island in New York City. He was prominent in the borough's affairs throughout his life.
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Biography
Davis was born in New Brighton, Staten Island in 1862. His family history on Staten Island dates back to the 17th century. He was largely self-taught, but nonetheless made huge contributions to the study of Staten Island’s community and natural history. Davis wrote a number of books about the history and natural geography of Staten Island. In 1892 he wrote Days Afield on Staten Island which catalogues the island’s plants and animals, while Staten Island and Its People, which he coauthored with Charles W. Leng (1859-1941) in 1930, is one of the greatest accounts of Staten Island history. He was also an entomologist enjoying an international reputation as an expert on cicadas.
Civic affairs
In 1881, Davis and Nathaniel Britton, Arthur Hollick, Edward Delevan, and Charles W. Leng founded the Natural Science Association of Staten Island. That organization would later become the Staten Island Institute of Arts & Sciences. Davis was vice-president.
In the 1930s, Davis and Loring McMillen led volunteer preservationists from the Staten Island Historical Society in transforming the former County Clerk's Office and Surrogate's Office at the former county seat of Richmondtown into a museum. That was the beginning of Historic Richmond Town.
Davis was president of the Staten Island Historical Society, and its collections include material relating to Davis, including a straw hat that belonged to him.
Wildlife refuge
A bird sanctuary was created in a marshy area of New Springville, Staten Island, in 1933 at the urging of Davis. It was maintained by the National Audubon Society and the New York City Parks Department. Enlarged to 260 acres (1.1 km2) in 1956, it was renamed the William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge in his honor.