Henry A. Ward and the Recovery of the Santa Rosa, Colombia, Meteorite

Abstract

Henry A. Ward (1834-1906), the celebrated founder and owner of Ward's Natural Science Establishment, one of the most interesting and significant North American scientific institutions in the late 19th century, was also perhaps the shrewdest and most enthusiastic meteorite collector of his day. Toward the end of his career, at age 68, he became very interested in a large (612.5 kg) iron meteorite in Santa Rosa, Colombia that was highly venerated by the local townspeople. In an effort to obtain the meteorite in whole or in part—and hopefully clear up the scientific confusion surrounding it—he journeyed to Santa Rosa in the winter of 1906. His attempt to retrieve the meteorite led to a clever plan with local officials, a daring nighttime removal, and a heated legal battle with the national police, but eventually he was allowed to leave Colombia with a large piece of the meteorite. His subsequent investigation of the meteorite is examined, as is our present understanding of it and its relationship to two meteorites found nearby, Rasgatá and Tocavita. Ward's actions shed light on attitudes and practices in natural history collecting at his time, and how scientists grappled with the problem of interpreting meteoritic structure.