Arranged and described by Brenda Howitson Steeves
June 2011

Collection title: Arthur Herbert Norton Papers
Provenance: Gift of the estate of Arthur H. Norton in 1943
Collection number: MS 368
Dates of collection: 1892-1942 (inclusive); 1921-1942 (bulk) 
Size of collection: 7 record cartons
Conservation note: Collection transferred to acid-free boxes and folders
Preferred citation: Arthur Herbert Norton Papers, Special Collections, Raymond H. Fogler Library, University of Maine
Restrictions on access and use: Kept at Fogler Library's offsite storage facility. One week's notice required for retrieval

Biography

Arthur Herbert Norton was a geographer, botanist, mammalogist, ornithologist, author and editor. The son of Horace F. Norton and Cynthia Elwell Norton, he was born April 19, 1870 in St. George, Maine, where his father was the first captain of the White Head Island life-saving station. The family moved to Westbrook, Maine in 1885 where Norton began his exploration and ornithological collecting, leading to a lifelong study of the science and natural history of Maine. In 1905 he became curator of the Portland Society of Natural History, serving in that post for 37 years. He was the author of over 300 scientific articles, served for a time as editor of the Maine Naturalist, and was a member of the Maine Ornithological Society, the American Ornithologists’ Union and the Josselyn Botanical Society, among others. He was awarded an honorary master of science degree by the University of Maine in 1940 for “significant scientific studies which have added to our knowledge of Maine’s natural history.”

Arthur Norton died January 5, 1943.

Scope and Content Note

The Norton papers are arranged in two series: I. Correspondence; and II. Subject files.

Series I, arranged alphabetically by correspondent, contains both incoming and copies of Norton’s outgoing correspondence mainly from 1921-1942 with colleagues, naturalists, ornithologists and those addressing questions to him in his capacity as curator of the Portland Society of Natural History.

Series II, arranged alphabetically by subject, covers a wide range of topics including birds, mammals, plants, forestry, and the natural history of Maine as well as biographical information about other naturalists. It also contains copies of some of the many articles written by Norton as well as a small amount of material from the Portland Society of Natural History and the Josselyn Botanical Society. This series also contains a group of Norton’s note cards on a variety of subjects.

Box List

Box 1

Folder

1 Norton biography and obituary

Series I: Correspondence

2-5 Correspondence, A-D

6 Correspondence, Deane, Walter

7-13 Correspondence, E-M

14 Correspondence, Mendall, Howard L.

15-16 Correspondence, N-R

17 Correspondence, Palmer, Ralph

18-22 Correspondence, Perkins, Anne E.

23 Correspondence, Richardson, George L.

24 Correspondence, Rowell, Dorothy C.

25 Correspondence, S

26 Correspondence, Steinmetz, F.H.

27-28 Correspondence, T-Z

29 Correspondence, miscellaneous

Series II: Subject files

Box 2

1 Algae: a general consideration

2 Algae notes

3 Allen, John Alpheus

4 Aroostook County and other locations

5 Audubon Society

6 Bailey, J. Whitman

7-8 Bangs, Outram, publications

9 Barnacles of Maine

10 Bean, R.C. Plants collected: Limerick, Maine, July 28-31, 1931

11 Bibliography of the Aranea of Maine

12 Bibliography of the herpetology of Maine, 1605-1930

13 Bibliography of mammals

14 Bibliography of the meteorites of Maine

15 Bibliography, Mt. Katahdin

16 Biological classifications

17 Bird collections

18-19 Bird migration

20-21 Birds: notes, etc.

22-23 Birds: notes, correspondence, etc., 1907-1941

24 Birds, bees, fish, butterflies of Damariscotta, Boothbay and Monhegan

25 Birds of Katahdin

26 Checklist of birds of Acadia National Park

27 Coues, Elliott. Key to North American birds. Salem: Naturalists’ Agency, 1872

28 History of the ornithology of Maine

29 Maine Ornithological Society

30 Mendall, Howard L. Introductory report of investigations of fish-eating birds

31 Norton, Arthur. Chapters in a woodcock’s history, 1904

32 Norton. Journal of bird walks, 1920-1926

33 Palmer, Ralph S. Tern mortality along the Maine coast. Bird-banding, July 1938

34 Perkins, Anne E. A study of bird songs. Buffalo Sunday Express, March 1915

35 Samuels, Edward A. Our game birds. Town and Country, April 1879

36 Siewet, Horst. Storks

37 Some of our sea birds and their protection

38 Spelman, H.M. List of birds of Mt. Desert

39 Spinney, Herbert L. Record of birds observed at Seguin Island … 1893-1902, from original journal

40 Woodcock data

Box 3

1-5 Birds: publications about

6 Blake, Joseph

7 Botany

8 Bowdoin College Biological Station/Scientific Station annual reports, 1936-1939, 1941

9 Caribou

10 Catalogue of library, collections of A.H. Norton, 1892-1898

11 Chamberlain, Edward B.

12 Checklist of goldenrods and asters of Maine

13 Checklist of the vertebrate animals of the state of Maine

14-15 Cold-blooded vertebrates; publications and notes

16 Collecting and preserving

17 Crustacea: publications

Box 4

1 DeLaski, John

2 Dille, Fred M. Book list of A.W. Anthony, 1938

3 Dr. Aaron Young, Jr. and the botanical survey of Maine by Arthur Norton

4 Dwight, Timothy, journey of

5 Early notes and sketches

6 Essays on science and scientists

7 Extermination of ragweed

8 Facts concerning eclipses

9 Fassett, Norman C. Notes on the flora of Boothbay, Maine. Reprinted from Rhodora, Vol. 29, January, 1927

10 Ferns, shrubs, trees

11 Forestry booklets and notes

12 Fur trade

13 Furbish, Kate. Evening in the Maine woods + biography

14 Game management

15 Geology of the Portland area

16 Gem collector’s guide: Maine and N.H.

17 Grand Manan

18 Herpetology of Maine

19-20 Josselyn Botanical Society of Maine

21 Josselyn’s voyage and list of rarities discovered at Black Point, Maine

22 Keep, Marcus R.

23 Kendall, William

24 Laws (clippings)

25 Lighthouses

26 Lists

27 Maine mammals

28 Maine Naturalist: unpublished material

29 Maine plants collected by Dr. Rodney True, 1926-1937

30 Marine biology: notes

31 Marine clays

32 Memorials

33 Mighels, Jesse W.

34 Miscellaniae

35 Natural history of Lincoln County, Maine

36-37 Natural history periodicals

Box 5

1 Natural history periodicals

2 Naturalists: biographical information

3 Nature walks and trips: notes

4 Notes on carcinides moenas in Maine

5 The oyster in Maine

6 A.S. Packard’s paper on glacial phenomena (extract)

7 Palmer, Ralph

8 Peat deposits and bogs

9 Perkins, Dr. Anne E. Vanishing expressions on the Maine coast. American Speech III (2), 1927

10 Phenology reports

11 Photograph album, undated [Maine woodland and mountain scenes]

12 Place names, Maine

13 Plants: lists and correspondence

14 Plants: notes

15 Plants of Maine: lists, notes, correspondence

16 Plants: Petit Manan and Quoddy

17-18 Plants: publications

19 Portland Society of Natural History

20 Portland Society of Natural History: collections of naturalists and explorers

21-22 Portland Society of Natural History: clippings and notes

23 Prime, Temple. List of the known species of Pisidium with their synonymy. Reprinted from the Annals of the Lyceum of Natural History, March 1859

24 Prowell, George R. Frederick Valentine Melsheimer: a pioneer entomologist … a paper read before the Historical Society of York County, [Penn.], April 8, 1897

25 Roosevelt, Theodore

26 Sanctuaries, lists of

27 Seashore flora and fauna

28 Shell heaps

Box 6

1 Smith, Everett. Scrapbook [presented to Portland Society of Natural History by the estate of Everett Smith]

2 Smith, Everett. Bibliography of public writings

3 Snails in Maine

4 State licenses

5 Systematic review of the flora and fauna …

6 Thurber, George: obituary

7 True, Rodney Howard. Lists of plants collected in Maine, 1926-1937

8 Turtles in Maine

9 Verrill, A.E. Results of recent dredging expeditions on the coast of New England, 1873-1874

10 Wherry, Edgar T. Selected list of the ferns and flowering plants of Mt. Desert Island and vicinity

11 Wilson, Alexander

12 Zoology: books and periodicals offered for sale by Henry George Fiedler, New York

Box 7

Arthur Norton note cards