Friday, February 28, 2025

Question: What 19th-century naturalist is credited with collecting the founding exhibit of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science?

Answer: In 1868, prospector Edwin Carter moved to a small cabin in Breckenridge, Colorado to pursue his passion for studying wildlife. Working mostly by himself, he eventually assembled what was then one of the most complete collections of Colorado fauna in existence. In 1892, Carter sold the collection to an interested group of Denver citizens, who later used it—along with an insect and mineral collection—to establish the Colorado Museum of Natural History, later known as the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.