Charles Mohr
Encyclopedia
Charles Theodor Mohr was a pharmacist
and botanist
of German descent who lived and worked in the Americas.
, Germany
. He was the fourth child of the lamb farmer August Ludwig Mohr (1795-1833) and Dorothea Catharina Friederica (née Walker). The first three years of school, Mohr spent at the paedegogium of his home town. In 1833 the family moved to nearby Denkendorf where August Mohr founded a mustard and vinegar factory. On September 10 of the same year, August Mohr died suddenly.
Early in life, Mohr worked in the family business. He developed an interest in botany through his great-uncle, a forester at the Denkendorf convent, and his uncle's son, a student at the agricultural college in Hohenheim
. Through the self-study of several books on botany, Mohr furthered his knowledge in this area and developed a taste for natural science. Following his mother's wishes, he attended the Polytechincal school in Stuttgart
in autumn of 1842. There he studied chemistry under Professor Hermann von Fehling
and learned the plant world of the tropics in the greenhouse
s of the imperial court garden where his childhood friend, Wilhelm Hochstetter, was an apprentice.
After finishing his studies, Karl was invited on a trip to Surinam by the explorer August Kappler
. In November 1845 the two departed from the port on the island of Texel aboard the ship "Natalie." After a dangerous voyage, they reached New Guinea
in mid-March 1846. From Paramaribo
they went into the interior of the country, where Mohr collected plants for European florists and herbariums. Severe fever attacks struck Mohr and tied him to a sick bed for several months, so he felt compelled to follow the advice of the doctors and returned home in November 1846.
Back home, the botanist Professor Hochstetter (father of Mohr's friend Wilheim) arranged a job for Mohr as chemist in his son's factory in Brno
. In April 1847, Mohr assumed his new position, which he soon lost when the factory closed during the revolution of 1848. Mohr left Brno and traveled with his brother Paul Heinrich, who had been living in London
for some time. They met in August 1848 and decided to emigrate to the United States
.
by ship and went to Cincinnati where Mohr worked for a while in a German chemical company. On 3 March 1849, hit with gold fever, he set out with a group of 50 men for the gold mines of California
, where they searched for gold on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada (US)
in the Yuba Valley
. The strenuous work of a gold miner and the continuous standing in cold water worsened his health. So, in December 1850, he traveled back to Cincinnati. On this trip, he met Baron Paul of Württemberg
, who was returning from an expedition.
After Mohr worked for a short time as a farmer in Indiana
, he moved to Louisville
and married a countrywoman from Zweibrücken
, Sofie Roemer, on 12 March 1852. In Louisville he again met several friends from Wuerttemberg and made contact with several German pharmacists. Here Mohr again found more time for his botanical studies, which were supported by the Swiss paleobotanist and bryologist Leo Lesquereux.
For health reasons, Mohr decided in 1857 to go south of the United States and worked as a pharmacist in Vera Cruz
and Orziaba, Mexico
. He wanted to become independent, but the Mexican Revolution
forced him to return again the United States
.
, Alabama
whose business development was hurt by the outbreak of the American Civil War
. The confederate
government tasked him with examining the medicines for their army. During the course of the war, his pharmacy was destroyed once, but he immediately built it up again. Despite these troubled times, Mohr continued his botanical work and contributed a collection of mosses from southern Alabama to Lesquereux's 1884 work Mosses of North America. In his pharmacy laboratory, Mohr began examination of fertilizers and minerals, as well as exploring the woods of Alabama for commercial timbers and other valuable natural resources. The results of this work was publicized in 1879 under the title "The Forests of Alabama and Their Products".
On behalf of the Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C.
, who took notice of Mohr's work, he undertook a wide-reaching forest-botanical study. Aside from this, he was busy working for Harvard University
and other institutions, giving talks at large congresses and conducting a topographical examinations of north Florida
in 1882. All this work demanded so much from him that his now-grown son had completely taken over the pharmacy
since Mohr's health had been overstrained by his exploration work. He was given an honorary doctoral degree by the University of Alabama
in 1893 in recognition of his work. In 1900, he moved to Asheville, North Carolina
, where he worked on the large Biltmore Herbarium while compiling his beloved "Economic Botany of Alabama", about weeds, medicinal-, poisonous- and commercial-plants. His death on July 17 1901, brought an end to his life of exploration. Mohr wrote many articles and botanical works which appeared in the German-language Pharmaceutische Rundschau in New York.
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
and botanist
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
of German descent who lived and worked in the Americas.
Early life
Mohr was born on 28 December 1824 in Esslingen am NeckarEsslingen am Neckar
Esslingen am Neckar is a city in the Stuttgart Region of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany, capital of the District of Esslingen as well as the largest city in the district....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He was the fourth child of the lamb farmer August Ludwig Mohr (1795-1833) and Dorothea Catharina Friederica (née Walker). The first three years of school, Mohr spent at the paedegogium of his home town. In 1833 the family moved to nearby Denkendorf where August Mohr founded a mustard and vinegar factory. On September 10 of the same year, August Mohr died suddenly.
Early in life, Mohr worked in the family business. He developed an interest in botany through his great-uncle, a forester at the Denkendorf convent, and his uncle's son, a student at the agricultural college in Hohenheim
Hohenheim
Stuttgart-Hohenheim is a quarter of Plieningen, one of the 18 outer districts of Stuttgart, the state capital of Baden-Württemberg, Germany...
. Through the self-study of several books on botany, Mohr furthered his knowledge in this area and developed a taste for natural science. Following his mother's wishes, he attended the Polytechincal school in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
in autumn of 1842. There he studied chemistry under Professor Hermann von Fehling
Hermann von Fehling
Hermann von Fehling was a German chemist, famous as the developer of Fehling's solution used for estimation of sugar.-Biography:...
and learned the plant world of the tropics in the greenhouse
Greenhouse
A greenhouse is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings...
s of the imperial court garden where his childhood friend, Wilhelm Hochstetter, was an apprentice.
After finishing his studies, Karl was invited on a trip to Surinam by the explorer August Kappler
August Kappler
August Kappler was a German researcher, naturalist and explorer who was a native of Mannheim. He is credited as the founder of Albina, Suriname....
. In November 1845 the two departed from the port on the island of Texel aboard the ship "Natalie." After a dangerous voyage, they reached New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
in mid-March 1846. From Paramaribo
Paramaribo
Paramaribo is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 250,000 people, more than half of Suriname's population...
they went into the interior of the country, where Mohr collected plants for European florists and herbariums. Severe fever attacks struck Mohr and tied him to a sick bed for several months, so he felt compelled to follow the advice of the doctors and returned home in November 1846.
Back home, the botanist Professor Hochstetter (father of Mohr's friend Wilheim) arranged a job for Mohr as chemist in his son's factory in Brno
Brno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
. In April 1847, Mohr assumed his new position, which he soon lost when the factory closed during the revolution of 1848. Mohr left Brno and traveled with his brother Paul Heinrich, who had been living in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
for some time. They met in August 1848 and decided to emigrate to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
In the United States
The brothers reached New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
by ship and went to Cincinnati where Mohr worked for a while in a German chemical company. On 3 March 1849, hit with gold fever, he set out with a group of 50 men for the gold mines of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where they searched for gold on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada (US)
Sierra Nevada (US)
The Sierra Nevada is a mountain range in the U.S. states of California and Nevada, between the California Central Valley and the Basin and Range Province. The Sierra runs north-to-south, and is approximately across east-to-west...
in the Yuba Valley
Yuba County, California
Yuba County is a county located in the U.S. state of California's Central Valley, north of Sacramento, along the Feather River. As of the 2010 census, its population was 72,155. The county seat is Marysville. Yuba County is part of the Greater Sacramento area.-History:Yuba County was one of the...
. The strenuous work of a gold miner and the continuous standing in cold water worsened his health. So, in December 1850, he traveled back to Cincinnati. On this trip, he met Baron Paul of Württemberg
Württemberg
Württemberg , formerly known as Wirtemberg or Wurtemberg, is an area and a former state in southwestern Germany, including parts of the regions Swabia and Franconia....
, who was returning from an expedition.
After Mohr worked for a short time as a farmer in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, he moved to Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
and married a countrywoman from Zweibrücken
Zweibrücken
Zweibrücken is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Schwarzbach river.- Name :Zweibrücken appears in Latin texts as Geminus Pons and Bipontum, in French texts as Deux-Ponts. The name derives from Middle High German Zweinbrücken...
, Sofie Roemer, on 12 March 1852. In Louisville he again met several friends from Wuerttemberg and made contact with several German pharmacists. Here Mohr again found more time for his botanical studies, which were supported by the Swiss paleobotanist and bryologist Leo Lesquereux.
For health reasons, Mohr decided in 1857 to go south of the United States and worked as a pharmacist in Vera Cruz
Veracruz, Veracruz
Veracruz, officially known as Heroica Veracruz, is a major port city and municipality on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city is located in the central part of the state. It is located along Federal Highway 140 from the state capital Xalapa, and is the state's most...
and Orziaba, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. He wanted to become independent, but the Mexican Revolution
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
forced him to return again the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Back in the United States
At the end of 1857, he opened the first German pharmacy in MobileMobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
whose business development was hurt by the outbreak of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
government tasked him with examining the medicines for their army. During the course of the war, his pharmacy was destroyed once, but he immediately built it up again. Despite these troubled times, Mohr continued his botanical work and contributed a collection of mosses from southern Alabama to Lesquereux's 1884 work Mosses of North America. In his pharmacy laboratory, Mohr began examination of fertilizers and minerals, as well as exploring the woods of Alabama for commercial timbers and other valuable natural resources. The results of this work was publicized in 1879 under the title "The Forests of Alabama and Their Products".
On behalf of the Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, who took notice of Mohr's work, he undertook a wide-reaching forest-botanical study. Aside from this, he was busy working for Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and other institutions, giving talks at large congresses and conducting a topographical examinations of north Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in 1882. All this work demanded so much from him that his now-grown son had completely taken over the pharmacy
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
since Mohr's health had been overstrained by his exploration work. He was given an honorary doctoral degree by the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
in 1893 in recognition of his work. In 1900, he moved to Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
, where he worked on the large Biltmore Herbarium while compiling his beloved "Economic Botany of Alabama", about weeds, medicinal-, poisonous- and commercial-plants. His death on July 17 1901, brought an end to his life of exploration. Mohr wrote many articles and botanical works which appeared in the German-language Pharmaceutische Rundschau in New York.