Biederman, Charles Robert

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Subject

Description

This is Folder 1 of 2 that contains correspondence from Charles Robert Biederman or C.R. Biederman, an entomologist and horticulturist who lived in Carr Canyon, Arizona as a homesteader. His correspondence spans from 1903-1926. Much of his correspondence is comprised of descriptions of insects he collected in the area; several of his descriptions include sketches of their anatomy. Insects that were collected include but are not limited to beetles, butterflies, grasshoppers, and dragonflies. Biederman also mailed several specimens and their duplicates to the American Entomological Society (AES) for identification or further study.
Outside of his entomological work, Biederman’s correspondence also discusses his work as a horticulturist, such as his frequent practice of grafting chestnut trees. Some of Biederman’s letters feature comments on contemporary politics, with mentions of Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft’s presidencies. Additionally, Biederman served in the Union Army during American Civil War, and one letter discusses his experiences during the war, particularly of wartime atrocities committed by the Confederacy that he either witnessed or learned of through his service.