Culprit Who Destroyed New York's First Dinosaur Museum Identified

Extinct animals and dinosaurs from Benjamin W. Hawkins' studio at Central Park, to be a part of NY's first dinosaur museumPhoto byWikimedia

In May 1871, a gang of thugs armed with sledgehammers destroyed partially built life-size models of dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures meant for a new museum in Central Park, New York.

The shattered remains were removed and buried in the park, never to be seen again. Former American politician William ‘Boss’ Tweed was blamed for this heinous act of vandalism.

But a recent paper by the University of Bristol offers fresh insights into the incident.

The paper reveals Henry Hilton, the Treasurer and VP of Central Park, was the real culprit behind the destruction.

According to the researchers, the incident was linked to the struggle for control of New York City following the American Civil War. Central Park was taking shape, and British sculptor Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins was commissioned to build American versions of the life-size models he had created for the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs in London.

The Paleozoic Museum was to be one of the park’s attractions.

The notorious William “Boss” Tweed, who had taken command of the city, canceled the project in late 1870. In May 1871, culprits destroyed the partially complete project on the orders of Henry Hilton. It was previously thought Tweed gave the order, but the researchers found that wasn't the case.

Hilton was already infamous for his eccentric decisions, such as painting a bronze statue and a whale skeleton white. He also cheated a widow out of her inheritance and squandered an enormous fortune.

The researchers concluded that Hilton was the real villain in this incident, and correcting the record is vital to our understanding of the history of paleontology. Though Hilton is the villain of the destruction of New York's first dinosaur museum, he remains a mystery.

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