Two Collections, Two Eras, Combining Legacies

Text by Sylvia Lee, BTA Historian

W.B. Thompson vs. H.B. Wallace

There is no versus about it, although there were a few differences between the two men’s lives. If they had known each other, they would surely have traded ideas, suggestions and knowledge, and perhaps would have helped each other in different ways. But Thompson was born in 1869 and Wallace in 1915. Thompson died in 1930 when Wallace was yet a stripling. Wallace died in 2005.

There was no note in our archives stating that Thompson and Wallace ever met, however, the results of the two men’s work came together during the time Dr. William “Bill” Feldman was the director of the Boyce Thompson Arboretum (1984-2005). Matt Johnson, the manager of the Desert Legume Program (DELEP) and Bill Feldman would visit H.B. Wallace each year. After looking at all of his plants, they would sit down to lunch and write plans for DELEP for the coming year. Then Wallace would provide a $20,000 grant to the Arboretum for the next fiscal year.

Wallace became concerned about the decreased number of plants in their natural settings and brought dryland plants from around the world into his 'backyard' to maintain a gene pool of their original diversity.

Wallace was born into wealth but amassed a fortune himself through developing techniques that boosted the poultry production in the United States, thus helping feed people with an inexpensive source of meat and eggs. Thompson was born in middle class circumstances and acquired his wealth through his interests in mining.

The formal schooling of the two men was interesting. Wallace studied genetics while earning a Bachelor of Science degree at Iowa State College. Thompson studied mining engineering for only one year at Columbia University, then relied on his informal education from association with mining administrators, miners themselves, and the men he hired to assist him in gathering information.

Both men were philanthropists who became concerned with feeding the burgeoning population of the world. Thompson set up the Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum Corporation to research dryland plants and to search for plants that could increase food production for people and animals, and increase the production of other necessities. Wallace became concerned about the decreased number of plants in their natural settings. He brought dryland plants from around the world into his “backyard” to maintain a gene pool of their original diversity.

Thompson built the Boyce Thompson Arboretum (BTA) near Superior, Arizona, to house his collection of dryland plants, which were to be used both for research and as a beautiful public garden. In his backyard garden, Wallace amassed one of the world’s most extensive private collections of cacti and succulents. The two men thought very much alike.

Both men became attracted to the Sonoran Desert. Thompson built a second winter home and the adjacent arboretum (BTA) after seeing the riparian land and desert along Queen Creek during his first trip to inspect his newly-acquired Magma Mine. Wallace settled at North Scottsdale after retiring because he had become fascinated by saguaro cacti. Thompson first spent time in his house at BTA, Picket Post House, from late October into December 1923. He and his wife returned one or more times almost every year until his death. Wallace moved to Arizona in 1985 and lived in Scottsdale until his death.

There was one significant difference: Thompson’s arboretum was located on land that was easily accessed by and available to the public. Wallace’s garden was located within a private gated community and was open to groups only by appointment. However, scientists used both gardens to perform research.

Photo Courtesy of Wallace Desert Garden

Photo by Barefoot Productions

Photo by Joseph Pacheco