Hills, R. C. (Richard Charles), 1848-1923

Richard Charles Hills was a self-educated miner and mineralogist who served as Honorary Curator of Geology at the Colorado Museum of Natural History, now Denver Museum of Nature and Science, from 1911 until his death in 1923. Through his generosity and untiring efforts, the young Museum geology collections and library were enlarged and greatly enhanced. Richard Charles Hills was born in Ewhurst, Surrey, England in early 1848 and came to the United States in 1865. For more than ten years the young man worked in active mining areas throughout the American West. He settled in Denver in 1877 and became a successful mining consultant. In 1883 he began a long association with John C. Osgood and Colorado Fuel & Iron Company, and is credited with laying out most of their numerous iron and coal mines. While in the field he also completed many mineral projects for the United States Geological Survey. Hills was an active member of the Colorado Scientific Society and twice served as its president, in 1888 and 1890. He donated many of his personal mineral and fossil specimens to the Society and encouraged others to do the same. At about the time of Hills' presidencies, the Colorado Scientific Society received one of its most famous mineral specimens. John A. Porter, president of Smuggler-Union Consolidated Mining and Milling Company, donated a large piece of extremely high-grade gold in quartz from a vein in the Smuggler-Union mine near Telluride. The 17-pound specimen was cut and polished for display. It won medals of recognition at the 1893 Columbian World Exposition in Chicago and the Paris Exposition of 1900. In 1901 Hills married Louise Bruce of Denver; they had no children. In about 1907, Hills began employment in Denver with Victor American Fuel Company, and remained with them the rest of his life. In 1911 Hills was appointed Honorary Curator of Geology at the Colorado Museum of Natural History (now the Denver Museum of Nature and Science). One of his first actions was to sell his extensive mineral collection to the Museum. He was responsible for procuring contributions of much geological material to the Museum, and in 1920 he donated his large private library to the Museum. In addition, in 1923 Hills arranged for the Museum to be the repository for the Colorado Scientific Society's collections of 23 meteorites and numerous excellent Colorado rock and mineral specimens. In 1977, the Society made permanent to the Museum its donation of meteorites, rocks and minerals, including the famous Porter Smuggler-Union specimen. The gold specimen and its awards are on permanent display in the Coors Mineral Hall at the Museum. In addition to substantially enlarging the Museum's early library, meteorite and geology collections, Hills contributed his knack for organizing the geology and mineral exhibits, and making them understandable for all. Exhibits prepared under his direction were immensely popular. Hills died of heart failure on August 14, 1923, and was buried in Fairmount Cemetery in Denver.

From the description of R. C. Hills correspondence 1916. (Denver Museum of Nature & Science). WorldCat record id: 69957577

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