Back when I was a teenager – some umpteen hundred years ago, I used to ride my bike down the “Drive” to Camden. On the way down I came to a certain spot that had a strong aroma. I decided to go see what it was. I took a left, headed north and found a street sign that said N. Humboldt Ave. But what was lurking there?
The aroma became stronger and stronger. Going a block or so further I came upon a large pole yard which may have belonged to the Great Northern trains or some telephone company. They were dipping large poles in a solution of creosote or some other tarry substance. I always associated that smell with the north end of Humboldt Ave.
Now, who was this man the street was named for? It was Alexander von Humboldt, a distinguished German scientist, born in Berlin on September 14, 1769. From childhood he delighted in zoological, physical and geographical subjects. At age 28, on the death of his mother, he began the series of voyages memorable in the annals of science, such as Voyages to the Equinoctial Regions of the New Continent, View of the Cordilleras and of the Monuments of the Indigenous Races of America. Also, Observations on Zoology and Comparative Anatomy.
This attested to the genius and charm of Humboldt’s literary style. He passed away in 1859.