May 18th, 2023 - In 1871, skeletons and models for New York's first dinosaur museum were destroyed before completion. Previous reports blamed William "Boss" Tweed, but new research suggests Henry Hilton, vice-president of Central Park, was the likely culprit.
Hilton favored a competing project, the American Museum of Natural History, and may have been motivated to destroy artifacts for the Paleozoic Museum.
Tweed replaced Central Park commissioners and canceled the Paleozoic Museum, leading to the vandalism. While Tweed's involvement is possible, evidence suggests Hilton was primarily responsible.
Read the full scoop here.