Meehan, Thomas–(1826-1901)–Philadelphia, Pennsylvania–was born in London, England on March 21, 1826.  His father was Edward Meehan, the head gardener for Col. Francis Vernon Harcurt, Isle of Wight.  Meehan was self-taught and wrote his first paper when he was twelve.  At fifteen he produced his first hybrid fuchsia.  He was elected member of the Royal Wernerian Society of Edinboro when he was still an adolescent.  He became a student at Kew Gardens and came to America after graduation on his twenty-second birthday.  He was hired by Robert Buist, Sr. in Philadelphia; was superintendent of Bartram’s Gardens, and later gardener to Caleb Cope.  In 1853, he published his first and only complete book, The American Handbook of Ornamental Trees, a book about the trees in Bartram’s garden.  He established Meehan’s Nurseries in 1853.  He was editor of the Gardener’s Monthly for thirty years beginning in 1859.  In 1891, he founded Meehan’s Monthly.  He was appointed State Botanist by the Governor.  He was a member of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Philosophical Society, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, and the Pennsylvania Agricultural Society.  He was the author of Native Flowers and Ferns of the United States.  He was elected to the Common Council of Philadelphia in 1882 and remained a member until his death.  He was a member of the Germantown school board for eighteen years.  He died in Philadelphia on November 19, 1901.
Sources:  APS-1901; Plants; Bailey; PHS2; PHS1; CHSJ-Apr. 1966; Leighton2; GT;  Meehan1; Oberle