Until a few months ago, he was just "the boy in the iron coffin." After construction workers unearthed his remains in Washington, D.C. while digging a gas line in 2005, the task of identifying him fell to a team led by Doug Owsley, a forensic anthropologist at Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. The development of the boy's teeth indicated he had died in his mid-teens. His clothing suggested the mid-1800s. A search of census records and obituaries led to a name—William Taylor White. An orphan from Accomack County, Virginia, he had moved to Washington to attend Columbian College (now George Washington University) and died at age 15 on January 24, 1852, likely from a heart condition. The researchers traced White's family tree and confirmed his identity by comparing his DNA with that of a living relative, Linda Dwyer of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. "I was flabbergasted," Dwyer says, adding that the researchers had also found "a whole bunch of cousins I didn't know I had."
Making History
Family reunion
- By Christine Dell'Amore
- Smithsonian magazine, December 2007
Advertisement
Smithsonian Videos
Advertisement
Culturespotter
Experience Mexico
Choose from seven videos to learn more about Mexico and its rich history.
Cultured Collector
Cultured Furnishings
Bernhardt Furniture, in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution, announces new additions to its line of home furnishings.
Window Shopping
Gifts, Gadgets and Great Finds!
From Our Advertisers: Products, Offers and Free Info
Travel & Adventure
Subscribe Today & Win a FREE Trip to Paris!
Sojourners
Love to travel? We've collected some of the best offerings from our most valued travel partners, across the country and around the world
In The Magazine
Enter Now!
Smithsonian's 6th Annual Photo Contest
Enter the Smithsonian magazine 6th annual photo contest now >>
Ecocenter
The Oceans
Global health from an underwater perspective and why what you eat matters

