JOURNAL 



OF THE 



Elislia Mitchell Scientific Society. 



HISTORICAL NOTES CONCERNING THE NORTH 

 CAROLINA GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS.* 



J. A. HOLMES. 



There are three North Carolina State surveys that have been 

 called geological snrvey.s: (l)the '^ Geological and Mineralogical 

 Survey,'' conducted by Professors Denison Olmsted and Elisha 

 Mitchell (1824-28), here termed the Olmsted-Mitchell survey; 

 (2) the "Geological, Mineralogical, Botanical and Agricultural 

 Survey," prosecuted under Professor Ebenezer Emmons (1852-'61 

 or '64), here called the Emmons survey; and (3) the "Geologi- 

 cal, Mineralogical, Botanical and Agricultural Survey," prose- 

 cuted under Professor W. C. Kerr (1866-'85), here termed the 

 Kerr survey. The last mentioned of these may be considered 

 as in part a continuation of the second. 



Olmsted-Mitchell Survey, 1824—1828.* 



This "Geological and Mineralogical Survey" was proposed 

 by Professor Olmsted in a letter laid before the State Board of 

 Internal Improvements of North Carolina, December 1st, 1821. 

 (Preserved in the Executive office, Raleigh). The Bi)ard 

 approved, and presented the matter to the Legislature. The 



*Abstracted from a more elaborate sketch prepared by the writer for the U. S. 

 Geological Survey, and published by permission of the Director, 



