20 ILLINOIS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 



plorations, then modern work. In this latter division are in- 

 cluded topographic mapping, general geologic surveys, land 

 classification, economic studies of particular minerals or sub- 

 stances, and technologic investigations. 



The frontier explorations are described by Merrill,* from 

 whom I quote freely. 



The era of state surveys begins with the decade 1830-1839. 

 During this interval scarcely a year passed but witnessed the 

 establishment of a state survey or the organization of an ex- 

 ploring expedition, to which a geologist was attached. Thus 

 were established surveys in Massachuetts in 1830; in Tennessee 

 in 1831, Maryland in 1834, New Jersey, Connecticut and Vir- 

 ginia in 1835, Maine, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania in 

 1836, Delaware, Indiana and Michigan in 1837, and in New 

 Hampshire and Rhode Island in 1839. In addition, the United 

 States Government for the first time recognized the practical 

 utility of the geologist by authorizing the surveys by G. W. 

 Featherstonhaugh of the elevated country between the Mis- 

 souri and Red Rivers in 1834, and of the Coteau des Prairies 

 in 1835; and by D. D. Owen of the mineral lands of Iowa, 

 Wisconsin, and Illinois in 1839. 



The fever for the state surveys, so prevalent during the 

 first decade, seems to have quickly subsided, since during 

 the following period, new surveys were established only in 

 Alabama, South Carolina, and Vermont. Governmental sur- 

 veys were also few, being limited to those by D. D. Owen in 

 the Chippewa land district, and Jackson, Foster and Whitney 

 in the Lake Superior region. 



The cause of this sudden cessation is not quite apparent. It 

 is possible, that the period of great financial depression begin- 

 ning in 1836 may have had something to do with it. An im- 

 portant factor may have been the lack of geologists to agitate 

 the subject and carry on the work, since nearly every man of 

 prominence and experience was engaged in surveys and or- 

 ganizations already under way. The period was one of im- 

 portance for results rather than for organization and prepar- 

 ation. 



The single event of greatest consequence during this second 

 decade was the appearance of the final reports of the New York 

 survey. The volume of literature was naturally greater than 

 at any previous period, since it included many of the reports 

 of organizations of the previous decade, as those of Percival in 



*Geo. P. Merrill, Contributions to history of American Geology; Annual report,. 

 Smithsonian Inst. 1904. 



