402 



GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE UNITED STATES. 



Illinois, and his work was resumed in 1847 

 and continued for four years in Wisconsin, 

 Iowa, and Minnesota. In 1847 and 1848 0. 

 T. Jackson made a survey of the mineral lands 

 of the United States in Michigan, and J. W. 

 Foster and J. D. Whitney, who at first assisted 

 him, afterward continued the work independ- 

 ently in the Lake Superior district in 1848-'49. 

 The majority of these various studies were of 

 the nature of reconnaissances, and did not 

 afford the material necessary for the construc- 

 tion of geologic maps. 



The war diverted the energies of the nation 

 from geology, as from other scientific pursuits ; 

 but the subject was not forgotten, and when 

 the return of peace permitted the resumption 

 of investigation it was entered upon with new 

 energy and in a more methodic manner. The 

 reconnaissance work in connection with ex- 

 ploration was continued, but there were also 

 instituted a number of surveys with more 

 definite aims and more permanent organiza- 

 tions. The more important military expedi- 

 tions accompanied by geologists were those of 

 Capt. W. A. Jones in Wyoming (1873), Lieut. 

 E. H. Ruffner in Colorado (1873), and Capt. 

 William Ludlow in Wyoming (1875). The Com- 

 missioner of Indian Affairs sent two geologists 

 to the Black Hills of Dakota (1876) to ascer- 

 tain whether the formations of the country 

 were such as to warrant its purchase from the 

 Indians for mining purposes. At various times 

 also the United States Coast Survey included 

 investigations of the geologic features of the 

 Atlantic and Pacific coasts. 



The Four Antecedent Surveys. The more per- 

 manent organizations were four in number, di- 

 rected by Hayden, King, Powell, and Wheeler. 

 As these were the immediate antecedents of 

 the present organization, the character of each 

 will be defined. 



In 1867 Congress provided for the geologic 

 survey of Nebraska, and Dr. F. V. Hayden, who 

 had already traversed the Great Plains with 

 the expeditions of Warren and Raynolds, was 

 directed by the Commissioner of the General 

 Land-Office to perform the work. A similar 

 provision was made the following year, and 

 in 1869 the organization was continued with a 

 change of title, being called the Geological 

 Survey of the Territories of the United States. 

 From 1869 to 1872, inclusive, a series of geo- 

 logic explorations were made in Dakota, Mon- 

 tana, Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado, the scope 

 of investigation including, besides geology, 

 the natural history, climatology, resources, and 

 ethnology of the region. In 1873 geography 

 was added, not as a primary object, but for 

 the sake of furnishing a topographic base on 

 which the distribution of the geologic forma- 

 tions could be shown. The name of the or- 

 ganization was at the same time changed, and 

 it was thereafter called the Geological and 

 Geographical Survey of the Territories. 

 ^ In the year 1867 a survey of somewhat 

 similar character was instituted in the War 



Department, the supervision of the work rest- 

 ing with the Chief of Engineers, and its im- 

 mediate direction with Mr. Clarence King, a 

 civilian geologist and mining engineer already 

 familiar with a considerable portion of the 

 Pacific coast. The organization was called the 

 Geological Exploration of the Fortieth Parallel, 

 and its work was restricted to a belt of coun- 

 try including the line of the first-built trans- 

 continental railroad, and extending from the 

 Rocky mountains to the Sierra Nevada. With- 

 in this belt it investigated the geology, the 

 mining industry, and the botany, and it made 

 surveys and published maps suitable for the 

 illustration of its reports. Its field-work was 

 completed in 1873. 



In 1868 Major J. W. Powell, likewise a 

 civilian geologist, began an exploration of the 

 upper Colorado river, making, in 1869, an ad- 

 venturous voyage in small boats through the 

 cafions of the river, and studying the geol- 

 ogy and geography by the way. In 1871 he 

 received from Congress a small grant of funds, 

 and further and larger grants were made from 

 time to time until there was developed an or- 

 ganization of some magnitude. Geologic, geo- 

 graphic, ethnologic, and botanic explorations 

 were all embraced in its work. At first it was 

 entitled the Survey of the Colorado River of 

 the West, and its official supervision was placed 

 with the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion ; afterward it was transferred to the In- 

 terior Department, and its title was modified, 

 becoming finally the Geological and Geographi- 

 cal Survey of the Rocky Mountain Region. 



George M. Wheeler, a lieutenant of the Corps 

 of Military Engineers, was sent by his chief, in 

 1869, to make a geographical reconnaissance 

 in central Nevada. Two years later he took 

 the field with a larger force, including, be- 

 sides surveyors, students of the natural sci- 

 ences, and his organization now assumed the 

 title, Explorations West of the 100th Merid- 

 ian. From year to year money was granted 

 by Congress for the continuance of his work, 

 and a large corps was continuously employed. 

 Unlike the others, this survey had for its 

 primary object the making of geographic maps ; 

 but it gave a prominent place also to geology, 

 and gathered valuable material in the depart 

 ments of zoology and ethnology. 



The survey under the direction of Mr. Kin 

 closed its field-work, as before mentioned, ir 

 1873, and there remained three organizations 

 equipped and designed to accomplish essential 

 ly the same objects. Indeed, the ambition; 

 of the three corps were nearly identical. . 

 Hayden understood by the phrase "Territorie 

 of the United States," which defined his fiel< 

 the same great area that was defined by Ma 

 jor Powell as the " Rocky mountain region, 

 and by Lieut. Wheeler as the country u we;- 

 of the 100th meridian." The difficulties lil 

 to arise from the duplication of work wer 

 partially obviated, in 1877, by the Secretary c 

 the Interior, who redistributed the work ( 



