13 



Scientist of repute, who had been associated with the noted Scientist 

 Prof. Owen, of Indiana, was appointed Geologist, and for a 

 while Prof. Worthen did some work under him, but soon en- 

 gaged in more active work in Iowa under Prof. James Hall of 

 New York, who having just finished the survey of his own great 

 State was called to that of Iowa, which State had, in 1855, 

 passed an act authorizing a survey which was promptly com- 

 menced in September of that year. Prof. Hall in his first re- 

 port says of Prof. Worthen that "he was engaged as assistant 

 at the commencement of the survey and was employed during 

 the seasons for exploration until the close of 1857; by his ser- 

 vices in the field and the loan of his magnificent collection of 

 carboniferous crinoids he has added greatly to the value and 

 interest of this report/' 



His first work here was a series of examinations along the 

 DesMoines Valley and the eastern border of the Iowa coal field 

 made with a view of determining the number, thickness and 

 relative value of the different coal seams outcropping in that 

 part of the State, upon which he duly reported and the next 

 year (1857) he made minute examination of and report upon the 

 geology of certain counties in southeastern Iowa. This consti- 

 tuted all the detail work of that survey, only the leading feat- 

 ures of the remaining counties establishing the outlines of their 

 geology being given. 



Meanwhile the work in Illinois languished: although six years 

 had elapsed since the passage of the act authorizing the survey, 

 no report had been made, and when on March 22, 1858, Gov. 

 Wm. H. Bissell placed in the hands of Prof. Worthen his com- 

 mission as State Geologist, nothing of prior work came to his 

 hands save a report by Prof. Norwood on the lead mines of 

 Hardin county, and the field notes of his assistants. On taking 

 charge of the survey Prof. Worthen at once proceeded to those 

 active labors in the field, in prosecuting which he has probably 

 carried a greater bulk and weight of geological specimens than 

 any other scientist of his day. During his long period of pre- 

 paration by personal exploration and study of the geological 

 formations of his vicinity and by the extensive system of ex- 

 changes he established with other collectors at an early day, he 

 had been enabled to gather, classify and arrange the largest 

 and best geological museum in the west. By his minute and 



