CHAPTER III. 



THE ERA OF STATE SURVEYS, FIRST DECADE, 1830-1839. 



The decade beginning with 1830 stands out prominently as an era of 

 public surveys. With the exception of the single abortive attempt 

 made in North Carolina in 1824 no surveys at other than private 

 expense had thus far been attempted, though the subject had more 

 than once been agitated. During this interval, however, scarcely a 

 year passed but witnessed the establishment of a State survey or the 

 organization of an exploring expedition, to which a geologist was 

 attached. Thus were established surveys in Massachusetts in 1830; 

 in Tennessee in .1831; Maryland in 1834; New Jersey, Connecticut, 

 and Virginia in 1835; Maine, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania in 

 1836; Delaware, Indiana, and Michigan in 183?, and in New Hamp- 

 shire and Rhode Island in 1839. In addition, the United States Gov- 

 ernment 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 Missouri 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 Wilkes exploring expedition, with J. D. Dana as geologist, was 

 also organized and sent on its way in 1838. Beyond the limits of the 

 United States Abraham Gesner was doing important work as provin- 

 cial geologist in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Eaton and Maclure 

 were still in the field, but new workers were rapidly forcing their way 

 to the front, and the influence of the two pioneers was already on the 

 wane. Other names which appear in this decade and grow to prom- 

 inence are Timothy A. Conrad, James Hall, William Mather, D. D. 

 Owen, J. G. Percival, and H. D. Rogers. 



In 1830 Eaton published the first edition of his Geological Text-book, 



an octavo volume of 64 pages, accompanied by a colored geological map 



exhibiting a general view of the economic geology of New York and part 



of the adjoining States, the work for which had been 



Eaton's Geological ,t • 1 it n -i it- 



Text-book, done under the direction of the Hon. Stephen Van 



1830-1832. L 



Rensselaer. 

 The book is worthy of a somewhat extended notice, since it gives us 

 an insight into the character of the instruction furnished students at 

 that time at the Rensselaer Institute, and also, since it was Eaton's 

 second attempt at preparing a text-book. His first attempt, it will be 

 remembered, was his Index to the Geology of the Northern States, 



295 



