UTAH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES LF 
phere of social, educational, political and religious fervor 
the future scientist and explorer grew and flourished. 
From New York State his family moved to Jackson, 
Ohio, when he was about 5 years old, and in 1846 moved 
still westward to South Grove in Walworth Co., Wiscon- 
sin, where a farm was purchased. As he grew in years, 
certain traits of character developed, among them, that 
one that marked the future explorer, that trait of doing 
all his work well, became a notable quality in the boy’s 
hfe. His ploughing, sowing and work of all kinds on the 
farm was of the best and his business ability in buying and 
selling for the farm was admitted by all his neighbors. In 
addition to his farm work, he now began most zealously 
to strive for an education, which was the dearest wish of 
his parents, who continually impressed upon him the 
importance of the highest education possible. In the 
accomplishing of this object he continued his studies at 
Janesville, Wis., working night and morning to pay his 
way. In 1851 his family moved to Bonus Prairie, Boone 
County, Illinois. Two years later, at Wheaton, Illinois, 
he entered the Wesleyan College, where he remained 
until 1855, when he entered the preparatory department 
of the Illinois College at Jacksonville. In 1857 he began 
a course of study in Oberlin College, Ohio, where in the 
study of botany he discovered his true vocation, the inves- 
tigation of natural science. He became an enthusiastic 
botanist, and searched the woods and swamps around 
Oberlin with his characteristic thoroughness, making an 
almost complete herbarium of the flora of that section. 
In 1858 as a member of the Illinois State Natural 
History Society, he engaged with the society in a natural 
history survey of the state. Powell having the depart- 
ment of Conchology, with his usual thoroughness made 
the most complete collection of the mollusca of Illinois 
ever brought together by one man. Incidentally botany, 
zoology and mineralogy came under his attention, and he 
secured collections for the Society in each of these depart- 
ments of research. With broad mental grasp, now a 
pronounced trait, he perceived that all these sciences were 
but part of the greater science of geology, to which won- 
derful study he determined to devote his life. Thus 
while studying, teaching and lecturing, usually on some 
