THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY: ITS ORIGIN, 
DEVELOPMENT, ORGANIZATION, AND OPERATIONS. 
INTRODUCTION". 
ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE SURVEY. 
The United States Geological Survey, in the Department of the 
Interior, was created by act of Congress approved March 3, 1879, so 
that March 3, 1904, marks the completion of the twenty-fifth year of 
its existence. The quarter-century anniversary happens to fall near 
the date set for the opening of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition at St. 
Louis, at which the Survey will make an exhibit. It is hoped that 
many of the people of this country will be interested in that exhibit, 
and, in connection therewith, it has been thought desirable to place 
before the public, b} 7 means of a small bulletin, an account of the organ- 
ization and work of the Survey and the results it has achieved. 
Prior to the date of the act above mentioned five Federal surveys 
had been engaged in mapping portions of the territory of the United 
States. The oldest of these, the Coast and Geodetic Survey, had 
restricted its mapping to the coast line, but had extended certain geo- 
detic and scientific investigations over various portions of the country. 
The other four organizations had made topographic, geologic, and other 
scientific and economic surveys in the Territories west of the one hun- 
dredth meridian. The Geological ICxploration of the Fortieth Parallel 
was engaged from 1867 to 1872, under the direction of Mr. Clarence 
King, in surveying a zone, 105 miles wide, extending from the merid- 
ian of 104° to that of 120° west of Greenwich, and comprising an area 
of 86,390 square miles. The Geological and Geographical Survey of 
the Territories, under Dr. F. V. Hay den, between 1873 and 1878, sur- 
veyed areas in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho, 
comprising about 100,000 square miles. The Geographical Survey 
West of the One Hundredth Meridian, under Capt. George M. Wheeler, 
U. S. Army, was engaged in extending surveys in various portions 
of the country west of the meridian named in its title. It surveyed 
an area of about 359,000 square miles. The work of the Geograph- 
ical and Geological Survey of the Rocky Mountain Region, under 
