George Wheeler
Encyclopedia
Captain George Montague Wheeler (born Grafton, Massachusetts
, October 9, 1842 — died New York City
, May 3, 1905) was a pioneering explorer and cartographer, leader of the Wheeler Survey
, one of the major surveys of the western United States
in the late nineteenth century. He graduated from West Point in 1866, ranked sixth in his class, and he was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the US Army Corps of Engineers
. His first exploration was in 1869, when Wheeler was 27 years old, and on the staff of the Commanding General of the Department of California
of the US Army.
In 1872, the US Congress authorized an ambitious plan to map the portion of the United States west of the 100th meridian
at a scale of 8 miles to the inch. This plan necessitated what became known as the Wheeler Survey
, lasting until 1879, when the survey, along with the King
and Powell
Surveys, were terminated and their work was reorganized as the United States Geological Survey
.
Wheeler was promoted to Captain in 1879. In 1881 he represented the United States at the Third International Geographical Congress and Exhibition in Venice, Italy. He entered semi-retirement in 1883 but continued to write scientific reports until his full retirement from the Army in 1888 at the rank of Major. He died in New York City in 1905.
Wheeler Peak
in Nevada (part of the Great Basin National Park
), Wheeler Peak
in New Mexico (the state high point), and the scenic Wheeler Geologic Area
in southern Colorado
are named for George Wheeler.
Grafton, Massachusetts
Grafton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 17,765 at the 2010 census. Grafton is the home of a Nipmuc village known as Hassanamisco Reservation, the Willard House and Clock Museum, and the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine...
, October 9, 1842 — died New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, May 3, 1905) was a pioneering explorer and cartographer, leader of the Wheeler Survey
Wheeler Survey
The Wheeler Survey was a survey of a portion of the United States lying west of the 100th meridian. It comprised multiple expeditions, and was supervised by First Lieutenant George Montague Wheeler....
, one of the major surveys of the western United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the late nineteenth century. He graduated from West Point in 1866, ranked sixth in his class, and he was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the US Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
. His first exploration was in 1869, when Wheeler was 27 years old, and on the staff of the Commanding General of the Department of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
of the US Army.
In 1872, the US Congress authorized an ambitious plan to map the portion of the United States west of the 100th meridian
100th meridian west
The meridian 100° west of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, North America, the Pacific Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
at a scale of 8 miles to the inch. This plan necessitated what became known as the Wheeler Survey
Wheeler Survey
The Wheeler Survey was a survey of a portion of the United States lying west of the 100th meridian. It comprised multiple expeditions, and was supervised by First Lieutenant George Montague Wheeler....
, lasting until 1879, when the survey, along with the King
Clarence King
Clarence R. King was an American geologist, mountaineer, and art critic. First director of the United States Geological Survey, from 1879 to 1881, King was noted for his exploration of the Sierra Nevada. He was born in Newport, Rhode Island.-Career:...
and Powell
John Wesley Powell
John Wesley Powell was a U.S. soldier, geologist, explorer of the American West, and director of major scientific and cultural institutions...
Surveys, were terminated and their work was reorganized as the United States Geological Survey
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology,...
.
Wheeler was promoted to Captain in 1879. In 1881 he represented the United States at the Third International Geographical Congress and Exhibition in Venice, Italy. He entered semi-retirement in 1883 but continued to write scientific reports until his full retirement from the Army in 1888 at the rank of Major. He died in New York City in 1905.
Wheeler Peak
Wheeler Peak (Nevada)
Wheeler Peak, elevation , a mountain in the Great Basin Desert, is the highest point in Great Basin National Park. The summit is located west of the Utah border...
in Nevada (part of the Great Basin National Park
Great Basin National Park
Great Basin National Park is a United States National Park established in 1986, located in east-central Nevada near the Utah border. The park derives its name from the Great Basin, the dry and mountainous region between the Sierra Nevada and the Wasatch Mountains. Topographically, this area is...
), Wheeler Peak
Wheeler Peak (New Mexico)
Wheeler Peak is, at 13,161 ft, the highest peak in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is located northeast of Taos in the northern part of the state, and just 2 miles southeast of the ski slopes of Taos Ski Valley...
in New Mexico (the state high point), and the scenic Wheeler Geologic Area
Wheeler Geologic Area
The Wheeler Geologic Area is a highly eroded outcropping of layers of volcanic ash, located in the La Garita Mountains of Mineral County, in southern Colorado in the western United States; about 10 miles east north-east of Creede...
in southern Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
are named for George Wheeler.
Publications
- Preliminary report concerning explorations and surveys, principally in Nevada and Arizona (1872)
- Address of Lieut. Geo. M. Wheeler...before the American Geographical Society (1874)
- Report upon the determination of the astronomical co-ordinates of the primary stations at Cheyenne, Wyoming Territory, and Colorado Springs, Colorado Territory (1874)
- Preliminary report upon a reconnaissance through southern and southeastern Nevada, made in 1869 (1875)