George William Featherstonhaugh
Encyclopedia
George William Featherstonhaugh FRS (London, 9 April 1780 – Le Havre
, 28 September 1866) was a British geologist and geographer who initiated the Albany and Schenectady Railroad
and was a surveyor of the Louisiana Purchase
for the US Government.
at Albany, New York
with the navigable Mohawk River
at Schenectady. His acquaintance with George Stephenson
(1781–1848) facilitated his quest. Ten years were spent in an attempt to educate the public for the experiment and it was not until December, 1825, that Featherstonhaugh was determined to apply for a charter. This was granted on April 17, 1826.
In1826 the painter Thomas Cole
did a landscape entitled "the Seat of Mr. Featherstonhaugh in the Distance" but found Featherstonhaugh a "heartless employer".
After the death of his wife and two daughters, he returned to England
in 1826.
Construction of the railroad began on July 29, 1830, and one year later the road was completed from Engine hill (near the top of Crane Street hill) in Schenectady to Lydius street in the western suburb of Albany. Formal opening of the road was on August 13, 1831, when the DeWitt Clinton
pulled the first train to Schenectady.
The Albany and Schenectady Railroad
justified Featherstonhaugh's vision, and made the Mohawk Valley the center of early railroad construction in New York State. In 1832 the Saratoga and Schenectady Rail Road
was completed, the Schenectady terminus being at what is now Water and Railroad Streets.
In July 1831 Featherstonhaugh issued the sole edition of the Monthly American Journal of Geology and Natural Science.
in 1803, the government sought to document the mineral resources of the territory. In 1834, Featherstonhaugh, newly appointed as the first U.S. government geologist, was instructed to examine the elevated country between the Missouri
and Red rivers
and report back to Colonel John James Abert
of the Topographical Bureau.
With his son George Jr. as his assistant, he took stagecoaches from Baltimore
, Maryland
, to St. Louis
, Missouri
. In St. Louis, they purchased a horse they named “Missouri” and a Dearborn wagon for the travel into Arkansas
.
, Wisconsin
up the Fox river to the Wisconsin River
, then downstream to Prairie du Chien, and into the Mississippi River
. He paddled up the Mississippi, passing the St. Croix River
and the Minnesota River
, stopping at Carver's Cave
and Saint Anthony Falls
.
In August 1837 after travelling along the Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee Rivers, Featherstonhaugh joined with Special Government Agent John Mason, Jr. to attend the Cherokee National Council at Red Clay, TN at the beginning of the crisis that eventually led to the Cherokee Removal
, sometimes called the "Trail of Tears
". He spent more than a month with these Indians, and was an eyewitness of the resistance of Principal Chief John Ross and the Cherokee people to the fraudulent Treaty of New Echota
. The public purpose of his visit was to inspect for the Federal government the geology of the mountainous regions of Georgia and North Carolina where gold had been discovered, but there was also another covert mission. In his memoirs, Featherstonhaugh described a pleasant encounter with a learned Welsh-born Baptist missionary Rev. Evan Jones, a fellow Britisher residing among the Cherokees. However, in a secret memoranda sent to Gen. Winfield Scott in May 1838, he wrote: "Evan Jones, An Englishman of dark. cunning character. This man many years ago settled as a missionary amongst the Cherokee, knows their language well, and has had a great deal of personal intercourse with them. In the event of a rupture with these people, he is a person likely to give them bad advice, and I should advise his removal from the Nation." This memorandum also lists four other white men living with the Cherokees, ananlyses tribal politics, and provides an estimate of a possible military confrontation with the tribe because of the upland topography.
In 1837 Featherstonhaugh sat for Hiram Powers
the sculptor who considered him to have a "fine head". The Australian poet Barcroft Boake
also eulogised him.
, he was appointed by the British government a commissioner to settle the northern boundary of the United States under the Webster-Ashburton Treaty
. For the successful execution of this task, he was appointed consul from the British government to the departments of Calvados
and Seine, France. He spent much time writing and publishing the journals of his travels in the United States. He died in Le Havre
, France
, 28 September 1866, and is buried at Tunbridge Wells
, England.
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
, 28 September 1866) was a British geologist and geographer who initiated the Albany and Schenectady Railroad
Albany and Schenectady Railroad
The Albany & Schenectady Railroad, originally the Mohawk & Hudson Railroad, was the first railroad built in the State of New York and one of the first railroads in the United States....
and was a surveyor of the Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
for the US Government.
Early life
Born to George and Dorothy Simpson Featherstonhaugh in London, he grew up in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. Featherstonhaugh liked climbing cliffs, collecting fossils, and gathering wild bird eggs to sell. He was adept at writing and became a Fellow of the Geological Society and the Royal Society.First American Sojurn
In 1806 he came to the United States where he planned to study the languages of the indigenous people. He married Sarah Duane of Schenectady, New York, on November 6, 1808. They had four children: James, Ann, George Jr., and Georgianna. He farmed, organized the first New York Board of Agriculture, and advocated the building of steam railroads in the United States. Difficulty experienced in the economic transportation of his crops led Featherstonhaugh to advocate a steam railroad that would connect the Hudson RiverHudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
at Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
with the navigable Mohawk River
Mohawk River
The Mohawk River is a river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk flows into the Hudson in the Capital District, a few miles north of the city of Albany. The river is named for the Mohawk Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy...
at Schenectady. His acquaintance with George Stephenson
George Stephenson
George Stephenson was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer who built the first public railway line in the world to use steam locomotives...
(1781–1848) facilitated his quest. Ten years were spent in an attempt to educate the public for the experiment and it was not until December, 1825, that Featherstonhaugh was determined to apply for a charter. This was granted on April 17, 1826.
In1826 the painter Thomas Cole
Thomas Cole
Thomas Cole was an English-born American artist. He is regarded as the founder of the Hudson River School, an American art movement that flourished in the mid-19th century...
did a landscape entitled "the Seat of Mr. Featherstonhaugh in the Distance" but found Featherstonhaugh a "heartless employer".
After the death of his wife and two daughters, he returned to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1826.
Second American Sojurn
He later returned to the States to Philadelphia and, on January 28, 1831, married Charlotte Williams Carter in Schenectady County, New York. They had three children: Albany, Georgiannia, and Henry.Construction of the railroad began on July 29, 1830, and one year later the road was completed from Engine hill (near the top of Crane Street hill) in Schenectady to Lydius street in the western suburb of Albany. Formal opening of the road was on August 13, 1831, when the DeWitt Clinton
DeWitt Clinton (locomotive)
The DeWitt Clinton of the Mohawk and Hudson Railroad was the first steam locomotive to operate in the state of New York and the fourth built in the United States....
pulled the first train to Schenectady.
The Albany and Schenectady Railroad
Albany and Schenectady Railroad
The Albany & Schenectady Railroad, originally the Mohawk & Hudson Railroad, was the first railroad built in the State of New York and one of the first railroads in the United States....
justified Featherstonhaugh's vision, and made the Mohawk Valley the center of early railroad construction in New York State. In 1832 the Saratoga and Schenectady Rail Road
Saratoga and Schenectady Rail Road
The Saratoga and Schenectady Railroad was incorporated on February 16, 1831. It was opened from Schenectady to Ballston Spa on July 12, 1832, and extended to Saratoga Springs in 1833 for a total of . The Rensselaer and Saratoga Railroad leased the line on January 1, 1851, and the lease was...
was completed, the Schenectady terminus being at what is now Water and Railroad Streets.
In July 1831 Featherstonhaugh issued the sole edition of the Monthly American Journal of Geology and Natural Science.
Exploring the Louisiana Purchase
After acquiring a vast quantity of unexplored land in the Louisiana PurchaseLouisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
in 1803, the government sought to document the mineral resources of the territory. In 1834, Featherstonhaugh, newly appointed as the first U.S. government geologist, was instructed to examine the elevated country between the Missouri
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
and Red rivers
Red River (Mississippi watershed)
The Red River, or sometimes the Red River of the South, is a major tributary of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers in the southern United States of America. The river gains its name from the red-bed country of its watershed. It is one of several rivers with that name...
and report back to Colonel John James Abert
John James Abert
John James Abert was a United States soldier. He headed the Corps of Topographical Engineers for 32 years, during which time he organized the mapping of the American West....
of the Topographical Bureau.
With his son George Jr. as his assistant, he took stagecoaches from Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, to St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. In St. Louis, they purchased a horse they named “Missouri” and a Dearborn wagon for the travel into Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
.
Among the Cherokees
In 1835, Featherstonhaugh traveled from Green BayGreen Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
up the Fox river to the Wisconsin River
Wisconsin River
-External links:* * * , Wisconsin Historical Society* * * *...
, then downstream to Prairie du Chien, and into the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. He paddled up the Mississippi, passing the St. Croix River
St. Croix River (Wisconsin-Minnesota)
The St. Croix River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Minnesota. The lower of the river form the border between Wisconsin and Minnesota. The river is a National Scenic Riverway under the protection of the National Park Service. A...
and the Minnesota River
Minnesota River
The Minnesota River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 332 miles long, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It drains a watershed of nearly , in Minnesota and about in South Dakota and Iowa....
, stopping at Carver's Cave
Carver's Cave
Within Indian Mounds Park in St. Paul, Minnesota is a plaque memorializing Carver's Cave. The following is the exact text from the plaque:Repeated attempts were made by French and British Explorers to discover a northwest passage...
and Saint Anthony Falls
Saint Anthony Falls
Saint Anthony Falls, or the Falls of Saint Anthony, located northeast of downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, was the only natural major waterfall on the Upper Mississippi River. The natural falls was replaced by a concrete overflow spillway after it partially collapsed in 1869...
.
In August 1837 after travelling along the Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee Rivers, Featherstonhaugh joined with Special Government Agent John Mason, Jr. to attend the Cherokee National Council at Red Clay, TN at the beginning of the crisis that eventually led to the Cherokee Removal
Cherokee removal
Cherokee removal, part of the Trail of Tears, refers to the forced relocation between 1836 to 1839 of the Cherokee Nation from their lands in Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, Alabama, and North Carolina to the Indian Territory in the Western United States, which resulted in the deaths of approximately...
, sometimes called the "Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears is a name given to the forced relocation and movement of Native American nations from southeastern parts of the United States following the Indian Removal Act of 1830...
". He spent more than a month with these Indians, and was an eyewitness of the resistance of Principal Chief John Ross and the Cherokee people to the fraudulent Treaty of New Echota
Treaty of New Echota
The Treaty of New Echota was a treaty signed on December 29, 1835, in New Echota, Georgia by officials of the United States government and representatives of a minority Cherokee political faction, known as the Treaty Party...
. The public purpose of his visit was to inspect for the Federal government the geology of the mountainous regions of Georgia and North Carolina where gold had been discovered, but there was also another covert mission. In his memoirs, Featherstonhaugh described a pleasant encounter with a learned Welsh-born Baptist missionary Rev. Evan Jones, a fellow Britisher residing among the Cherokees. However, in a secret memoranda sent to Gen. Winfield Scott in May 1838, he wrote: "Evan Jones, An Englishman of dark. cunning character. This man many years ago settled as a missionary amongst the Cherokee, knows their language well, and has had a great deal of personal intercourse with them. In the event of a rupture with these people, he is a person likely to give them bad advice, and I should advise his removal from the Nation." This memorandum also lists four other white men living with the Cherokees, ananlyses tribal politics, and provides an estimate of a possible military confrontation with the tribe because of the upland topography.
In 1837 Featherstonhaugh sat for Hiram Powers
Hiram Powers
Hiram Powers was an American neoclassical sculptor.-Biography:The son of a farmer, Powers was born in Woodstock, Vermont, on the July 29, 1805. In 1818 his father moved to Ohio, about six miles from Cincinnati, where the son attended school for about a year, staying meanwhile with his brother, a...
the sculptor who considered him to have a "fine head". The Australian poet Barcroft Boake
Barcroft Boake
Barcroft Henry Thomas Boake was an Australian poet.Born in Sydney, Boake worked as a surveyor and a boundary rider, but is best remembered for his poetry, a volume of which was published five years after his death....
also eulogised him.
Back to England
Featherstonhaugh returned to England in 1838 with his wife and children. On account of his thorough knowledge of the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, he was appointed by the British government a commissioner to settle the northern boundary of the United States under the Webster-Ashburton Treaty
Webster-Ashburton Treaty
The Webster–Ashburton Treaty, signed August 9, 1842, was a treaty resolving several border issues between the United States and the British North American colonies...
. For the successful execution of this task, he was appointed consul from the British government to the departments of Calvados
Calvados
The French department of Calvados is part of the region of Basse-Normandie in Normandy. It takes its name from a cluster of rocks off the English Channel coast...
and Seine, France. He spent much time writing and publishing the journals of his travels in the United States. He died in Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, 28 September 1866, and is buried at Tunbridge Wells
Royal Tunbridge Wells
Royal Tunbridge Wells is a town in west Kent, England, about south-east of central London by road, by rail. The town is close to the border of the county of East Sussex...
, England.
Works
- CiceroCiceroMarcus Tullius Cicero , was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.He introduced the Romans to the chief...
, Republic, translation - New York, 1828 - Report of a Geological Reconnaissance made in 1835 from the Seat of Government by the way of Green Bay and the Wisconsin Territory to the Coteau du Prairie, an Elevated Ridge Dividing the Missouri from the Saint Peters River - 1836
- Observations on the Ashburton Treaty - London, 1842
- Excursion Through the Slave States - New York, 1844
- A Canoe Voyage up the Minnay Sotar (2 vols.) - London, 1847