Richard D Cotter
Encyclopedia
Richard D. Cotter also known as Dick Cotter and R.D. Cotter, was an Irish
born American member of the first California Geological Survey
.
He was orphaned at a young age and emigrated to the United States
in 1850 with his brother John, who moved to Bowling Green, Missouri
. There were at least three other siblings - Jeremiah and James Cotter and Mary Cotter Leahey. Cotter was taken in from an orphan's home and educated by John C. Sutton, a St. Louis, Missouri
blacksmith, farmer and inventor of the Sutton plow.
At the age of 18, Cotter asked Sutton for permission to go west and seek his fortune in the gold mines as some of the Suttons had done. Instead, scouts of the Whitney Surveying party offered him a job and Cotter took a position as packer on the California Geological Survey under Josiah Whitney
from 1862 to 1864. Hired as a packer, Cotter did not actually know much about packing, but caught on quickly. Clarence King
called Cotter "our man-of-all-work, to whom science already owes its debts". and described him as "Stout of limb, stronger yet in heart, of iron endurance, and a quiet unexcited temperament, and better yet, devoted to me, I felt that Cotter was the one comrade I would choose to face death with, for I believed there was in his manhood no room for fear or shirk." and, "in all my experience of mountaineering I have never known an act of such real, profound courage as this of Cotter's." In the Exploration of the Sierra Nevada, Francis P. Farquhar
describes Cotter as, "an indomitable mountain-climber whose Services were of great value in more than one branch of the work".
Mount Whitney
, the highest mountain in the contiguous states was first discovered in July 1864 by Clarence King and Richard Cotter.
After Cotter completed the mapping in Yosemite late 1864, he signed up to work on the Western Union Telegraph Expedition to British Columbia
and Alaska
, with the goal of providing a telegraph link from Asia through Alaska by way of Bering Strait
.
In 1866 Richard Cotter and J.T. Dyer made a very hazardous and successful exploration of the country between Norton Bay and the mouth of the Koyukuk River
on the Yukon
.
The project was abandoned in July 1866, when completion of the submarine Transatlantic telegraph cable
established a link from the United States to Europe. However, the public interest stimulated by the Alaskan project is credited with influencing the purchase of Alaska from the Russian Empire
on March 30, 1867, for $7.2 million.
Cotter then joined Clarence King
on the Geological Exploration of the Fortieth Parallel
in 1867, resigned after two years and settled in York just outside Helena, Montana
. In 1875 he travelled to Washington Territory
and kept a short diary.
Among his occupations in York, he had been a Sunday School
superintendent, Postmaster
, mine
owner, Ranch
owner and a Justice of the Peace
. He spent the last eight years of his life in the county hospital in Helena where he died on March 12, 1927.
Mount Cotter
, located in the Kings Canyon National Park
is named after Cotter.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
born American member of the first California Geological Survey
California Geological Survey
Although it was not until 1880 that the California State Mining Bureau, predecessor to the California Geological Survey, was established, the "roots" of California's state geological survey date to an earlier time...
.
He was orphaned at a young age and emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1850 with his brother John, who moved to Bowling Green, Missouri
Bowling Green, Missouri
Bowling Green is a city in Pike County, Missouri, United States. The population was 3,260 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Pike County.Ameren's Peno Creek Power Plant, a combustion turbine generator power plant, is located in Bowling Green....
. There were at least three other siblings - Jeremiah and James Cotter and Mary Cotter Leahey. Cotter was taken in from an orphan's home and educated by John C. Sutton, a St. Louis, Missouri
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...
blacksmith, farmer and inventor of the Sutton plow.
At the age of 18, Cotter asked Sutton for permission to go west and seek his fortune in the gold mines as some of the Suttons had done. Instead, scouts of the Whitney Surveying party offered him a job and Cotter took a position as packer on the California Geological Survey under Josiah Whitney
Josiah Whitney
Josiah Dwight Whitney was an American geologist, professor of geology at Harvard University , and chief of the California Geological Survey...
from 1862 to 1864. Hired as a packer, Cotter did not actually know much about packing, but caught on quickly. Clarence 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:...
called Cotter "our man-of-all-work, to whom science already owes its debts". and described him as "Stout of limb, stronger yet in heart, of iron endurance, and a quiet unexcited temperament, and better yet, devoted to me, I felt that Cotter was the one comrade I would choose to face death with, for I believed there was in his manhood no room for fear or shirk." and, "in all my experience of mountaineering I have never known an act of such real, profound courage as this of Cotter's." In the Exploration of the Sierra Nevada, Francis P. Farquhar
Francis P. Farquhar
Francis Peloubet Farquhar graduated from Harvard and came to San Francisco to set up in practice as a Certified Public Accountant...
describes Cotter as, "an indomitable mountain-climber whose Services were of great value in more than one branch of the work".
Mount Whitney
Mount Whitney
Mount Whitney is the highest summit in the contiguous United States with an elevation of . It is on the boundary between California's Inyo and Tulare counties, west-northwest of the lowest point in North America at Badwater in Death Valley National Park...
, the highest mountain in the contiguous states was first discovered in July 1864 by Clarence King and Richard Cotter.
After Cotter completed the mapping in Yosemite late 1864, he signed up to work on the Western Union Telegraph Expedition to British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
and Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, with the goal of providing a telegraph link from Asia through Alaska by way of Bering Strait
Bering Strait
The Bering Strait , known to natives as Imakpik, is a sea strait between Cape Dezhnev, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, the easternmost point of the Asian continent and Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska, USA, the westernmost point of the North American continent, with latitude of about 65°40'N,...
.
In 1866 Richard Cotter and J.T. Dyer made a very hazardous and successful exploration of the country between Norton Bay and the mouth of the Koyukuk River
Koyukuk River
The Koyukuk River is a principal tributary of the Yukon River, approximately 500 mi long, in northern Alaska in the United States.It drains an area north of the Yukon on the southern side of the Brooks Range...
on the Yukon
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
.
The project was abandoned in July 1866, when completion of the submarine Transatlantic telegraph cable
Transatlantic telegraph cable
The transatlantic telegraph cable was the first cable used for telegraph communications laid across the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. It crossed from , Foilhommerum Bay, Valentia Island, in western Ireland to Heart's Content in eastern Newfoundland. The transatlantic cable connected North America...
established a link from the United States to Europe. However, the public interest stimulated by the Alaskan project is credited with influencing the purchase of Alaska from the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
on March 30, 1867, for $7.2 million.
Cotter then joined Clarence 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:...
on the Geological Exploration of the Fortieth Parallel
Geological Exploration of the Fortieth Parallel
The Geological Exploration of the Fortieth Parallel was a geological survey made by order of the Secretary of War according to acts of Congress of March 2,1867, and March 3, 1869, under the direction of Brig. and Bvt. Major General A. A. Humphreys, Chief of Engineers, by Clarence King, U. S....
in 1867, resigned after two years and settled in York just outside Helena, Montana
Helena, Montana
Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
. In 1875 he travelled to Washington Territory
Washington Territory
The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 8, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington....
and kept a short diary.
Among his occupations in York, he had been a Sunday School
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
superintendent, Postmaster
Postmaster
A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...
, mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
owner, Ranch
Ranch
A ranch is an area of landscape, including various structures, given primarily to the practice of ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or wool. The word most often applies to livestock-raising operations in the western United States and Canada, though...
owner and a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
. He spent the last eight years of his life in the county hospital in Helena where he died on March 12, 1927.
Mount Cotter
Mount Cotter
Mount Cotter, located in the Kings Canyon National Park, is named for Dick Cotter who was a packer with the California Geological Survey in 1864. Cotter and Clarence King made the first ascent of Mount Tyndall.The Mountain has an elevation of ....
, located in the Kings Canyon National Park
Kings Canyon National Park
Kings Canyon National Park is a National Park in the southern Sierra Nevada, east of Fresno, California. The park was established in 1940 and covers...
is named after Cotter.
