William F. Raynolds
Encyclopedia
William Franklin Raynolds (March 17, 1820 – October 18, 1894) was a U.S. Army Colonel
, explorer, engineer, Mexican War and Civil War
officer who is best known for leading the 1859-1860 Raynolds Expedition
while serving as a member of the U.S. Army Corps of Topographical Engineers
. Raynolds was also a temporary Brevet Brigadier General
in 1865 for meritorious services during the Civil War and retired from the Corps of Engineers
a full Colonel on March 17, 1884, after a 40 year military career.
, William Raynolds was appointed from his native state and entered United States Military Academy
at West Point, New York
on July 1, 1839. A smiling young man of fair complexion, brown hair and blue eyes, a classmate later described the cadet Raynolds as somewhat staid and studious in his habits, but invariably friendly and helpful to fellow cadets. Raynolds graduated fifth out of 39 classmates in his class of 1843, which included William B. Franklin
, friend Joseph J. Reynolds
and future United States President
Ulysses S. Grant
.
Second Lieutenant
in the 5th U.S. Infantry, Raynolds was transferred to a new branch of the Corps of Engineers
, the Topographical Engineers, an officer-only unit which made surveys and maps for army use. Raynolds would serve in this branch for his entire career.
Raynolds's first assignments involved improving navigation on the Ohio River
and surveying the northeastern boundary of the United States. When war with Mexico seemed likely, topographic engineers were sent to the border to assist the army's preparations. Raynolds accompanied Winfield Scott
and his staff to rendezvous off the port of Veracruz
.
for some months. Looking for adventure, Raynolds and a few of his fellow soldiers obtained permission to explore and map nearby mountains. Raynolds's party was credited for being the first to climb to the summit of Pico de Orizaba
19°01′48"N 97°16′12"W which at 18491 feet (5,636.1 m), is the tallest mountain in Mexico
. This feat may have been the American mountaineering
altitude record for the following 50 years.
Next Raynolds traveled the Great Lakes
for several years surveying and mapping shorelines while identifying potential lighthouse locations. After promotions to First Lieutenant
and Captain, in 1857 Raynolds undertook the construction of a number of lighthouse
s along the Jersey Shore
and Delmarva Peninsula
. In less than two years Captain Raynolds supervised construction of the Fenwick Island Light
, the Finns Point Front Range Light, the Cape May Light and the Absecon Light
.
region of Wyoming
to determine, "as far as practicable, everything relating to . . . the Indians of the country, its agricultural and mineralogical resources . . ., the navigability of its streams, its topographical features, and the facilities or obstacles which the latter present to the construction of rail or common roads....". The expedition was carried out by a handful of technicians, including geologist/naturalist F.V. Hayden
, who led several later expeditions to the Yellowstone region, and topographer James D. Hutton
. The expedition was supported by a small infantry detachment and was funded with $60,000 by the U.S. Government. Experienced mountain man
Jim Bridger
was hired to guide the expedition. Though the Raynolds Expedition was unsuccessful in exploring the region that later became Yellowstone National Park, they were the first U.S. Government sponsored party to cross the mountain pass
in the Wind River Range
that Raynolds named Union Pass
and enter Jackson Hole
in 1860. The outbreak of the American Civil War
and a severe illness afterwards delayed Raynolds from presenting his report on his 1859-1860 expedition until 1867.
and the newly created loyal state of West Virginia
. In 1862, Raynolds was engaged as part of John C. Frémont's
Mountain Department in chasing Stonewall Jackson
up the Shenandoah Valley
, being surprised by and losing to Jackson's forces at Battle of Cross Keys
.
Raynolds spent two months recovering from illness after the Valley Campaign
, then was assigned as chief engineer of Middle Department and VIII Corps in January 1863. Promoted Major
in the Corps of Engineers from March 1863, Raynolds found himself in charge of the defenses of vital Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
during Robert E. Lee's
second Confederate
invasion of the north before the Gettysburg Campaign
.
As the end of war approached and hostilities with Sioux Indians loomed, Raynolds's knowledge and experiences of the Great Lakes area became more important to the army than his abilities commanding an ordnance depot. From April 1864, while his classmate U.S. Grant was planning his Overland Campaign
, Raynolds returned to the Great Lakes as superintending engineer of surveys and lighthouses. Raynolds supervised the siting of lighthouses like the Alpena Breakwater Light in Alpena, Michigan
and dozens of others.
for his Civil War service and promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
in the Corps of Engineers. He continued serving with the Corps of Engineers in a variety of harbor and river navigational improvements until his retirement in 1884. Raynolds sited and oversaw the installation of dozens of lighthouses in the Great Lakes area. He erected more lighthouses along the Gulf Coast and again in New Jersey
, such as the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse
built in 1874 and the original New Castle Range Front
and New Castle Range Rear Light
houses in 1876.
After the Civil War, the Corps of Engineers undertook a massive program of river and harbor improvements. Raynolds supervised the dredging and improvement of navigation on western waterways of commerce like the Arkansas
, Mississippi
and Missouri River
s. He was involved in harbor dredging and construction in Buffalo, New York
, Harbor of Refuge in New Buffalo, Michigan
, Erie Harbor in Erie, Pennsylvania
, and the river harbors of St. Louis, Missouri
and Alton, Illinois
.
As he approached retirement, Raynolds was elected trustee of the Presbyterian Church.
For a lifelong soldier who was engaged in few actual battles, Raynolds spent much of the first part of his career exploring the American western frontier, negotiating successfully with local Indian tribes, and drawing the first maps of areas now called the Dakotas, Wyoming
and Montana
. His improvements to harbors and navigation were undertaken to and undoubtedly did save lives. Hundreds of lighthouses sites selected by Raynolds are still in use; dozens of lighthouses built by Raynolds still stand, and many still operate.
The mountain gap where Raynolds's party crossed Continental Divide
between Southwest Montana
and Northeast Idaho
is named Raynolds Pass
44°42.6′N 111°28.2′W in his honor, as is Raynolds Peak
43°52′15"N 110°49′30"W in the Teton Range
.
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
, explorer, engineer, Mexican War and Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
officer who is best known for leading the 1859-1860 Raynolds Expedition
Raynolds Expedition
The Raynolds Expedition was an United States Army exploring and mapping party which left St. Louis, Missouri May 29, 1859 and was intended to map the unexplored territory between Fort Pierre, Dakota Territory and headwaters of the Yellowstone River. Led by experienced explorer and topographical...
while serving as a member of the U.S. Army Corps of Topographical Engineers
Corps of Topographical Engineers
The U.S. Army Corps of Topographical Engineers, was separately authorized on 4 July 1838, consisted only of officers, and was used for mapping and the design and construction of federal civil works such as lighthouses and other coastal fortifications and navigational routes. It included such...
. Raynolds was also a temporary Brevet Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
in 1865 for meritorious services during the Civil War and retired from the 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...
a full Colonel on March 17, 1884, after a 40 year military career.
Early life
Born in Canton, OhioCanton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, William Raynolds was appointed from his native state and entered United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
at West Point, New York
West Point, New York
West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census...
on July 1, 1839. A smiling young man of fair complexion, brown hair and blue eyes, a classmate later described the cadet Raynolds as somewhat staid and studious in his habits, but invariably friendly and helpful to fellow cadets. Raynolds graduated fifth out of 39 classmates in his class of 1843, which included William B. Franklin
William B. Franklin
William Buel Franklin was a career United States Army officer and a Union Army general in the American Civil War. He rose to the rank of a corps commander in the Army of the Potomac, fighting in several notable early battles in the Eastern Theater.-Early life:William B. Franklin was born in York,...
, friend Joseph J. Reynolds
Joseph J. Reynolds
Joseph Jones Reynolds was an American engineer, educator, and military officer who fought in the American Civil War and the postbellum Indian Wars.-Early life and career:Reynolds was born in Flemingsburg, Kentucky...
and future United States President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
.
Military career
Initially appointed a BrevetBrevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the 5th U.S. Infantry, Raynolds was transferred to a new branch of the 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...
, the Topographical Engineers, an officer-only unit which made surveys and maps for army use. Raynolds would serve in this branch for his entire career.
Raynolds's first assignments involved improving navigation on the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
and surveying the northeastern boundary of the United States. When war with Mexico seemed likely, topographic engineers were sent to the border to assist the army's preparations. Raynolds accompanied Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott was a United States Army general, and unsuccessful presidential candidate of the Whig Party in 1852....
and his staff to rendezvous off the port of Veracruz
Veracruz, Veracruz
Veracruz, officially known as Heroica Veracruz, is a major port city and municipality on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city is located in the central part of the state. It is located along Federal Highway 140 from the state capital Xalapa, and is the state's most...
.
Mexico
Raynolds served in Scott's Mexican-American War campaign from Veracruz to the Mexican capital district but received no brevet promotions, unlike his West Point classmates Franklin and Grant. After the completion of the war, the American army occupied Mexico CityMexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
for some months. Looking for adventure, Raynolds and a few of his fellow soldiers obtained permission to explore and map nearby mountains. Raynolds's party was credited for being the first to climb to the summit of Pico de Orizaba
Pico de Orizaba
The Pico de Orizaba, or Citlaltépetl , is a stratovolcano, the highest mountain in Mexico and the third highest in North America. It rises above sea level in the eastern end of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, on the border between the states of Veracruz and Puebla...
19°01′48"N 97°16′12"W which at 18491 feet (5,636.1 m), is the tallest mountain in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. This feat may have been the American mountaineering
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
altitude record for the following 50 years.
Lighthouse builder
After returning from Mexico, Raynolds resumed the uncompleted task of mapping the Canadian border he'd been surveying before the war, then embarked on a project to develop water resources for the nation's growing capitol at Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Next Raynolds traveled the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
for several years surveying and mapping shorelines while identifying potential lighthouse locations. After promotions to First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
and Captain, in 1857 Raynolds undertook the construction of a number of lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
s along the Jersey Shore
Jersey Shore
The Jersey Shore is a term used to refer to both the Atlantic coast of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the adjacent resort and residential communities. . The New Jersey State Department of Tourism considers the Shore Region, Greater Atlantic City, and the Southern Shore to be distinct, each having...
and Delmarva Peninsula
Delmarva Peninsula
The Delmarva Peninsula is a large peninsula on the East Coast of the United States, occupied by most of Delaware and portions of Maryland and Virginia...
. In less than two years Captain Raynolds supervised construction of the Fenwick Island Light
Fenwick Island Light
Fenwick Island Lighthouse is a lighthouse in Delaware, United States, on the Delaware/Maryland border.- History :In 1856, the United States Congress appropriated $25,000 for the Fenwick Island Lighthouse and on January 11, 1858 a ten-acre tract for the station was obtained from Mary C. Hall for...
, the Finns Point Front Range Light, the Cape May Light and the Absecon Light
Absecon Light
The Absecon Light is a coastal lighthouse located in the north end of Atlantic City, New Jersey overlooking Absecon Inlet. It is the tallest lighthouse in the state of New Jersey and is the third tallest masonry lighthouse in the United States. Construction began in 1854, with the light first lit...
.
Raynolds Expedition
In early 1859 Raynolds was charged with leading an expedition into the YellowstoneYellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
region of Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
to determine, "as far as practicable, everything relating to . . . the Indians of the country, its agricultural and mineralogical resources . . ., the navigability of its streams, its topographical features, and the facilities or obstacles which the latter present to the construction of rail or common roads....". The expedition was carried out by a handful of technicians, including geologist/naturalist F.V. Hayden
Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden
Dr. Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden was an American geologist noted for his pioneering surveying expeditions of the Rocky Mountains in the late 19th century. He was also a physician who served with the Union Army during the Civil War.-Early life:Ferdinand Hayden was born in Westfield, Massachusetts...
, who led several later expeditions to the Yellowstone region, and topographer James D. Hutton
James D. Hutton
James Dempsey Hutton was an artist, surveyor, cartographer and early photographer active in Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota and North Dakota in the years before the American Civil War. He served as an engineer in the Confederate States Army in that conflict, and died in exile in Mexico in...
. The expedition was supported by a small infantry detachment and was funded with $60,000 by the U.S. Government. Experienced mountain man
Mountain man
Mountain men were trappers and explorers who roamed the North American Rocky Mountains from about 1810 through the 1880s where they were instrumental in opening up the various Emigrant Trails allowing Americans in the east to settle the new territories of the far west by organized wagon trains...
Jim Bridger
Jim Bridger
James Felix "Jim" Bridger was among the foremost mountain men, trappers, scouts and guides who explored and trapped the Western United States during the decades of 1820-1850, as well as mediating between native tribes and encroaching whites...
was hired to guide the expedition. Though the Raynolds Expedition was unsuccessful in exploring the region that later became Yellowstone National Park, they were the first U.S. Government sponsored party to cross the mountain pass
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
in the Wind River Range
Wind River Range
The Wind River Range , is a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains in western Wyoming in the United States. The range runs roughly NW-SE for approximately 100 miles . The Continental Divide follows the crest of the range and includes Gannett Peak, which at 13,804 feet , is the highest peak...
that Raynolds named Union Pass
Union Pass
Union Pass is a high mountain pass in the Wind River Range of western Wyoming in the United States. The pass is located on the Continental Divide between the Gros Ventre mountains on the west and the Wind River Range on the east. The pass was historically used by Native Americans and early...
and enter Jackson Hole
Jackson Hole
Jackson Hole, originally called Jackson's Hole, is a valley located in the U.S. state of Wyoming, near the western border with Idaho. The name "hole" derives from language used by early trappers or mountain men, who primarily entered the valley from the north and east and had to descend along...
in 1860. The outbreak of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and a severe illness afterwards delayed Raynolds from presenting his report on his 1859-1860 expedition until 1867.
American Civil War
Raynolds returned to Washington at the outbreak of the war, and was made chief topographic engineer of the Department of Virginia in July, 1861. The army lacked adequate maps for military use, so Raynolds and his team of engineers began to survey and draw useful maps of VirginiaVirginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and the newly created loyal state of West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. In 1862, Raynolds was engaged as part of John C. Frémont's
John C. Frémont
John Charles Frémont , was an American military officer, explorer, and the first candidate of the anti-slavery Republican Party for the office of President of the United States. During the 1840s, that era's penny press accorded Frémont the sobriquet The Pathfinder...
Mountain Department in chasing Stonewall Jackson
Stonewall Jackson
ຄຽשת״ׇׂׂׂׂ֣|birth_place= Clarksburg, Virginia |death_place=Guinea Station, Virginia|placeofburial=Stonewall Jackson Memorial CemeteryLexington, Virginia|placeofburial_label= Place of burial|image=...
up the Shenandoah Valley
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River...
, being surprised by and losing to Jackson's forces at Battle of Cross Keys
Battle of Cross Keys
The Battle of Cross Keys was fought on June 8, 1862, in Rockingham County, Virginia, as part of Confederate Army Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's campaign through the Shenandoah Valley during the American Civil War...
.
Raynolds spent two months recovering from illness after the Valley Campaign
Valley Campaign
Jackson's Valley Campaign was Confederate Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's famous spring 1862 campaign through the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia during the American Civil War...
, then was assigned as chief engineer of Middle Department and VIII Corps in January 1863. Promoted Major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
in the Corps of Engineers from March 1863, Raynolds found himself in charge of the defenses of vital Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
Harpers Ferry is a historic town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States. In many books the town is called "Harper's Ferry" with an apostrophe....
during Robert E. Lee's
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
second Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
invasion of the north before the Gettysburg Campaign
Gettysburg Campaign
The Gettysburg Campaign was a series of battles fought in June and July 1863, during the American Civil War. After his victory in the Battle of Chancellorsville, Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia moved north for offensive operations in Maryland and Pennsylvania. The...
.
As the end of war approached and hostilities with Sioux Indians loomed, Raynolds's knowledge and experiences of the Great Lakes area became more important to the army than his abilities commanding an ordnance depot. From April 1864, while his classmate U.S. Grant was planning his Overland Campaign
Overland Campaign
The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, in the American Civil War. Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, general-in-chief of all Union armies, directed the actions of the Army of the...
, Raynolds returned to the Great Lakes as superintending engineer of surveys and lighthouses. Raynolds supervised the siting of lighthouses like the Alpena Breakwater Light in Alpena, Michigan
Alpena, Michigan
Alpena is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Alpena County. It is considered to be part of Northern Michigan. The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary is located in the city. The population was 10,483 at the 2010 census...
and dozens of others.
Post war career
Raynolds was brevetted Brigadier GeneralBrigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
for his Civil War service and promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
in the Corps of Engineers. He continued serving with the Corps of Engineers in a variety of harbor and river navigational improvements until his retirement in 1884. Raynolds sited and oversaw the installation of dozens of lighthouses in the Great Lakes area. He erected more lighthouses along the Gulf Coast and again in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, such as the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse
Hereford Inlet Lighthouse
The Hereford Inlet Light is a historic lighthouse located in North Wildwood, New Jersey, situated on the southwestern shore of Hereford Inlet. Its construction was completed and it became operational in 1874....
built in 1874 and the original New Castle Range Front
New Castle Range Front Light
New Castle Range Front Lighthouse is a lighthouse in Delaware, United States, on the Delaware River near New Castle, Delaware -History:The original New Castle Range lights were wooden towers built in 1876. The New Castle Range Rear Light was attached to the keeper’s quarters while the New Castle...
and New Castle Range Rear Light
New Castle Range Rear Light
New Castle Range Rear Lighthouse is a lighthouse in Delaware,United States, on the Delaware River near New Castle, Delaware.-History:The original New Castle Range tits were wooden towers built in 1876. The New Castle Range Rear Light was attached to the keeper’s quarters while the New Castle Range...
houses in 1876.
After the Civil War, the Corps of Engineers undertook a massive program of river and harbor improvements. Raynolds supervised the dredging and improvement of navigation on western waterways of commerce like the Arkansas
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
, Mississippi
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...
and Missouri River
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...
s. He was involved in harbor dredging and construction in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, Harbor of Refuge in New Buffalo, Michigan
New Buffalo, Michigan
New Buffalo is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,200 at the 2000 census. This city is within New Buffalo Township, but is politically autonomous.-Geography:...
, Erie Harbor in Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
, and the river harbors of 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...
and Alton, Illinois
Alton, Illinois
Alton is a city on the Mississippi River in Madison County, Illinois, United States, about north of St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 27,865 at the 2010 census. It is a part of the Metro-East region of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area in Southern Illinois...
.
As he approached retirement, Raynolds was elected trustee of the Presbyterian Church.
Legacy
According to USMA classmate Joseph Reynolds, who saw William Raynolds at the USMA Association of Graduates reunion in 1893, Raynolds had maintained a vigorous and healthy appearance even in extreme age, his brown hair "then but slightly sprinkled with gray..." Raynolds left his widow a substantial estate, estimated at his death in 1894 between $50,000 and $100,000. After providing for his widow, his will directed that after her death, the entire estate would create a trust fund to assist Presbyterian churches in need.For a lifelong soldier who was engaged in few actual battles, Raynolds spent much of the first part of his career exploring the American western frontier, negotiating successfully with local Indian tribes, and drawing the first maps of areas now called the Dakotas, Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
and Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
. His improvements to harbors and navigation were undertaken to and undoubtedly did save lives. Hundreds of lighthouses sites selected by Raynolds are still in use; dozens of lighthouses built by Raynolds still stand, and many still operate.
The mountain gap where Raynolds's party crossed Continental Divide
Continental Divide
The Continental Divide of the Americas, or merely the Continental Gulf of Division or Great Divide, is the name given to the principal, and largely mountainous, hydrological divide of the Americas that separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from those river systems that drain...
between Southwest Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
and Northeast Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
is named Raynolds Pass
Raynolds Pass
Raynolds Pass, el. is a mountain pass on the Montana-Idaho border in the Rocky Mountains, United States. The pass is on the Continental Divide, and is traversed by a state highway . The pass is named for Captain William F...
44°42.6′N 111°28.2′W in his honor, as is Raynolds Peak
Raynolds Peak
Raynolds Peak is in the northern Teton Range, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. The mountain rises to the north of Moran Canyon and has numerous deep cirques on its north face above Snowshoe Canyon. There are no maintained trails in the region and the summit is 5 miles west of Moran Bay on...
43°52′15"N 110°49′30"W in the Teton Range
Teton Range
The Teton Range is a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains in North America. A north-south range, it is on the Wyoming side of the state's border with Idaho, just south of Yellowstone National Park. Most of the range is in Grand Teton National Park....
.