Notable people · Science · Explorer
John Wesley Powell
Geologist and explorer born in Mount Morris, New York, whose family moved to Jackson, Ohio and who studied at Oberlin. He led the 1869 Green and Colorado river expedition and directed the US Geological Survey 1881-1894.
At a glance
- Born
- 1834-03-24
- Died
- 1902-09-23
- Education
- Illinois College, Jacksonville, IL, no degree
- Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH, no degree
- Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL, no degree
- Known as
- Science, Explorer
- Organizations
- US Geological Survey, Smithsonian
Life story
John Wesley Powell was born in Mount Morris, New York, in 1834, the son of an itinerant preacher from England. The family later lived in Jackson, Ohio, where his early schooling began. Over about seven years he took classes at Illinois College, Oberlin College and Wheaton while teaching, but never finished a degree.
He walked across Wisconsin in 1855 and rowed the Mississippi to the sea in 1856. In the Civil War he lost his right arm at Shiloh. In 1869 he led the first documented expedition through the Green and Colorado rivers and the Grand Canyon.
He directed the US Geological Survey from 1881 to 1894 and wrote about the arid West and Native American languages. He died in Maine in 1902 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Timeline
- 1834-03-24: Born (Mount Morris, NY) source
- 1855: Walks across Wisconsin (Wisconsin) source
- 1856: Rows the Mississippi to the sea (Mississippi River) source
- 1861-11-28: Marries Emma Dean (US) source
- 1861: Enlists; loses right arm at Shiloh (Shiloh, TN) source
- 1869-05-24: Starts Green-Colorado river expedition (ends Aug 30) (Green River, WY) source
- 1878: Publishes Report on the Lands of the Arid Region (US) source
- 1881: Becomes second director of US Geological Survey (Washington, DC) source
- 1902-09-23: Dies (Haven Colony, Brooklin, ME) source
What John is known for
- 1869 Green-Colorado river expedition through the Grand Canyon
- Second director of the US Geological Survey 1881-1894
- First director of the Bureau of Ethnology
- Report on the Lands of the Arid Region (1878)
- Indian Linguistic Families of America North of Mexico (1891)
Honors and things named for them
- John Wesley Powell National Conservation Area, Utah
- Powell Federal Building, Reston, VA
- USGS John Wesley Powell Award
- Hall of Great Westerners, 1984
Family
- father: Joseph Powell
- mother: Mary Powell
- wife: Emma Dean
- child: Mary Dean Powell
Ohio places
Where John Wesley Powell was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Lived: Jackson, Jackson County ZIP 45640 · Jackson · Jackson County
- School: Oberlin, Lorain County ZIP 44074 · Oberlin · Lorain County
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.
- John Wesley Powell (Wikipedia) dates, Mount Morris NY, Jackson OH, Oberlin study, 1869 expedition, Arlington burial
