Edwin R. Heath facts for kids
Edwin Ruthven Heath (1839-1932) was an American doctor and explorer. He is famous for exploring and mapping rivers in the Madre de Dios area of Peru and Bolivia. A river on the border of Peru and Bolivia, called the Heath River, and a place in Bolivia, Puerto Heath, are named after him.
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Early Life
Edwin Heath was born on July 12, 1839, in Janesville, Wisconsin. His parents, James and Madelia Heath, were from Vermont. When he was a young boy, he traveled with his parents to Sacramento, California. This was during the exciting time of the California Gold Rush.
His father was a doctor. He helped people who were sick during an epidemic in 1850. Sadly, Edwin became an orphan when his father died in 1850. His mother passed away the next year, in 1851. In 1853, Edwin returned to Wisconsin. He traveled through Nicaragua on his journey.
Education and Early Career
Edwin Heath got help from his guardian, J.F. Willard. He went to Beloit College and graduated in 1861. After college, he studied homeopathic medicine in New York. He worked as a doctor in Palmyra, New York, until 1866.
In 1866, he moved to Wyandotte, Kansas. There, he helped sick people in the railroad camps near Ellsworth.
Work in South America
Chile
In Kansas, Heath met a doctor and politician named Joseph Pomeroy Root. In 1869, Root went to South America as an American diplomat in Chile. Heath went with him as a secretary.
In Chile, Heath met Henry Meiggs, who built railways. Meiggs asked Heath to oversee the building of the Pacasmayo Railway. Heath returned to the United States in 1878. This was after Meiggs died and the Chilean government took over the railway.
Peru and Bolivia
Professor James Orton from Vassar College tried to explore the entire Beni River in 1876. He was not successful and died during his trip. Heath decided to finish that journey.
In 1879, he started traveling up the Amazon River by canoe. After going 1500 miles, he found a railway camp. Many workers there were sick with yellow fever. He stayed for seven months, working as a doctor.
When he reached Reyes, Bolivia, he spent a year planning his Beni expedition. During this time, he sent samples of snakes and other reptiles back to the U.S. A snake, called Heath's Tropical Racer, is named after him. Heath mapped the whole 1200-mile length of the Beni River. He traveled by canoe with two local guides.
Later Years
Heath returned to Kansas in 1882. He worked as a doctor in Wyandotte and later in Kansas City. In 1883, he became an Honorary Member of the Royal Geographical Society. He was also active in the American Geographical Society and the National Geographic Society.
He took part in talks for the League to Enforce Peace in 1916. He also served as a representative for Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Bolivia in Kansas City.
Edwin Heath died in Kansas City, Missouri, on October 27, 1932. He was 93 years old. He is buried in Elmwood Cemetery.
