George Earl Church facts for kids
George Earl Church (born December 7, 1835 – died January 4, 1910) was an American engineer and geographer. He was well-known as an explorer of South America. He was also a Colonel during the American Civil War.
Contents
Early Life and Education
George Earl Church was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts. His family had a long history in America. His father was a direct descendant of Benjamin Church, a famous colonial ranger. His mother's family was connected to Edward Winslow, who sailed on the Mayflower.
When he was seven, his father passed away. George and his mother then moved to Providence, Rhode Island. There, he studied for seven years to become a civil engineer.
Starting His Career
After finishing his studies, Church worked on several engineering projects. These included the Hoosac Tunnel and building parts of the Boston & Maine Railroad.
In 1857, he became the Chief Engineer for the Argentine Great Northern Railway. He was based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His job was to survey a route for the government. Due to money problems, the railway project was delayed. During this time, Church went on a seven-month journey. He explored about 7,000 miles (11,000 km) of southern Argentina. When he returned, he rejoined the railway's engineering team.
Serving in the American Civil War
When the American Civil War began, George Church returned to the United States. He joined the Army of the Potomac as part of the 7th Rhode Island Infantry. He quickly rose through the ranks. He became a lieutenant colonel in the 7th Rhode Island. From October 1862 to July 1863, he served as a colonel, leading the 11th Rhode Island Infantry.
After his time in the military, he continued his engineering work. He was appointed chief engineer for a railway extension in Fall River, Massachusetts. This project was part of the Providence, Warren, and Bristol Railway.
Exploring South America
George Church had written about issues in Mexico. Because of this, the U.S. Government appointed him as a war correspondent for the New York Herald in 1866. While working as a correspondent, he also became a main military adviser to President Benito Juárez of Mexico. After Juárez won his victory, Church tried to get the U.S. to help save the life of Maximilian I of Mexico, but he was not successful.
From 1868, he began exploring the Amazon River. He became a leading expert on this part of South America. By this time, he could speak Spanish, Portuguese, and French very well. He also knew many Amerindian languages from Mexico, Central, and South America.
In 1869, the Government of Bolivia asked Church to find a way to connect the Mamoré and Madeira Rivers by boat. This was to help move raw materials out of the Amazon rainforest. He soon realized how difficult this would be from the Pacific Ocean side of the mountains. So, in 1870, he got permission from the Government of Brazil. He planned to build a railway to connect the states of Rondônia and Acre to the navigable Amazon River at Porto Velho.
He tried twice to build the Madeira-Mamoré Railway, once in 1870 and again in 1878. Both attempts failed because the companies he hired had problems. Many workers got malaria, a serious disease, which made it impossible to finish the railway.
In 1880, he was appointed a U.S. commissioner to report on Ecuador. Later, in 1889, he advised on railway projects in Argentina. In 1895, he became a U.S. commissioner to Costa Rica. His job was to report on the country's debt and railways. He also looked into ways to improve the banana industry there. During these years, he wrote many articles and books about South and Central America, its people, and its geography. He often worked with his friend, Clements Markham.
Life in London
His friendship with Clements Markham led him to spend most of his last 30 years in London, England. In London, George Church became a vice-president of the Royal Geographical Society. He was the first non-British person to become a Fellow of the Society. He was also the first non-British person to be elected to its council. In 1898, he was chosen as president of the geography section of the British Association. In his final years, he traveled to Canada to give advice on a new railway that would cross the country.
Personal Life and Legacy
George Church married Alice Helena Carter in 1882. After she passed away in 1898, he married Anna Marion Chapman. George Earl Church died at his home in London on January 4, 1910.
In his will, Church left his large collection of over 3,500 books, notes, and materials to Harvard University. He asked that all these materials be kept together. Harvard could not meet this request. So, his second choice, Brown University, received the collection in 1912. This important collection is now kept in the Special Collections at the John Hay Library.
