Josiah Whitney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Josiah Whitney
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Portrait of Josiah Whitney by Silas Selleck, 1863
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| Born | November 23, 1819 |
| Died | August 18, 1896 (aged 76) Lake Sunapee, New Hampshire
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| Nationality | United States |
| Alma mater | Yale University |
| Occupation | geologist, professor at Harvard University, Chief at California Geological Survey |
| Known for | Mount Whitney |
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| Relatives | William Dwight Whitney (brother) |
Josiah Dwight Whitney was an important American geologist. He was born in 1819 and died in 1896. He taught geology at Harvard University and led the California Geological Survey. He traveled a lot to study mining areas in the United States. Because of his work, he became the top expert on how geology affects the economy. Two famous places are named after him: Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states, and the Whitney Glacier on Mount Shasta.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Josiah Whitney was born on November 23, 1819, in Northampton, Massachusetts. He was the oldest of 12 children. His brother, William Dwight Whitney, became a famous language expert.
Josiah went to several schools, including Yale University. At Yale, he studied chemistry, mineralogy, and astronomy. After graduating in 1839, he continued to study chemistry. In 1840, he joined a geology survey in New Hampshire. He worked as an unpaid helper.
In 1841, Josiah planned to study law at Harvard. But then he heard a lecture about geology by Charles Lyell. This lecture changed his mind. He decided to study science instead. In 1842, he sailed to Europe. For five years, he studied chemistry and geology in France and Germany.
Early Career and Surveys
When Whitney returned to the U.S. in 1847, he started working on geological surveys. He and John Wells Foster helped with a survey of the Lake Superior area in northern Michigan. This area was becoming important for copper and iron mining.
After their boss was dismissed, Foster and Whitney finished the survey. Their report was published in 1850. This experience made Whitney an expert in mining. He wrote a book called Metallic Wealth of the United States (1854). This book was a key reference for many years.
During the 1850s, Whitney worked on surveys in Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin. He became a professor at Iowa State University in 1855. He also helped write reports on Iowa's geology. He later surveyed the lead mining region of the Upper Missouri River.
Leading the California Geological Survey
In 1860, Josiah Whitney became the state geologist for California. His job was to lead a full geological survey of the state. He put together a skilled team for the California Geological Survey. This team included experts like William Henry Brewer and Clarence King.
Their survey covered geology, geography, plants, animals, and fossils. They made good progress. However, Whitney made a mistake by publishing books about fossils first. The state lawmakers wanted to know about gold.
Whitney believed the survey should do more than just look for gold. He thought it should be a complete scientific study. But the lawmakers became impatient. They slowly cut the survey's funding. Whitney complained to them, saying they were as dangerous as grizzly bears!
In 1867, the survey's funding was completely cut. The work stopped in 1868. Whitney kept the title of state geologist until 1874. But the survey never started again. California did not have another geology agency until 1880.
Even with money problems, Whitney published the survey's reports. He even used his own money for some of them. The survey was important for its findings and for its new mapping methods.
Whitney also wrote The Yosemite Book (1869). This was a travel guide to Yosemite Valley. In this book, he suggested protecting Yosemite. He was one of the first to propose creating a national park there.
Disagreements and Debates
While in California, Whitney was involved in three big disagreements.
Yosemite Valley's Formation
First, Whitney believed that Yosemite Valley was formed when the valley floor suddenly sank. However, John Muir, another explorer, thought the valley was carved by glaciers. Whitney called Muir names and ignored evidence of glaciers. Most scientists later agreed with Muir.
The Calaveras Skull
The second disagreement was about the Calaveras Skull. This skull was supposedly found deep underground by a miner. Whitney said it was real and very old, from the Pliocene era (millions of years ago). But others said the skull was much younger, perhaps only 1,000 years old.
Oil in California
The third disagreement was with Yale Professor Benjamin Silliman Jr.. Silliman claimed California had "fabulous wealth" in oil. Whitney strongly disagreed. He accused Silliman of trying to trick investors. Whitney spent a lot of time trying to prove Silliman wrong. But Silliman was later proven right. California became a huge oil producer by 1910.
Later Life and Legacy
In 1865, Whitney became a professor at Harvard. He was supposed to start a new mining school there. He took time off to finish his work in California. When the California survey ended in 1874, he returned to Harvard.
He opened the mining school, which later joined another science school. He remained a geology professor for the rest of his life.
Josiah Whitney married Louisa Goddard in 1854. They had a daughter named Eleanor Goddard Whitney. Josiah named Lake Eleanor in Yosemite National Park after his daughter. She died in 1882.
Josiah Whitney died on August 18, 1896, at Lake Sunapee, New Hampshire.
Selected Publications
- Report on the Geology of the Lake superior Land District, with John Wells Foster (1851–52)
- The Geological Survey of California (1864–70)
- The Yosemite Book (1869)
See also
In Spanish: Josiah Whitney para niños
