William Pope McArthur facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Pope McArthur
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| Born | April 2, 1814 Ste. Genevieve, Missouri |
| Died | December 23, 1850 (aged 36) At sea |
| Service/ |
United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1832–1850 |
| Rank | Lieutenant commander |
| Unit | U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey |
| Commands held | USS Consort US survey schooner Ewing |
| Battles/wars | Second Seminole War |
| Relations | Clifton N. McArthur & Lewis Linn McArthur (sons), Lewis A. McArthur (grandson), Lewis L. McArthur (great grandson) |
William Pope McArthur (born April 2, 1814 – died December 23, 1850) was an officer in the United States Navy. He was also a hydrologist, meaning he studied water and how it moves. McArthur helped with the first surveys of the Pacific Coast for the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. This group maps the coastlines of the United States.
Contents
William Pope McArthur was born in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri. His uncle, Lewis Fields Linn, was a U.S. Senator for Missouri. Thanks to his uncle, William joined the United States Navy as a midshipman on February 11, 1832. In 1837, he went to the Naval School in Norfolk, Virginia.
During the Second Seminole War (1837–1838), McArthur became a temporary Lieutenant. He was put in charge of a small boat. He was hurt in both legs by Seminole people in Jupiter, Florida. One musket ball was removed, but another stayed in his leg. He went to the Naval Hospital in Norfolk, Virginia, to get better. There, he met and married Mary Stone Young.
In 1840, he started mapping the Gulf of Mexico aboard the ship Consort.
Mapping the Pacific Coast
On October 27, 1848, A.D. Bache, who was in charge of the U.S. Coast Survey, told McArthur to go to San Francisco, California. His mission was to start mapping the "Western Coast of the United States."
McArthur sailed from New York but was delayed in Panama. Many people were traveling because of the California Gold Rush. In Panama, McArthur was asked to be the captain of a ship called von Humboldt. It left Panama on May 21, 1849. The trip to San Francisco took 102 days. Among the four hundred passengers was Collis Potter Huntington, who later became important in the railroad business.
In September 1849, Lieutenant Commander McArthur took command of the US survey ship Ewing. This ship had sailed around Cape Horn to the West Coast of the United States. When they reached San Francisco, their work was difficult. Many crew members left their ships to join the gold rush. Some even tried to run away from the Ewing.
They managed to map Mare Island Strait. Then, they sailed to Hawaii to find new crew members from King Kamehameha III. They came back to San Francisco in the spring of 1850. The coastal survey of northern California began on April 3, 1850. They continued mapping up the Oregon Coast to the mouth of the Columbia River.
Lighthouses for Safe Travel
In 1848, money was set aside for two lighthouses in the new Oregon Territory. McArthur suggested putting one at Cape Disappointment near the Columbia River. He also suggested one at Cape Flattery at the entrance to Puget Sound.
McArthur wrote that more ships were crossing the Columbia Bar than ever before. He said these improvements were needed right away because trade in Oregon was growing fast.
Exploring the Oregon Territory
McArthur and some of his shipmates really liked Oregon and the Willamette Valley. He wrote that the weather was nice and healthy. He also said the water was excellent. He believed the area would soon be great for farming and raising animals. He found the scenery very beautiful and grand.
McArthur's uncle, Senator Linn, along with Senator Thomas Hart Benton, had supported American expansion in the West.
Death and Legacy
McArthur became sick with dysentery on his way back to the east coast in 1850. He died and was buried in Panama. Later, in 1867, his body was moved and reburied on Mare Island. The Navy bought the land for the Mare Island Naval Shipyard in 1853.
McArthur's name is used for several ships and places.
Ships Named After McArthur
- McArthur, a type of sailing ship launched in 1876.
- USC&GS McArthur, a survey ship used from 1876 to 1915.
- SS William P. Mcarthur, a cargo ship launched in 1942.
- NOAAS McArthur (S 330), a survey ship used from 1966 to 2003.
- NOAAS McArthur II (R 330), an oceanographic research ship used since 2003.
Places Named After McArthur
- McArthur Peak, a 2,239-foot (682 m) mountain in Alaska.
- McArthur Reef, a reef in Alaska.
