William Rich facts for kids
William Rich (born 1800, died 1864) was an American botanist and explorer. A botanist is a scientist who studies plants. William Rich was a key member of the United States Exploring Expedition from 1838 to 1842. This was a big journey to explore different parts of the world.
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Who Was William Rich?
William Rich was born in 1800. His father, Captain Obadiah Rich, was a military leader during the American Revolutionary War.
In 1825, William Rich helped start the Botanic Club of Washington. He also worked as an editor for a plant magazine called the American Botanical Register from 1825 to 1830. He spent some years in Spain with his older brother, Obadiah Rich, who collected books.
Exploring the World
In 1838, William Rich joined the Scientific Corps of the United States Exploring Expedition. He was the main botanist for this important trip.
During the expedition, in 1841, Rich was part of a group that traveled by land. They went south from the Oregon Territory along the Siskiyou Trail. This journey took them to northern California. After this overland trip, he met up with the expedition's ships again in San Francisco.
A New Role in California
When the Mexican–American War started, William Rich took on a new role. In November 1846, he became a paymaster for the United States volunteers. A paymaster is someone who handles money and pays soldiers. He held the rank of major. These troops were sent to California.
His nephews, William Rich Hutton and James D. Hutton, joined him. Both were surveyors and artists.
The volunteer troops finished their service when the war ended in 1848. Rich continued as a paymaster until October 31, 1849.
Later Work and Recognition
Even after his military service, William Rich kept working with plants. He collected plant samples for two important surveys:
- The United States and Mexican Boundary Survey in 1848.
- The Pacific Railroad Surveys in 1853.
He also worked for a short time as a secretary for the United States in Mexico.
A place called Rich Passage was named after him. It is a narrow body of water in Puget Sound in Washington state. Charles Wilkes, who led the Exploring Expedition, named it in his honor.
