377:, Silliman claimed that California possessed "fabulous wealth in the best of oil". Whitney vehemently contested this claim, and accused Silliman of self-interested speculation aimed at prospective investors. Whitney devoted much of his time and energy to personally attacking and discrediting Silliman, whose reputation was severely tarnished over the course of the public debate between the two. But Silliman was ultimately vindicated – first in 1874 when the first major California oil strike occurred, and then in subsequent decades when California went on to produce 80 million barrels per year by 1910 – forty percent of total U.S. domestic oil production.
294:. They began a survey that covered not only geology and geography, but also botany, zoology, and paleontology. Although significant progress was made, Whitney made a tactical error by first publishing two volumes on paleontology when the legislators were clamoring for information about gold. Whitney argued that the survey should do more than simply serve as a prospecting party. The legislature grew impatient with the scope and pace of the survey work and slowly cut the budget. Whitney tactlessly complained, telling legislators:
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Mining Bureau, which was empowered—after the legislators' experience with
Whitney—only to address mining issues, and set up with a board of trustees to keep the new agency focused on that narrow purpose. One or two bureau chiefs tried to broaden the scope to include geology, but the bureau was not allowed to hire a geologist until 1928, six decades after the old survey's demise.
341:, who was exploring the Yosemite area during the same time, argued that the valley was carved by glacial action. Whitney derided Muir as an "ignoramus" and a "mere sheepherder." Whitney's survey reports suppressed evidence of glaciers, and he never abandoned his viewpoint. Most scientists eventually dismissed Whitney's hypothesis and accepted Muir's.
389:. He was allowed an indefinite leave of absence to complete his work in California. When the survey work was definitively ended in 1874, Whitney returned to Harvard and opened the school of mines, which was quickly merged a year later into the Lawrence Scientific School. He held his position as professor of geology for the rest of his life.
309:
The state funded the publication and printing of the first three volumes of the survey's results, and
Whitney published the remaining reports using his own money. In spite of financial difficulties and political problems, the survey was significant not only for its published results, but also because
230:
were hired to assist
Charles T. Jackson in making a federal survey of the Lake Superior land district of northern Michigan which was about to become a major copper and iron mining region. When Jackson was dismissed from the survey, Foster and Whitney completed it in 1850 and the final report was
305:
Although the
California Geological Survey ceased work when funds were eliminated, Whitney managed to retain the title of state geologist until 1874. The survey's field work never resumed. In fact, California was left without a geological agency until 1880, when the legislature created the State
353:, allegedly uncovered by a miner 130 feet (40 m) beneath the surface of the earth. Eventually the skull made its way into the possession of Whitney, who quickly pronounced it genuine and concluded that it came from the
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704:
211:
where he studied chemistry, mineralogy and astronomy. After graduation in 1839, he continued to study chemistry in
Philadelphia, and in 1840 he joined a geologic survey of New Hampshire as an unpaid assistant to
223:. He decided to change career plans and sailed to Europe in 1842 to continue his studies in science. For the next five years he traveled through Europe and studied chemistry and geology in France and Germany.
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In 1860, he was appointed the state geologist for
California and was instructed by the legislature to undertake a comprehensive geologic survey of the state. To carry out the
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167:(1860–1874). Through his travels and studies in the principal mining regions of the United States, Whitney became the foremost authority of his day on the
770:
238:
During the 1850s, Whitney participated in geological surveys of Iowa, Illinois, and
Wisconsin. He was appointed state chemist and professor in the
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We have escaped perils by flood and field, have evaded the friendly embrace of the grizzly, and now find ourselves in the jaws of the
Legislature.
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and the surrounding area. In this work he advocated the protection of
Yosemite, and was one of the first to propose creation of a national park.
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520:
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207:(1827–1894). He was educated at a series of schools in Northampton, Plainfield, Round Hill, New Haven and Andover. In 1836, he entered
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published under their names. Building on this experience, Whitney became a mining consultant, and eventually wrote the book,
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First, Whitney maintained that
Yosemite Valley was created by a cataclysmic sinking of the valley floor. However,
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of the men involved, and the survey methods developed – in particular, topographical mapping by triangulation.
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In 1841, he was preparing to enter Harvard Law School, when he happened to hear a lecture on geology by
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The third controversy involved the dispute over California's potential oil wealth with Yale Professor
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The Burning of the Convent: a Narrative of the Destruction of the Ursuline School on Mount Benedict,
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203:. His mother was Sarah Williston (1800–1833). He was the brother of grammarian and lexicographer
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The Metallic Wealth of the United States: Described and Compared with that of Other Countries
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361:– 1.8 mya). However, others assert that the skull is much younger, as little as 1,000 years.
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412:(1878). Their daughter Eleanor Goddard Whitney was born on November 29, 1856. Whitney named
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Yosemite Place Names: The Historic Background of Geographic Names in Yosemite National Park
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One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the
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199:, the oldest of 12 children. His father was Josiah Dwight Whitney (1786–1869) of the
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In 1867, the survey was eliminated from the budget, and work was suspended in 1868.
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A History of the First Half-Century of the National Academy of Sciences: 1863–1913
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641:. Vol. 2. J. F. Trow & son, printers and bookbinders. pp. 833–835.
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235:(1854). It was considered to be the standard reference for the next 15 years.
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While in California, Whitney became embroiled in three notable controversies:
155:(November 23, 1819 – August 18, 1896) was an American geologist, professor of
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In 1865, Whitney was appointed to the Harvard faculty in order to found a
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He published many papers in journals of the United States and elsewhere.
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Scientists in Conflict: The Beginnings of the Oil Industry in California
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After conducting a small-scale survey of surface seeps of petroleum in
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Johnson, Allen and Dumas Malone, ed. (1946) "Whitney, Josiah Dwight",
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443:. English translation by Josiah Whitney. Boston: W.D. Ticknor and Co
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Report of a Geological Survey of the Upper Mississippi Lead Region
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558:. Vol. 4 (9th ed.). New York: Charles Scribner's Sons.
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270:, he organized an eminent, multi-disciplinary team, including
855:
Bourgoin, Suzanne Michele ed. (1998) "Josiah Dwight Whitney",
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The history of the descendants of John Dwight, of Dedham, Mass
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for his daughter, who died in 1882. Josiah Whitney died at
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Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences
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Report on the Geology of the Lake superior Land District
883:
True, Frederick W. ed. (1913) "Josiah Dwight Whitney",
183:, the first confirmed glacier in the United States, on
709:
American Philosophical Society Member History Database
575:
Studies in Geographical and Topographical Nomenclature
187:, were both named after him by members of the Survey.
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Auriferous Gravels of the Sierra Nevada of California
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The second controversy involved the discovery of the
254:, publishing, again with Hall, a report in 1862. The
440:
The Use of the Blowpipe In Chemistry and Mineralogy
1187:Giant Forest Village–Camp Kaweah Historic District
693:. New York: P. F. Collier & Son Company.
46:Portrait of Josiah Whitney by Silas Selleck, 1863
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317:(1869), which was essentially a travel guide to
878:The First One Hundred Years of American Geology
812:Ripley, George; Dana, Charles A., eds. (1879).
602:
261:
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670:(11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
871:Dictionary of American Biography (Volume X)
771:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography
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472:. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Grambo & Co
400:, May 13, 1882) on July 5, 1854. She wrote
226:When Whitney returned home in 1847, he and
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606:; Peck, H. T.; Colby, F. M., eds. (1905).
519:: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
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730:Life and Letters of Josiah Dwight Whitney
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569:Climatic Changes of Late Geological Times
539:. Later reprinted without photographs as
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392:Whitney married Louisa Goddard (born in
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195:Whitney was born November 23, 1819, in
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1469:People from Northampton, Massachusetts
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408:(Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1877), and
396:, England, December 17, 1819; died in
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618:(1st ed.). New York: Dodd, Mead.
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1182:Giant Forest Lodge Historic District
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495:Whitney, J. D.; Hall, James (1862).
233:Metallic Wealth of the United States
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528:The Geological Survey of California
410:Peasy's Childhood: an Autobiography
258:elected him to membership in 1863.
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681:Reynolds, Francis J., ed. (1921).
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365:Dispute with Benjamin Silliman Jr.
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839:Rines, George Edwin, ed. (1920).
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135:Josiah Dwight Whitney (1786-1869)
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791:. Great West Books. p. 42.
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1258:Generals' Highway Stone Bridges
1217:Smithsonian Institution Shelter
857:Encyclopedia of World Biography
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728:Brewster, Edwin Tenney. (1909)
1479:Explorers of the United States
842:"Whitney, Josiah Dwight"
815:"Whitney, Josiah Dwight"
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765:"Whitney, Josiah Dwight"
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684:"Whitney, Josiah Dwight"
661:"Whitney, Josiah Dwight"
615:New International Encyclopedia
609:"Whitney, Josiah Dwight"
256:American Philosophical Society
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163:(from 1865), and chief of the
27:American geologist (1819–1896)
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1212:Redwood Meadow Ranger Station
1192:Hockett Meadow Ranger Station
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1484:California Geological Survey
1172:Cabin Creek Ranger Residence
864:History of the Sierra Nevada
862:Farquhar, Francis P. (1965)
268:California Geological Survey
262:California Geological Survey
165:California Geological Survey
118:California Geological Survey
7:
633:Dwight, Benjamin Woodbridge
546:Whitney, Josiah D. (1878).
242:in 1855, and together with
177:contiguous 48 United States
175:, the highest point in the
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1474:Harvard University faculty
1308:Wuksachi Village and Lodge
1167:Ash Mountain Entrance Sign
876:Merrill, George P. (1924)
690:Collier's New Encyclopedia
552:. In Baynes, T. S. (ed.).
197:Northampton, Massachusetts
66:Northampton, Massachusetts
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201:New England Dwight family
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785:Browning, Peter (2005).
774:. New York: D. Appleton.
398:Cambridge, Massachusetts
1464:Phillips Academy alumni
1283:Kern Plateau salamander
821:The American Cyclopædia
667:Encyclopædia Britannica
555:Encyclopædia Britannica
541:The Yosemite Guide-Book
466:Whitney, J. D. (1854).
333:Yosemite Valley origins
288:Watson Andrews Goodyear
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848:Encyclopedia Americana
741:White, Gerald (1968).
418:Yosemite National Park
406:, by One of the Pupils
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205:William Dwight Whitney
144:William Dwight Whitney
1368:Nearby municipalities
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934:Sequoia National Park
435:Berzelius, Jöns Jacob
371:Benjamin Silliman Jr.
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240:Iowa State University
153:Josiah Dwight Whitney
18:Josiah Dwight Whitney
1263:Great Western Divide
1207:Quinn Ranger Station
965:General Sherman Tree
250:region of the Upper
1459:Yale College alumni
705:"Josiah D. Whitney"
313:Whitney also wrote
284:Charles F. Hoffmann
276:James Graham Cooper
1134:Triple Divide Peak
1099:Milestone Mountain
1064:Kaweah Peaks Ridge
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833:Additional sources
549:"California"
214:Charles T. Jackson
161:Harvard University
114:Harvard University
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1428:California Portal
1354:George W. Stewart
1334:Stephen T. Mather
1268:High Sierra Trail
1253:Generals' Highway
1231:Other attractions
1202:Pear Lake Ski Hut
950:Atwell Mill Grove
898:The Yosemite Book
798:978-0-944220-19-1
535:The Yosemite Book
315:The Yosemite Book
280:William More Gabb
272:William H. Brewer
228:John Wells Foster
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62:November 23, 1819
16:(Redirected from
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990:Mark Twain Tree
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319:Yosemite Valley
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209:Yale University
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181:Whitney Glacier
112:, professor at
100:Yale University
96:Alma mater
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980:King Arthur
714:16 February
404:Charlestown
191:Early years
116:, Chief at
1443:Categories
1380:Lemon Cove
1278:Kaweah Gap
1243:Eagle Lake
1109:Red Kaweah
1104:Mount Muir
995:Muir Grove
585:References
489:James Hall
394:Manchester
381:Later life
244:James Hall
179:, and the
80:1896-08-19
58:1819-11-23
1400:Lone Pine
1329:John Muir
1298:Moro Rock
1039:Alta Peak
1031:Mountains
1000:President
760:Fiske, J.
530:(1864–70)
515:cite book
462:(1851–52)
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