George Montague Wheeler

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Wheeler at the turn of the century
Start of the 1871 expedition to the Colorado

George Montague Wheeler (born October 9, 1842 in Grafton (Massachusetts) , † May 3, 1905 in New York City ) was an American officer and explorer .

George M. Wheeler attended the Military Academy at West Point from 1861 to 1866 and was then as a lieutenant in the United States Army Corps of Engineers from 1871 to 1879 head of two expeditions equipped by the US Department of War to explore the territories west of the 100th longitude in the Rocky area Mountains , for later inclusion in the USA . All in all, he and his scientific companions (including the geologist John James Stevenson ) recorded over 500,000 km² . This expedition took him through California , Nevada , Utah , Colorado , Idaho , Wyoming , Montana , Nebraska , and New Mexico . The results were of great importance for geography as well as for various branches of natural science and have been published in:

  • Report upon the geographical and geological explorations of the 100th meridian in California, Nevada, Nebraska, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming and Montana
  • Topographical Atlas

Wheeler Peak (New Mexico) , the highest mountain in New Mexico , or Wheeler Peak (Nevada) and other places were named after him. In botany, too, numerous plants bear the Latin name named after him, such as Chaetadelpha wheeleri , Chorizanthe wheeleri , Madia elegans ssp. wheeleri , and Potentilla wheeleri .

George M. Wheeler in 1879 to Captain transported and entered in June 1888 in the retirement .

literature

  • Doris O. Dawdy: George Montague Wheeler: The Man and the Myth. ISBN 0804009732 (English)

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Wheeler, George Montague
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American explorer
DATE OF BIRTH October 9, 1842
PLACE OF BIRTH Grafton, Massachusetts
DATE OF DEATH May 3, 1905
Place of death New York City