Douglass Houghton Historical Marker, Eagle River, MI
Posted by: Groundspeak Regular Member wildernessmama
N 47° 24.755 W 088° 17.775
16T E 402213 N 5251828
The Douglass Houghton historical marker is located in Eagle River at the old schoolhouse/community center.
Waymark Code: WM11RRD
Location: Michigan, United States
Date Posted: 12/12/2019
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member wayfrog
Views: 3

The Douglass Houghton historical marker is located in Eagle River at the old schoolhouse/community center. The sign has two sides as stated below:

Side 1

Douglass Houghton

Douglass Houghton, Michigan's first State Geologists, was born in Troy, New York, on September 21, 1809. He studied under Amos Eaton at the Van Renssaeler Polytechnic School in Troy. In 1828 he graduated and became a professor of chemistry and natural history. In 1830 Michigan Territorial Governor Lewis Cass asked Eaton to recommend a public lecturer for chemistry and geology. Eaton chose Houghton, who moved to Detroit. In 1831 he became the surgeon and botanist for Henry Rowe Schoolcraft's expedition to discover the source of the Mississippi River. During the trip, Houghton studied smallpox among the Chippewa Indians, was a correspondent for the Detroit Journal, and recorded more than two hundred plants. From 1832 to 1836 he practiced medicine in Detroit. In 1838 he became a professor at the University of Michigan.

Side 2

Douglass Houghton became the State Geologist of Michigan in 1837. His primary task was leading the Geological Survey of Michigan. During annual surveys, Houghton and his team explored rivers, salt springs, and mineral deposits. In 1841 Houghton reported to the state legislature that copper deposits on the Keweenaw Peninsula could be commercially mined. This led to a copper mining rush in 1843-44 and the development of the region in to the center of the copper mining industry in the United States. Houghton became a founding member of the Association of American Geologists and Naturalists in 1843 and was mayor of Detroit from 1843 to 1844. On October 13, 1845, Houghton and two men drowned when their canoe capsized near here during a storm on Lake Superior: two other men and Houghton's dog Meeme, survived.

Erected 2016
Historical Date: 01/01/1837

Historical Name: Douglass Houghton

Description:
Same as above


Parking nearby?: yes

D/T ratings:

Registered Site #: 740

website: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Take a photo of your GPS at the marker. We'd prefer a photo of you with your GPS, but we realize that sometimes that's just not possible or preferable. Also include a bit about your visit to the marker.

NEW: Instructions for logging Missing Marker Visits.

If the Marker is missing, but still listed here, you must provide a photo of you at the actual item historically honored. (This should be the waymark's "default" image). Indicate in your log that you took your photo at the Historical Location instead of the marker, because the marker was missing. Please also still include a bit about your visit to the site.

Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest Michigan Historical Markers
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
There are no logs for this waymark yet.