Douglass Houghton (September 21, 1809 – October 13, 1845) was an American geologist and physician, primarily known for his exploration of the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan . It was the site of a copper boom and extensive copper mining beginning in the 19th century. He was appointed in 1839 as the first state geologist of Michigan, after it was admitted to the union, and served in that position for the rest of his life.
21-518: Houghton may refer to: Many of the places in the U.S. were named after geologist Douglass Houghton . Douglass Houghton Douglass Houghton was born in Troy, New York , the son of Jacob Houghton, a lawyer and later a county judge, and Mary Lydia (Douglass). Raised in a close-knit, cultured home in Fredonia, New York , Douglass was a small person with a nervous, active temperament inclined toward
42-463: A flourishing medical practice in Detroit and earned the affectionate description: "the little doctor, our Dr. Houghton". By 1836 he had largely set aside the medical profession to concentrate on real estate speculation. His scientific interests remained strong, however. As Michigan achieved statehood in 1837, Houghton returned to public life and his love of the natural world. One of the first acts of
63-479: A storm. His demise sent waves of shock through Michigan and the entire country. His reluctance to yield to the expressed concerns of his voyageurs about the worsening weather conditions may have contributed to the disaster. His remains were discovered on the shoreline the next spring 1846 and returned to Detroit, where they were buried in Elmwood Cemetery . Neither of the surveys on which he was working at
84-411: Is found in: Eagle River, Michigan Eagle River is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in the U.S. state of Michigan . It is the county seat of Keweenaw County . Its population was 65 at the 2020 census , which makes it by far the least-populated county seat in the state of Michigan. As an unincorporated community, Eagle River has no legal autonomy and
105-620: Is home to the Holy Transfiguration Skete, a Byzantine Catholic monastery and community, which is known for producing jams and other foodstuffs from berries collected in the nearby forests. Holy Transfiguration is one of only a few Byzantine Catholic monasteries in the United States. The community of Eagle River was listed as a newly-organized census-designated place for the 2010 census , meaning it now has officially defined boundaries and population statistics for
126-716: Is part of Allouez Township and Houghton Township . Eagle River was a boom town of the copper mining era in the Keweenaw. Copper was discovered in 1845 at the Cliff Range nearby, the so-called "Cliff Lode". The land of the Eagle River community had been leased by the Keweenaw Copper Company in 1843. It was later platted by the Phoenix Company and sold as individual lots. The first postmaster
147-692: The Allouez Township portion of the community, while the majority of land and all residents are within Houghton Township. The community is on M-26 on the north side of the Keweenaw Peninsula on the shores of Lake Superior . It is about 27 miles (43 km) northeast of Houghton and is situated on the mouth of the Eagle River . The Mohawk 49950 ZIP Code serves the community. The decommissioned Eagle River Light
168-581: The Indian tribes they encountered. Houghton administered more than 2,000 smallpox vaccinations to Indians in the Chippewa region over the course of his two months exploring with Henry Schoolcraft in 1832, undoubtedly saving many Indian lives. Houghton estimated that the disease had appeared among the Chippewa at least five times in the previous 60 years. In 1833 Houghton married his childhood friend Harriet Stevens; they had two daughters together. He established
189-601: The United States". He was a founding member and treasurer of the Association of American Geologists and Naturalists (the predecessor of the American Association for the Advancement of Science ) and served on several of its committees. A lifelong Episcopalian and staunch Democrat , he was elected to a term as mayor of Detroit in 1842, apparently against his wishes. He administered competently, raising
210-515: The age of 36. He had multiple skills to apply, but he was not always successful in reconciling the conflicting demands of the various roles he filled. As a scientist his potential seems to have been considerable, but his death prevented that potential from being fully realized. Laudatory biographies are: A brief introduction to Houghton and the Lake Superior copper deposits can be found in: A revisionary history of Houghton's geological work
231-462: The bachelor's degree and a teaching appointment in chemistry and natural history at the school. He also studied medicine with a doctor friend of his family, and in 1831 received a license to practice. In 1830 the city fathers of Detroit consulted with Eaton about their search for a public lecturer on science; he strongly recommended the youthful Houghton. He was enthusiastically received in Detroit and rapidly became one of its best-known citizens, with
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#1732771841631252-455: The copper mined turned out to be native, pure copper. Nevertheless, Houghton's report prompted a major rush of settlers to the peninsula. Houghton's place in American history is somewhat problematic. Although he was the state geologist of Michigan for eight years, he never completed a comprehensive final report of his findings. One major reason may have been his early and unexpected death at
273-528: The copper ore then being mined in Cornwall . His warning against prospectors rushing to the area in hopes of striking it rich became famous during the copper boom: "look closely before the step is taken, which will most certainly end in disappointment and ruin". However, to his death Houghton never came to realize that in the Keweenaw ores like those in Cornwall were present in vanishingly small amounts, and all
294-403: The field each season, mapping and evaluating Michigan's natural resources, and his personal influence with state legislators kept the project moving in the face of many financial difficulties. His fourth annual report, based on field work done in 1840, appeared February 1, 1841. It helped trigger the first great mining boom of American history, and earned him the title of "father of copper mining in
315-504: The first time. According to the United States Census Bureau , Eagle River has a total area of 5.96 square miles (15.44 km ), of which 5.94 square miles (15.38 km ) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km ) (0.34%) is water. Eagle River is listed as being part of both Allouez Township and Houghton Township . Only a very small portion of 0.01 square miles (0.03 km ) and no residents are within
336-604: The new Michigan state government was to organize a state geological survey , following a pattern already established in other states. Houghton's appointment as the first state geologist was unanimously hailed, and he occupied that position for the remainder of his life. In 1839 he was also named the first professor of geology, mineralogy, and chemistry at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor . He continued to reside in Detroit. He and his survey assistants spent many weeks in
357-404: The possibility of higher political office, perhaps governor. In 1845, with the state survey moribund because of the lack of funds, Houghton organized a combined linear and geological survey of the Lake Superior region that was funded by the federal government. While working on that survey, he and two companions drowned in Lake Superior near Eagle River, Michigan , when their small boat capsized in
378-552: The practical and scientific. He exhibited early his lifelong interest in the natural world. In spite of a slight speech impediment and facial scarring from a youthful experiment with gunpowder, he was at ease with all levels of society. In 1829 Houghton entered the Rensselaer School in Troy, where, under the direction of Amos Eaton , scientific training was emphasized, particularly in geology. That same year he received both
399-765: The time was ever completed. Although Houghton resided in Detroit during his years in Michigan, he is strongly associated with the Keweenaw Peninsula. He explored the area in 1831 and 1832, and conducted a survey of the peninsula in 1840 as State Geologist of the newly formed state. Houghton's 1841 survey report was 88 pages in length; for more than 27 pages he discussed the copper and copper ore he had seen in his travels. He famously concluded, "the copper ores are not only of superior quality, but also that their associations are such as to render them easily reduced". He noted that samples of ore he had tested were richer than
420-518: The young men of his acquaintance soon styling themselves "the Houghton boys". Houghton quickly was selected by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft , US Indian Agent and geologist, to act as physician-naturalist on expeditions through Lake Superior and the upper Mississippi valley in 1831 and 1832. On these trips Houghton did extensive botanical collecting, investigated the Lake Superior copper deposits of Michigan's Upper Peninsula , and provided medical care to
441-430: Was named on October 24, 1845. It was part of Houghton County until Keweenaw County was organized in 1861 . The profitability of the area's copper mines had begun to decline sharply by around 1870. The Eagle River Timber Bridge is a wooden arch bridge that carries highway M-26 over the Eagle River . It opened in 1990 as a replacement for the historic Lake Shore Drive Bridge that runs parallel to it. Eagle River
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