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Geoscience Wisconsin, V. 18 WISCONSIN AGRICULTURAL GEOLOGISTS: AHEAD OF THEIR TIME John P. Tandarich1 INTRODUCTION Subsequent efforts of American geologists in Agricultural geology was the study of the origin, na- the study of soils relied on the foundation laid by ture, composition, and distribution of soil from a geo- Maclure. Some of the people influenced by this devel- logical viewpoint (Tandarich, 1998). It developed as oping academic tradition were Benjamin Silliman at an interest and eventually a subdiscipline of geology. Yale and his students, Amos Eaton and Edward Although it was named in the nineteenth century, it Hitchcock. Although agricultural geology was occa- has origins reaching back much further. Tandarich and sionally taught elsewhere, Yale University in New Ha- Sprecher (1994) and Tandarich (1998) discussed the ven, Connecticut, developed the first systematic cur- origin and development of agricultural geology from ricula in agricultural geology. its roots in classical mineralogy. Because this area of Eaton went on to teach geology at Rensselaer geology is little known, I shall trace the path of its de- Polytechnic in New York. Many of Eaton’s students velopment that led to its use in Wisconsin during the became notable agricultural geologists—for example, nineteenth century. George Hammel Cook, Edward Hitchcock, and Ebenezer Emmons. They were hired to work in the AGRICULTURAL GEOLOGY FROM newly established state geological surveys that be- EUROPE TO WISCONSIN came active in the early to mid-nineteenth century. The geology of agriculture was considered part of the In northern Europe, the influence in the late eighteenth domain of study of the state surveys. and early nineteenth centuries of Abraham Gottlob Eaton student Ebenezer Emmons co-founded the Werner of the Bergakademie Freiberg in Saxony is American Quarterly Journal of Agriculture and Sci- well documented by Ospovat (1971) and Laudan ence in 1844. In this journal he published articles (1987). In particular, Werner’s concept of geognosy is about agricultural geology in 1845 (Emmons and pertinent here. Geognosy (Geognosie in German) was Prime, 1845) and 1846 (Emmons, 1846). His 1845 ar- defined by Werner and translated by Werner biogra- ticle served to define this subdiscipline of geology and pher Alexander Ospovat literally as “the abstract sys- its practice in the United States. tematic knowledge of the solid earth” (Ospovat, 1971, Students of Eaton as well as those of other p. 101). Werner’s geognosic writings about agricul- individuals and institutions staffed the state geological ture, although unpublished, were the foundation of surveys and worked actively in agricultural geology what came to be called Agrikulturgeognosie in north- during the nineteenth century. Many of these scientists ern Europe and Russia, geologie agricole in France, were also associated with colleges and universities. and agricultural geology in the United States in the Some of these investigators who were connected with nineteenth century. Wisconsin were David Dale Owen, Increase Allen Although he did not study directly with Werner, Lapham, and Thomas Chrowder Chamberlin. William Maclure credits Werner for the geognosic Owen’s agricultural geologic work extended to framework of knowledge that he used in his study of eight states, including Wisconsin, during the period the geology and soils of the eastern United States from 1837 to 1860, although he is best known for his (Maclure, 1809). Maclure, a native of Scotland, was soil analyses in Indiana and Kentucky (Corgan, 1982; directly influenced by a student of Werner’s, Robert Zabilka, 1982). Nelson (1976) discussed his survey Jameson at the University of Edinburgh, and by a work in Wisconsin. French friend, Comte de Volney, who had published a Lapham (1850, 1851) discussed the geologic treatise about the soils of the United States (Volney, aspects of the agricultural potential of Wisconsin. 1804). 1Hey and Associates, Inc., 53 W. Jackson Boulevard, Suite 1015, Chicago, Illinois 60604 GEOSCIENCE WISCONSIN • VOLUME 18 2001 • 21 Chamberlin, for while at the Wisconsin Survey Cham- berlin published several treatises on the agricultural geology of Wisconsin starting in 1874 (Chamberlin, 1874a, 1874b, 1877, 1883). His view of agricultural geology is stated in the 1883 survey report: Only a portion of the complicated questions that are involved in the highest utilization of the soil fall within the field of the geologist…. The geological aspects relate mainly to (1) the origin and nature of the soil, (2) to its waste [erosion] and reproduction by natural means, (3) drainage, and (4) natural fertiliz- ers (Chamberlin, 1883, p. 678). Chamberlin produced two maps based on physi- cal properties of soil, one of eastern Wisconsin in 1876 (Chamberlin, 1876) and another of the entire state of Wisconsin in 1882 (Chamberlin, 1882; fig. 1). In his map philosophy, Chamberlin anticipated the de- tailed soil maps of today: Figure 1. Chamberlin (1882) map of the soils of Wisconsin. There are few natural formations more diffi- cult to map than soils. There is an almost infi- nite gradation of varieties between which there are no hard-and-fast lines, and it is Agricultural considerations, particularly regarding an nearly or quite impossible to represent these assessment of the composition and quality of soils of gradations on a map. Moreover these grada- the state, were among the purview of the geological tions run through more or less of their minor surveys of Wisconsin that preceded the Wisconsin changes on almost every farm, and to attempt Geological and Natural History Survey. This was not to represent these for the more than 50,000 square miles of land embraced within the lim- lost on Lapham’s colleagues and successors, most its of Wisconsin would be an undertaking of notably Thomas Chrowder Chamberlin. no small magnitude, and would require maps of very large scale and elaborate execution, THOMAS CHROWDER CHAMBERLIN and when executed, while extremely valuable AND HIS LEGACY for certain uses, the very confusion of details The agricultural geologic work of Chamberlin is little would be a source of inconvenience in the known today, but is noteworthy in the history of geol- more general studies (Chamberlin, 1882, p. 657). ogy, soil science, and particularly pedology. A native of Mattoon, Illinois, Chamberlin attended Beloit Col- These two maps are noteworthy and were recog- lege, graduated in 1866, and returned to teach there nized early in this century as being “modern” in ap- from 1873 to 1882, while concurrently working for proach by George N. Coffey, the first director of the the Complete Geological, Mineralogical and Agricul- national soil survey program in the U.S. Department tural Survey, the immediate predecessor to the Wis- of Agriculture (Coffey, 1912). In addition, the 1882 consin Geological and Natural History Survey. He general soil map is the first large-scale state soil map studied for a year (1869–70) with Alexander Winchell of its type produced in the United States. The map at the University of Michigan. units (fig. 2) of both maps were based on a soil physi- Winchell’s work on the agricultural geology of cal property, that of texture (a term used more qualita- Michigan (Winchell, 1865) no doubt influenced tively than today’s concept) (fig. 3). Chamberlin’s ap- 22 • GEOSCIENCE WISCONSIN Figure 2. Southeastern portion of Chamberlin (1882) map Figure 3. Chamberlin (1882) map showing soil delineations. legend. proach was a departure from the practice of consider- ment of Soil Science—the first such department estab- ing soils merely as a geologic unit. lished in the United States (Beatty, 1991). Cham- Chamberlin was also interested in the problem of berlin’s former assistant at the Wisconsin Survey, soil erosion (soil “wastage” as he called it) as early as Franklin Hiram King was installed as professor and 1876. He recognized that farmers in eastern Wiscon- head of this new department (Beatty, 1991). King is sin were beginning to farm newly exposed subsoils best known for his pioneering work in soil physics and produced the 1876 map showing the textural and soil fertility and management (Tanner and groups of the subsoils. Later in his career, Chamberlin Simonson, 1993). delivered an address on soil wastage in 1909 (Cham- In 1892, University of Chicago President William berlin, 1909) and published on the subject in the jour- Rainey Harper persuaded Chamberlin to leave his post nal Science in 1911 (Chamberlin, 1911). The 1909 as president of the University of Wisconsin and as- public address caught the attention of soil scientist sume the chair of the geology department at that Hugh Hammond Bennett, who afterwards decided to newly organized university. According to Fisher make soil conservation his life’s work, which ulti- (1963), the first faculty members of that department mately led to the establishment of the U.S. Soil Con- were Chamberlin, Joseph Paxson Iddings, Richard servation Service. Alexander Fullerton Penrose Jr., Rollin D. Salisbury, Chamberlin worked for the U.S. Geological Sur- and Charles Richard Van Hise. vey from 1882 to 1887 as head of the Glacial Geology Some University of Chicago geology students Division and taught at the Columbian (now George who became involved in Wisconsin agricultural geo- Washington) University from 1885 to 1887. While logic–Quaternary geologic–soil studies were William employed at the U.S. Geological Survey, he guided C. Alden, Allen David Hole (fig. 4), and Andrew W.J. McGee and Frank Leverett toward agricultural Robeson Whitson. Alden, originally from Iowa, re- geologic work. ceived his M.A. in 1898 and Ph.D. in 1903. One of his When Chamberlin was appointed president of the most notable works was his tome about the Quater- University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1887, he re- nary geology of southeastern Wisconsin, which in- turned to Wisconsin and remained there until 1892. In cluded a section on soils (Alden, 1918). 1889 he established the Department of Agricultural Hole, a native of Indiana, worked with Alden Physics that later, in 1905, was renamed the Depart- (1918) on his study of southeastern Wisconsin.
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