Edwin Eugene Howell (March 12, 1845 – April 16, 1911) was an American geologist and cartographer, who produced some of the most detailed

raised-relief map A raised-relief map, terrain model or embossed map is a three-dimensional representation, usually of terrain, materialized as a physical artifact. When representing terrain, the vertical dimension is usually exaggerated by a factor between fiv ...

s of his time, for which he was regarded by geologist

G. K. Gilbert Grove Karl Gilbert (May 6, 1843 – May 1, 1918), known by the abbreviated name G. K. Gilbert in academic literature, was an American geologist. Biography Gilbert was born in Rochester, New York and graduated from the University of Rochester. D ...

as "a pioneer—if not ''the'' pioneer—in the United States." His maps were known internationally, and he produced the first commercial relief map of the

Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon (, yuf-x-yav, Wi:kaʼi:la, , Southern Paiute language: Paxa’uipi, ) is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a m ...

. Howell was born in Genesee County, New York, and studied at the

University of Rochester The University of Rochester (U of R, UR, or U of Rochester) is a private research university in Rochester, New York. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The University of Roc ...

under the geologist Henry A. Ward. He was geologist of the

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...

in surveys west of the Rocky Mountains in 1872-73, and was with the government survey of the Rocky Mountain region under

John Wesley Powell John Wesley Powell (March 24, 1834 – September 23, 1902) was an American geologist, U.S. Army soldier, explorer of the American West, professor at Illinois Wesleyan University, and director of major scientific and cultural institutions. He ...

in 1874. In 1870 he made a relief map of the island of San Domingo, and in 1875 produced his famous relief map of the Grand Canyon. In his later years he devoted his time to the manufacture of geological models and maps first in the Rochester Museum and then in an establishment at Washington, D.C. which he called The Microcosm. He wrote on meteorites, and was a founder of the

Geological Society of America The Geological Society of America (GSA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of the geosciences. History The society was founded in Ithaca, New York, in 1888 by Alexander Winchell, John J. Stevenson, Charles H. Hitchco ...

. He died in Washington in 1911, aged 66.

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* * 1845 births 1911 deaths American geologists American cartographers University of Rochester alumni People from Genesee County, New York {{US-geologist-stub