Samuel W Hill, (November 6, 1815 – August 28, 1889) was an American surveyor, geologist and mining developer in Michigan's

Copper Country The Copper Country is an area in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the United States, including Keweenaw County, Michigan, Houghton, Baraga and Ontonagon counties as well as part of Marquette County. The area is so named as copper mining was ...

Early life and experience

Samuel Worth Hill was born on November 9 , 1815 in

Starksboro, Vermont Starksboro is a town in Addison County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,756 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Geography Starksboro is located in the northeast corner of Addison County, along the western edge of the Green ...

to Richard and Betsey Hill. He was educated in a Friends school, and was trained as a civil engineer and a surveyor. His first assignment was to survey the town of Albion, New York. In 1840, he moved to

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

, and became a school teacher in

Racine Jean-Baptiste Racine ( , ) (; 22 December 163921 April 1699) was a French dramatist, one of the three great playwrights of 17th-century France, along with Molière and Corneille as well as an important literary figure in the Western traditio ...

. In 1841, Hill secured a position with the United States Topographical Survey,American biographical history of eminent and self-made men 1878, p. 340 and undertook an expedition to mark the boundary line between Wisconsin and Michigan. He was then assigned to survey the western

Upper Peninsula The Upper Peninsula of Michigan – also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. – is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula by t ...

, including the

Keweenaw Peninsula The Keweenaw Peninsula ( , sometimes locally ) is the northernmost part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It projects into Lake Superior and was the site of the first copper boom in the United States, leading to its moniker of "Copper Country." As o ...

. In the fall of 1841, Hill returned to Racine and became a school superintendent until his appointment to survey the Upper Peninsula.

Copper Country

Samuel W. Hill worked with

Douglass Houghton 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 beginnin ...

in his lineal and geological survey of the Upper Peninsula. After Houghton died in 1845, Hill worked with Foster & Whitney to conduct a geological study the copper region.History of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan 2005, p. 304. He discovered the value of the area's copper resources and organized the first mining companies, and later served as agent for the

Quincy Mining Company The Quincy Mine is an extensive set of copper mines located near Hancock, Michigan. The mine was owned by the Quincy Mining Company and operated between 1846 and 1945, although some activities continued through the 1970s. The Quincy Mine was know ...

. In 1859, Hill platted the village of

Hancock Hancock may refer to: Places in the United States * Hancock, Iowa * Hancock, Maine * Hancock, Maryland * Hancock, Massachusetts * Hancock, Michigan * Hancock, Minnesota * Hancock, Missouri * Hancock, New Hampshire ** Hancock (CDP), New Hampshir ...

, then in Portage Township.Hannan et al. 2008, p. 309. Hill also conceived of the idea of constructing a three-mile-long

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flow un ...

between Portage Lake and

Lake Superior Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh wa ...

to transport freight to and from the copper mines.American biographical history of eminent and self-made men 1878, p.47. Hill assisted in organizing the Central and Phoenix mines and was the first president of Copper Falls. Later, Hill tried to develop the copper resources of

Isle Royale Isle Royale National Park is an American national park consisting of Isle Royale – known as Minong to the native Ojibwe – along with more than 400 small adjacent islands and the surrounding waters of Lake Superior, in the state of Michigan ...

around Siskiwit Bay.

What in Sam Hill?

Samuel W Hill's propensity for profanity was legendary. Whenever his friends and neighbors would retell his colorful tales, they would substitute "Sam Hill" for the cuss words. Eventually, the phrase "What in Sam Hill?" spread beyond the Keweenaw Peninsula to become part of the American language.Courter, pp. 45-46

Legacy

Samuel W. Hill married Susan A. Warren, July 16, 1851.History of Calhoun County 1877, p. 77 Miss Warren was a pioneer school teacher in the Upper Peninsula, and established the first school in the Keweenaw region. The Hills were to make their home in

Marshall, Michigan Marshall is a U.S. city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Calhoun County. The population was 7,088 at the 2010 census. Marshall is best known for its cross-section of 19th- and early 20th-century architecture. It has been referred to by t ...

. Hill later served in the Michigan legislature, being twice elected.

Footnotes

Bibliography