John Strong Newberry (December 22, 1822 – December 7, 1892) was an American physician, geologist and paleontologist. He participated as a naturalist and surgeon on three expeditions to explore and survey the western United States. During the Civil War he served in the US Sanitary Commission and was appointed secretary of the western department of the commission. After the war he became professor of geology and paleontology at
Columbia University School of Mines.
Biography
John Strong Newberry was born in
Windsor, Connecticut
Windsor is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, and was the first English settlement in the state. It lies on the northern border of Connecticut's capital, Hartford. The population of Windsor was 29,492 at the 2020 census.
P ...
to Henry and Elizabeth Strong. At the age of two he moved with his family to northeastern Ohio where his father opened a coal mining business. The fossils found in the coal deposits stimulated his interest in science and a visit in 1841 with
James Hall, an eminent geologist and paleontologist, furthered his interests. He graduated from
Western Reserve College in 1846 and from
Cleveland Medical School in 1848. That same year he married Sarah Gaylord and sailed with her to Paris where he spent the next two years of studying medicine and natural history. Upon his return in 1851, he established a successful medical practice in
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
.
[Sterling 1997][Merrill 1924]
In 1855, he joined an exploring expedition under
Lieutenant Williamson, sent out by the War Department to examine the country between
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
and the
Columbia River. In 1857–58 he acted as geologist to an expedition headed by Lieutenant
Joseph Christmas Ives
Joseph Christmas Ives (25 December 1829 – 12 November 1868) was an American soldier, botanist, and an explorer of the Colorado River in 1858.
Biography
Ives was born in New York City on Christmas Day, 1829. He graduated from Bowdoin Colleg ...
, sent out to explore the
Colorado River
The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid watershed that encompasses parts of seven U.S. s ...
. He served as naturalist on an expedition in 1859 under Captain
John N. Macomb
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second ...
, which explored southwestern
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...
and adjacent parts of
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
,
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
, and
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...
, finding the remains of the
dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...
''
Dystrophaeus''.
He was the first geologist known to visit the
Grand Canyon.
He was called to a professorship at Columbian (now
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...
) University in 1857. Newberry was elected a member of the
American Antiquarian Society
The American Antiquarian Society (AAS), located in Worcester, Massachusetts, is both a learned society and a national research library of pre-twentieth-century American history and culture. Founded in 1812, it is the oldest historical society i ...
in 1860.
On 14 June 1861, he was elected a member of the
United States Sanitary Commission
The United States Sanitary Commission (USSC) was a private relief agency created by federal legislation on June 18, 1861, to support sick and wounded soldiers of the United States Army (Federal / Northern / Union Army) during the American Civil W ...
due to his medical knowledge and experience in the army. He made his first sanitary inspection of troops in the west at
Cairo, Illinois, in connection with Rev.
Henry W. Bellows and Dr. William H. Mussey. In September 1861, he resigned from the Army and became secretary of the Western Department of the Sanitary Commission, having supervision of all the work of the commission in the
Mississippi Valley
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it ...
, with headquarters in
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
.
The first distributing depot in the west was opened in
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Located almost entirely in Ohio County, of which it is the county seat, it lies along the Ohio River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and also contains a tiny portion extending ...
, on 8 October and was the source from which the hospitals at Wheeling, Clarksburg, Parkersburg, and other military points were supplied with a large part of their equipment. Dr. Newberry organized the whole of the comprehensive machinery of the commission in the large section that was committed to his care, and by his practical suggestions and enthusiasm stimulated the formation of the tributary societies. From 1 September 1861 until 1 July 1866, he expended more than $800,000 in money, and distributed hospital stores that were valued at more than $5,000,000. During this time the names of more than 850,000 soldiers were collected and recorded in the hospital directory in Louisville, and food and shelter were given in the various homes of the commission to more than 1,000,000 soldiers, for whom no other adequate provision was made.
In 1866 he was offered the chair of geology and paleontology in the School of Mines, Columbia College (now Columbia University), which he accepted and held for 24 years. During his connection with this institution, he created a museum of over 100,000 specimens, principally collected by himself, which served to illustrate his lectures in paleontology and economic geology. At that time, it contained the best representations of the mineral resources of the United States to be found anywhere, as well as many unique and remarkable fossils.
His other positions were: director of the
Ohio Geological Survey; a member of the
Illinois Geological Survey; president of the
American Association for the Advancement of Science; president of the
New York Academy of Sciences
The New York Academy of Sciences (originally the Lyceum of Natural History) was founded in January 1817 as the Lyceum of Natural History. It is the fourth oldest scientific society in the United States. An independent, nonprofit organization wi ...
; and president of the
Torrey Botanical Club
Torrey Botanical Society (formerly Torrey Botanical Club) was started in the 1860s by colleagues of John Torrey. It is the oldest botanical society in the Americas. The Society promotes the exploration and study of plant life, with particular ...
. During the World's fair in Philadelphia in 1876 he was one of the judges. In 1887, he was elected an Associate Fellow of the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, a ...
.
In 1867, he was elected as a member of the
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...
.
He assisted in the organization 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. Hitch ...
at Cleveland in 1888, and served on the commission to organize an international geological congress, of which he was president in 1891. The
Murchison Medal
The Murchison Medal is an academic award established by Roderick Murchison, who died in 1871. First awarded in 1873, it is normally given to people who have made a significant contribution to geology by means of a substantial body of research and ...
of the
Geological Society of London
The Geological Society of London, known commonly as the Geological Society, is a learned society based in the United Kingdom. It is the oldest national geological society in the world and the largest in Europe with more than 12,000 Fellows.
Fe ...
was awarded to him in 1888.
Newberry died at
New Haven
New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,023 ...
on December 7, 1892.
Legacy
Newberry Crater, Oregon (now in the
Newberry National Volcanic Monument) was named in his honor in 1903.
Newberry Butte, located within the Grand Canyon, was named in his honor in 1906.
A fish, ''
Eucyclogobius newberryi
''Eucyclogobius newberryi'', the Northern tidewater goby, is a species of goby native to lagoons of streams, marshes, and creeks along the coast of California, United States. The Northern tidewater goby is one of six native goby species to Califo ...
'', the Northern tidewater goby was named in his honor.
Works
Dr. Newberry's separate papers contributed to various periodicals included upward of 200 titles, chiefly in the fields of geology and paleontology, but also in zoology and botany. In addition, he authored or contributed to:
* ''Reports of Explorations and Surveys to Ascertain the Most Practical and Economic Route for a Railroad from the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...
to the Pacific Coast, Made in 1855–56'' (Washington, 1857). His reports on the geology, botany, and zoology of northern California are contained in the sixth volume.
* ''Report on the Colorado River of the West, Explored in 1857–58'' (Washington, 1861). His observations formed the most interesting material that was gathered by the expedition, and made up fully half of this report.
* ''Reports of the Exploring Expedition from Santa Fé to the Junction of the
Grande and
Green River Green River may refer to:
Rivers
Canada
* Green River (British Columbia), a tributary of the Lillooet River
*Green River, a tributary of the Saint John River, also known by its French name of Rivière Verte
*Green River (Ontario), a tributary of ...
s'' (Washington, 1876). A large area of this country was before unknown, but proved to be rich in minerals and to be covered with the traces of an ancient civilization. This information was his contribution to this report.
* ''The
Rock Oils of Ohio'' (1859)
''Catalogue of the Flowering Plants and Ferns of Ohio''(1860)
* ''The U. S. Sanitary Commission in the Valley of the Mississippi'' (Cleveland, 1871)
* ''Iron Resources of the United States'' (1874)
* ''The Structure and Relations of
Dinichthys
''Dinichthys'' (from el, δεινός , 'terrible' and el, ἰχθύς 'fish') is an extinct monospecific genus of giant, marine arthrodire placoderm from the Late Devonian (Famennian stage), comparable in size, shape, and ecological role ...
'' (1875)
* ''Report on the Fossil Fishes Collected on the Illinois Geological Survey'' (1886)
''The flora of the Amboy Clays. (Abstract)''(1886)
* ''Fossil Fishes and Fossil Plants of the Triassic Rocks of
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
and the
Connecticut Valley
The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Island ...
'' (1888)
''Paleozoic Fishes of North America''(1889)
* ''Later Extinct Floras'' (1898)
Notes
References
*
* This work in turn cites:
**
J. J. Stevenson"Memoir" (with a portrait), in the ''American Geologist'' (Minneapolis, July, 1893);Attribution
*
Further reading
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Newberry, John Strong
1822 births
American science writers
American geologists
American explorers
Physicians from Cleveland
Case Western Reserve University alumni
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine alumni
Writers from Connecticut
1892 deaths
Explorers of Oregon
People from Windsor, Connecticut
Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Torrey Botanical Society members
Members of the American Antiquarian Society
Western Reserve Academy alumni