JOSEPH LE CONTE:

LeConte, a member of a family prominent in scientific endeavors, was born in Liberty County, Georgia (Feb. 16, 1823); graduated from Franklin College, Georgia (1841); attended the College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York (1843-1845); taught at a number of universities in the South (1851-1869); moved to California in 1869; and died there on July 6, 1901.

More biographical information will be found in the collection.

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In May 1844 LeConte, accompanied by his cousin John Lawrence LeConte, left Syracuse (N.Y.), visited Niagara Falls, traveled on to Detroit and Chicago, and then to Lake Huron and Northern Michigan, and on to Fort Mackinac and to Saulte Ste. Marie. There are descriptions of Indian canoes, canoeing methods of Ojibwe tribes, geographical formations, soil, and general descriptions of he surrounding area.

While at the Saulte they took advantage of a side trip to the copper mines at Keweenaw Point, Michigan, traveling with a group of Cornish miners going to Eagle Harbor. There are descriptions of Eagle Harbor, the weather, topographical and geological formations, fishing and hunting, forests, and the construction of the first log cabin in the area.

On July 3 they left Eagle Point for LaPointe, Madeline Island, Wisconsin. LeConte describes seeing a mirage on entering LaPointe (p. 11), the American Fur Company post there, and Indian dances. Pages 1-13 contain fairly detailed descriptions of geological formations in the Apostle Islands, and crossing Lake Superior to what is now the Duluth area. There are his impressions of the North Shore (page 14); Minnesota Point (Duluth); the Saint Louis River and its Dalles, with details on the canoe trip up the river and portaging (pages 17-18); slate formations; food; camp areas; and mosquito protection (page 20).

From the St. Louis River they portaged to the Savannah River and Sandy Lake, describing the Indian agencies and missionaries there. They then traveled down the Mississippi River to Saint Anthony Falls, giving geological descriptions of the falls. They went up the Minnesota River to St. Peter, then back to Fort Snelling with descriptions of life at the Fort and visits to Minnehaha Falls and Lake Harriet, both in Minneapolis.

The rest of the manuscript describes their journey down the Mississippi River, mentioning St. Paul, Lake Pepin, Nauvoo (Ill.) and the Mormon settlement there, and lead mines at Galena (Ill.) and Dubuque (Ia.). He ends with the voyage up the Ohio River to Pittsburgh and then home to New York by railroad.

The manuscript is based on LeConte's journal, which was destroyed during the Civil War.

Also included in the folder are photocopies of Joseph's biography from Who Was Who in America, vol. 1, and more detailed biographies of Joseph and John Lawrence from Dictionary of American Biography, vol. 6.

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Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Joseph LeConte's Early Geological Excursion. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Processing Information:

Processed by: Kathryn A. Johnson, October 1997.

Catalog ID number: 990017358470104294

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This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:

Canoes and canoeing -- Great Lakes.

Canoes and canoeing -- Minnesota.

Copper mines and mining -- Michigan.

Cornish -- Michigan.

Geology -- United States -- Great Lakes Region.

Lead mines and mining -- Illinois.

Lead mines and mining -- Iowa.

Fortifications -- Michigan.

Fortifications -- Minnesota.

Mormons -- Illinois.

Ojibwa Indians.

Portages -- Minnesota.

Rivers -- Great Lakes Region.

Travelers -- Great Lakes Region.

Travelers' writings, American.

Places:

Apostle Islands (Wis.) -- Description and travel.

Duluth (Minn.) -- Description and travel.

Eagle Harbor (Mich.) -- Description and travel.

Fond du Lac (Minn.) -- Description and travel.

Fort Mackinac (Mackinac Island, Mich.) -- Description and travel.

Fort Snelling (Minn.) -- Description and travel.

Great Lakes Region -- Description and travel.

LaPointe, (Wis.) -- Description and travel.

Mackinac Island (Mich.: Island) -- Description and travel.

Michigan, Lake -- Description and travel.

Minnesota River (S.D. and Minn.) -- Description and travel.

Mississippi River -- Description and travel.

Saint Anthony Falls (Minn.) -- Description and travel.

Saint Louis River (Minn.) -- Description and travel.

Superior, Lake -- Description and travel.

Wisconsin -- Description and travel.

Persons:

LeConte, John L. (John Lawrence), 1825-1883.

Types of documents:

Reminiscences.

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