George William Featherstonhaugh

George William Featherstonhaugh (/ˈfɪərstənhɔː/ FEER-stən-haw; 9 April 1780, in London – 28 September 1866, in Le Havre) was a British-American geologist and geographer. He was one of the proposers of the Albany and Schenectady Railroad and was the first geologist to the US government. He surveyed portions of the Louisiana Purchase for the US government. Early life and career Born to George and Dorothy Simpson Featherstonhaugh in London, he grew up in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. Featherstonhaugh liked climbing cliffs, collecting fossils, and gathering wild bird eggs to sell. He was adept at writing and became a Fellow of the Geological Society and the Royal Society. In 1809, he was elected as a member to the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia. Railroad plans In 1806 he went to the United States where he planned to study the languages of the indigenous people. He married Sarah Duane of Schenectady, New York, on 6 November 1808. They had four children: James, Ann, George Jr., and Georgianna. He farmed, organised the first New York Board of Agriculture, and advocated the building of steam railroads in the United States. Difficulty experienced in the economic transportation of his crops led Featherstonhaugh to advocate a steam railroad that would connect the Hudson River at Albany, New York, with the navigable Mohawk River at Schenectady. His acquaintance with George Stephenson (1781–1848) facilitated his quest. Ten years were spent in an attempt to educate the public for the experiment and it was not until December 1825, that Featherstonhaugh was determined to apply for a charter. This was granted on 17 April 1826. The painter Thomas Cole spent the winter of 1825–6 at Featherstonhaugh's estate, painting four views of the house in its landscape setting including Landscape, the Seat of Mr. Featherstonhaugh in the Distance, but found Featherstonhaugh a "heartless employer". After the death of his wife and two daughters and a calamitous fire, Featherstonhaugh sold his estate at Duanesburg. He later came to Philadelphia and, on 28 January 1831, married Charlotte Williams Carter in Schenectady County, New York. They had three children: Albany, Georgiannia, and Henry.