Whittlesey, Charles, 1808-1886

Army officer, lawyer, and geologist, of Cleveland, Ohio.

Soldier, lawyer, geologist, and historian who resided in Cleveland, Ohio.

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Charles Whittlesey

Colonel Charles Whittlesey (1808-1886) was an economic geologist whose financial success and longevity permitted him to devote large amounts of time and energy to diverse intellectual activities in such fields as geology, archaeology, and history. The considerable breadth of his scientific purview was exhibited at an early age. Born in Southington, Connecticut on October 4, 1808, he began school at the age of four, and moved with his parents to Tallmadge, Ohio, at age five. His father's extensive interests in coal mining undoubtedly helped to initiate the boy's lifelong interest in geology.

Family influence, as well as scholastic ability, successfully furthered Charles Whittlesey's education. His uncle, United States Congressman Elisha Whittlesey, stimulated his interest in history and, more importantly, secured for him an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, the leading school for training in the natural sciences. As a cadet, he met William W. Mather, who encouraged his interest in geology, while Whittlesey himself continued to study meteorology.

Following his graduation in 1831, Lieutenant Whittlesey served in the Black Hawk war and saw for the first time the Michigan and Wisconsin copper region which was subsequently to play an important role in his life. While stationed at Green Bay, Whittlesey turned his attention to a serious study of Great Lakes water levels. Eventually, Whittlesey grew impatient with his military career, besieged his uncle for aid in preferment, and resigned in 1832 to open a law office in Cleveland, Ohio. Throughout his life Whittlesey would harbor the belief that his talents were insufficiently recognized by others, an opinion substantially justified and periodically reinforced during his long career.

In 1837, Whittlesey was selected by his friend William W. Mather, state geologist for Ohio, to a "topographer" for the Geological Survey of Ohio.His field books during this period indicate that his widely ranging interests were already well established: geology, local history, archaeology, antiquities, topography, meteorology, geography, and Great Lakes limnology. When the Ohio state legislature prematurely ended the Ohio survey, much of Whittlesey's work remained unpublished. He shrewdly utilized the knowledge gained during the survey by investing in valuable coal lands in Jackson County and, later, in the rich Hocking Valley coal field. His archaeological surveys were continued with the help of Joseph Sullivant and were eventually incorporated in Squier and Davis' Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley . It must have seemed incredible to Whittlesey that E. G. Squier published a preliminary study without acknowledging his work. A sharp letter from Whittlesey quickly put things right, and Squier and Davis' important study contains a tribute to Whittlesey's efforts. Though extremely sensitive to criticism from others, Whittlesey himself was outspoken and uncompromising throughout his life whenever he believed that his work was not appreciated sufficiently.

Whittlesey joined the Miami Exporting Company in speculating in land around Cincinnati during the 1840s. This enterprise culminated in his agricultural survey of Hamilton County. Much of this remains unpublished, a fact that Whittlesey regretted for many years. Actually, despite the impressive quality and the staggering quantity of his scientific output, Whittlesey was rarely able to complete any of the large-scale projects, such as the archaeological survey of Ohio, that he envisioned as a young man.

From 1845 until the outbreak of the Civil War, Whittlesey was engaged in geological field work in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, both as a public servant and as a private individual. He began by working for a private company and explored the copper lands of Michigan. After government employment in a survey of the Upper Mississippi and Lake Superior region, Whittlesey served as agent for various private mining interests in the copper region of Lake Superior, notably at Eagle River, Wisconsin. Once again, his work on the Wisconsin survey remained partially unpublished because of governmental curtailments; but Whittlesey eventually published much of the data himself in various journals and reports.

Active field work in the wilds of the Lake Superior region did not preclude other intellectual pursuits. In the 1850s Whittlesey published a major work on aboriginal copper mining, significant studies in Pleistocene geology, work on Great Lakes water levels, translation of numerous French manuscripts relating to the early exploration of the old Northwest, and continued studies on the geology of Ohio. Nor did it preclude marriage to Mrs. Mary (Lyon) Morgan in 1858. Mrs. Whittlesey, to judge from correspondence in this collection, did not enjoy life in the Lake Superior district.

Whittlesey enlisted in the Union Army at the very outbreak of the civil War and served in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. He was in charge of constructing the defenses for Cincinnati at Covington, Kentucky; had a horse shot from under him at Scarey's Run, West Virginia; and was engaged in the battles of Fort Donelson and Shiloh. His resignation in 1862 appears to have been related to personal illness and the health of his wife, but he may also have been frustrated, as before, by his failure to advance within the service.

Beginning in march 1863 and continuing through the remainder of the Civil War, Whittlesey explored the mineral wealth of the Lake Superior region, particularly in Ashland County, Wisconsin. The results of his work are embodied in a series of reports to various mining companies that were brief and privately printed by himself. Whittlesey was never able to synthesize this material into a more complete report on the geology of the Wisconsin copper district.

Whittlesey returned to Cleveland in 1865, pursued his lifelong interest in history and, in 1867, published his history of Cleveland, a project originally begun in 1843. As a published historian, Whittlesey attracted considerable local recognition as an authority and had an active role in the formation of the Western Reserve Historical Society in 1867. Whittlesey was the Society's first president and retained that position until his death. His work for the Society can, in part, be traced in the list of Society Tracts written by him, though some of his most important achievements are not reflected therein, notably acquisition of the St. Clair papers by the State of Ohio and publication of the Margry papers.

In 1869 Whittlesey published his Contributions to the Geology of Ohio which coincided with the establishment of the Second Ohio Geological Survey and must have been at least an unconscious bid to head the survey for which he had lobbied. However, that office went to Whittlesey's chief rival, john S. Newberry, who had the grace to offer Whittlesey the next highest post, and offer that Whittlesey could not bring himself to accept. Instead, Whittlesey nursed a grudge, took considerable delight in criticizing the Newberry survey, and contributed to the demise of the survey in 1878.

During his last twenty years, while Whittlesey continued his interest in geology, particularly his lucrative coal lands in Perry County, he also devoted much time and effort to the study of archaeology and history. His description of the Cuyahoga Valley earthworks and his careful study of the spate of alleged Hebraic inscriptions from Ohio mounds, along with his efforts to organize the 1876 Ohio centennial exhibition, were his most outstanding archaeological achievements during the latter part of his life. His contributions to historical literature include numerous short Tracts on the War of 1812, reminiscences of his own Civil War experiences, and studies of the early French explorations of the Great Lakes region. Whittlesey also contributed to historical scholarship by using his political influence to persuade the Ohio legislature to purchase the privately owned St. Clair papers and to convince the United States Congress to aid in the publication of Pierre Margry's collection of French colonial documents.

In his last years, Whittlesey was preoccupied with religious and philosophical subjects. His last publication was a series of articles defending "theism" against Haeckel's materialistic "Dynamical Sociology." these were written while Whittlesey was bedridden with rheumatism and related disorders, a month before his death on October 17, 1886.

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Charles Whittlesey

Colonel Charles Whittlesey (1808-1886) was an economic geologist whose financial success and longevity permitted him to devote large amounts of time and energy to diverse intellectual activities in such fields as geology, archaeology, and history. The considerable breadth of his scientific purview was exhibited at an early age. Born in Southington, Connecticut on October 4, 1808, he began school at the age of four, and moved with his parents to Tallmadge, Ohio, at age five. His father's extensive interests in coal mining undoubtedly helped to initiate the boy's lifelong interest in geology.

Family influence, as well as scholastic ability, successfully furthered Charles Whittlesey's education. His uncle, United States Congressman Elisha Whittlesey, stimulated his interest in history and, more importantly, secured for him an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, the leading school for training in the natural sciences. As a cadet, he met William W. Mather, who encouraged his interest in geology, while Whittlesey himself continued to study meteorology.

Following his graduation in 1831, Lieutenant Whittlesey served in the Black Hawk war and saw for the first time the Michigan and Wisconsin copper region which was subsequently to play an important role in his life. While stationed at Green Bay, Whittlesey turned his attention to a serious study of Great Lakes water levels. Eventually, Whittlesey grew impatient with his military career, besieged his uncle for aid in preferment, and resigned in 1832 to open a law office in Cleveland, Ohio. Throughout his life Whittlesey would harbor the belief that his talents were insufficiently recognized by others, an opinion substantially justified and periodically reinforced during his long career.

In 1837, Whittlesey was selected by his friend William W. Mather, state geologist for Ohio, to a "topographer" for the Geological Survey of Ohio.His field books during this period indicate that his widely ranging interests were already well established: geology, local history, archaeology, antiquities, topography, meteorology, geography, and Great Lakes limnology. When the Ohio state legislature prematurely ended the Ohio survey, much of Whittlesey's work remained unpublished. He shrewdly utilized the knowledge gained during the survey by investing in valuable coal lands in Jackson County and, later, in the rich Hocking Valley coal field. His archaeological surveys were continued with the help of Joseph Sullivant and were eventually incorporated in Squier and Davis' Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley. It must have seemed incredible to Whittlesey that E. G. Squier published a preliminary study without acknowledging his work. A sharp letter from Whittlesey quickly put things right, and Squier and Davis' important study contains a tribute to Whittlesey's efforts. Though extremely sensitive to criticism from others, Whittlesey himself was outspoken and uncompromising throughout his life whenever he believed that his work was not appreciated sufficiently.

Whittlesey joined the Miami Exporting Company in speculating in land around Cincinnati during the 1840s. This enterprise culminated in his agricultural survey of Hamilton County. Much of this remains unpublished, a fact that Whittlesey regretted for many years. Actually, despite the impressive quality and the staggering quantity of his scientific output, Whittlesey was rarely able to complete any of the large-scale projects, such as the archaeological survey of Ohio, that he envisioned as a young man.

From 1845 until the outbreak of the Civil War, Whittlesey was engaged in geological field work in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, both as a public servant and as a private individual. He began by working for a private company and explored the copper lands of Michigan. After government employment in a survey of the Upper Mississippi and Lake Superior region, Whittlesey served as agent for various private mining interests in the copper region of Lake Superior, notably at Eagle River, Wisconsin. Once again, his work on the Wisconsin survey remained partially unpublished because of governmental curtailments; but Whittlesey eventually published much of the data himself in various journals and reports.

Active field work in the wilds of the Lake Superior region did not preclude other intellectual pursuits. In the 1850s Whittlesey published a major work on aboriginal copper mining, significant studies in Pleistocene geology, work on Great Lakes water levels, translation of numerous French manuscripts relating to the early exploration of the old Northwest, and continued studies on the geology of Ohio. Nor did it preclude marriage to Mrs. Mary (Lyon) Morgan in 1858. Mrs. Whittlesey, to judge from correspondence in this collection, did not enjoy life in the Lake Superior district.

Whittlesey enlisted in the Union Army at the very outbreak of the civil War and served in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. He was in charge of constructing the defenses for Cincinnati at Covington, Kentucky; had a horse shot from under him at Scarey's Run, West Virginia; and was engaged in the battles of Fort Donelson and Shiloh. His resignation in 1862 appears to have been related to personal illness and the health of his wife, but he may also have been frustrated, as before, by his failure to advance within the service.

Beginning in march 1863 and continuing through the remainder of the Civil War, Whittlesey explored the mineral wealth of the Lake Superior region, particularly in Ashland County, Wisconsin. The results of his work are embodied in a series of reports to various mining companies that were brief and privately printed by himself. Whittlesey was never able to synthesize this material into a more complete report on the geology of the Wisconsin copper district.

Whittlesey returned to Cleveland in 1865, pursued his lifelong interest in history and, in 1867, published his history of Cleveland, a project originally begun in 1843. As a published historian, Whittlesey attracted considerable local recognition as an authority and had an active role in the formation of the Western Reserve Historical Society in 1867. Whittlesey was the Society's first president and retained that position until his death. His work for the Society can, in part, be traced in the list of Society Tracts written by him, though some of his most important achievements are not reflected therein, notably acquisition of the St. Clair papers by the State of Ohio and publication of the Margry papers.

In 1869 Whittlesey published his Contributions to the Geology of Ohio which coincided with the establishment of the Second Ohio Geological Survey and must have been at least an unconscious bid to head the survey for which he had lobbied. However, that office went to Whittlesey's chief rival, john S. Newberry, who had the grace to offer Whittlesey the next highest post, and offer that Whittlesey could not bring himself to accept. Instead, Whittlesey nursed a grudge, took considerable delight in criticizing the Newberry survey, and contributed to the demise of the survey in 1878.

During his last twenty years, while Whittlesey continued his interest in geology, particularly his lucrative coal lands in Perry County, he also devoted much time and effort to the study of archaeology and history. His description of the Cuyahoga Valley earthworks and his careful study of the spate of alleged Hebraic inscriptions from Ohio mounds, along with his efforts to organize the 1876 Ohio centennial exhibition, were his most outstanding archaeological achievements during the latter part of his life. His contributions to historical literature include numerous short Tracts on the War of 1812, reminiscences of his own Civil War experiences, and studies of the early French explorations of the Great Lakes region. Whittlesey also contributed to historical scholarship by using his political influence to persuade the Ohio legislature to purchase the privately owned St. Clair papers and to convince the United States Congress to aid in the publication of Pierre Margry's collection of French colonial documents.

In his last years, Whittlesey was preoccupied with religious and philosophical subjects. His last publication was a series of articles defending "theism" against Haeckel's materialistic "Dynamical Sociology." these were written while Whittlesey was bedridden with rheumatism and related disorders, a month before his death on October 17, 1886.