Created by an act of Congress in 1879, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) has evolved over the ensuing 120 years, matching its talent and knowledge to the progress of science and technology. Today, the USGS stands as the sole science agency for the Department of the Interior. The USGS serves the Nation as an independent fact-finding agency that collects, monitors, analyzes, and provides scientific understanding about natural resource conditions, issues, and problems.
From the guide to the United States Geological Survey Photographs of Holmes County, 1941, (Ohio Historical Society)