Ohio History Journal

WILLIAM WILLIAMS MATHER

BY JOHN H. NEWVAHNER

William Williams Mather was the first State Geolo-

gist of Ohio, and chief of the first Geological Survey of

the State. In this capacity he discovered and brought to

light a knowledge of the vast mineral resources of the

State. And the development of these resources has

brought untold wealth to Ohio and to the Nation. Who

was this man who was entrusted with such responsibility

by our great commonwealth? Why was he chosen for

this work? To answer these questions we must go back

to the conditions in Ohio of one hundred years ago.

At that time the science of geology had nowhere at-

tained anything like its present state of perfection. Very

little, indeed was known by anyone about the structure

of our country. The Geological Survey of New York

was then in progress, but its results had not yet been an-

nounced.

The first information obtained by the citizens of

Ohio in regard to the geological structure and mineral

resources of the State was derived from the report of a

committee appointed under a joint resolution of the Leg-

islature, passed March 14, 1836, to report to the next

Legislature the best method of obtaining a complete geo-

logical survey of the State.

The committee appointed, did splendid work. They

submitted a plan for a general geological survey of the

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192      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

State, with an estimate of its probable cost. The Legis-

lature of 1836-37 at once acted on the recommendation

of the committee and passed a bill on March 27th, 1837,

providing for a geological survey, appointing a corps of

geologists and voting an appropriation of $12,000 for

the work. The board was then organized as follows:

W. W. Mather, Chief Geologist.

Assistants as follows:

Dr. S. P. Hildreth

Prof. J. P. Kirtland

J. W. Foster

Charles Whittlesey

Caleb Briggs, Jr.

The gentlemen entered at once upon their duties and

presented to the next Legislature the First Annual Re-

port on the Geology of Ohio. This report was imme-

diately published.

In the succeeding summer, the work was continued

under the same organization, and the second Geological

Report of Ohio was made and published. Both reports

contained much valuable information concerning the re-

sources of the State.

In consequence of the financial panic of 1837, and

the paralysis of business that followed, it was decided

by the Legislature, to discontinue the appropriations for

the Survey. This was a short-sighted policy. The de-

velopment of our resources was not stopped, but it was

retarded by this policy. The Geological Survey was a

producer and not a consumer. It added far more to the

Public Treasury than it took out of it, and deserved sup-

William Williams Mather         193

port and encouragement, even in that dark financial

hour.

The successful work of this early Survey is due

largely to the Chief Geologist, William Williams Mather.

Professor Mather came from one of the most cele-

brated Puritan families of America. He was descended

from Rev. Richard Mather, who fled from England to

Massachusetts in 1635 to escape persecution for non-

conformity.  Richard Mather brought four sons to

America, from the second of whom, Timothy, the sub-

ject of this article was descended. The paternal grand-

father of William, Eleazer Mather, was an officer of the

Connecticut troops during the Revolutionary War. The

eldest son of Eleazer, who bore the same name, was the

father of William. He married a Miss Fanny Williams

of Brooklyn, N. Y. Their son, William Williams

Mather, the subject of this sketch, was born in Brooklyn,

May 24, 1804.

He seems to have been a studious youth, for while in

his teens, he decided to become a physician, and went to

Providence, Rhode Island, to take up medical studies.

While there he became interested in chemistry.

These facts indicate the studious nature of the young

man, and indicate that he was naturally a scientist. At

the age of eighteen, however, he applied for admission

to West Point Military Academy as a cadet, and was

successful. He entered the Academy in 1823 and grad-

uated five years later. Young Mather was proficient in

chemical analysis, and when Webster's Chemistry was

going through the press, the proof sheets were all sent to

him by the author for suggestions and corrections. This

shows that even then, he had won a reputation as an ex-

Vol. XL--13.

194      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

pert chemist. He had special aptitude for science, and

took great delight in experimenting. And needless to

state, he easily led his class in scientific subjects.

On graduating he was assigned to the Seventh In-

fantry with the customary rank of Second Lieutenant.

He remained at West Point as assistant instructor of ar-

tillery for a time, then was ordered to Jefferson Bar-

racks, then to Fort Jessup, Louisiana. After this, he

was detailed to act as assistant professor of chemistry,

mineralogy, and geology at West Point, where he re-

mained six years. During the recess of his course of in-

struction in 1833, and with the permission of the War

Department, he acted as Professor of geology at Wes-

leyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, and the fol-

lowing year received the honorary degree of A. M. from

that University. In the summer of 1834 he made a

geological survey of Windham County, Connecticut.

Within the first year of his graduation, Lieutenant

Mather published in the American Journal of Science,

several articles on scientific subjects. He also wrote a

text book, "Elements of Geology," which was enlarged

and passed through several editions. In 1835 he made

a topographical map of St. Peter's River Valley, Minne-

sota, which he presented direct to the United States Gov-

ernment. He was now promoted to the rank of First

Lieutenant, and sent to join his regiment at Fort Gibson,

Idaho Territory. The following summer he marched

into the Choctaw Country in command of his company.

But, feeling that he could now safely adopt the pursuit

of science as a profession, he resigned his commission in

the Army, in August, 1836.

When he had been one year at West Point as assist-

William Williams Mather         195

ant professor, Lieutenant Mather married Miss Emily

Maria Baker. By this marriage he had three sons and

three daughters.

After leaving the Army, Mr. Mather was for a short

time professor of chemistry, mineralogy, and geology at

the University of Louisiana, but before the close of the

year 1836, Governor Marcy of New York appointed

him, with three others, to make a geological survey of

the State of New York. Each of these principal geolo-

gists was assigned to one of four districts, into which

the State was divided for the purpose. Mather had the

first district, which comprised Washington, Saratoga,

Schenectady, Schoharie and Delaware Counties, and all

that part of the State to the southeast of them. The work

of the survey lasted about seven years. During this time

Professor Mather made five periodical reports and a

final report. This last forms a volume of six hundred

pages, with forty-six colored plates, and is altogether a

splendid report, which the State of New York gladly

published.

With all this education, and training and experience

of Professor Mather, it is readily to be seen why the

State of Ohio called him to be Chief of her Geological

Survey. And he obeyed the call. As stated, the Survey

published two reports. But the business depression of

1837 and 1838 caused the Legislature of Ohio to aban-

don the work. No provision was made for preserving

papers, field notes nor maps. This was a great loss and

was only partly made up forty years later by the New-

berry Report of 1878. He also at this time assisted in

the Geological Survey of Kentucky.

While engaged in his work in Ohio, Mr. Mather be-

196      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

came impressed with the mineral resources of Jackson

County. He called the attention of capitalists to the vast

mineral resources of that county, and thus hastened the

development of that section of Ohio.

Indeed, he thought so much of Jackson County that

he purchased one thousand acres of land about three

miles north of the city of Jackson, the county seat of

Jackson County, and later purchased five hundred acres

more. He cleared part of the land, built for himself a

comfortable home on it, and became a citizen of Ohio.

Even after leaving it later, he would return and spend a

part of the summer on it annually. He always consid-

ered and called it his family homestead.

From his home he could enjoy the most beautiful

scenery to be found in all Ohio. The most gorgeous sun-

sets were his to see. And here, almost out of touch with

the rest of the world, was the home of this busy man for

over ten years. He recognized his duties as a citizen

and took an active interest in community affairs. He

became a charter member of the First Baptist Church of

Jackson, and a charter member of Trowel Lodge, Num-

ber 132, Free and Accepted Masons of Jackson, Ohio.

Here in his Jackson County home, his beloved wife and

two sons, Increase and Cotton Mather, passed away.

And all three were buried in the Mather Cemetery at the

top of the hill on the side of which his home had been

built. Later the remains of his wife and mother were

removed to Ironton by a remaining son of this marriage.

And as late as 1930, lilies and other cultivated flowers

were still to be found growing wild on the hillside where

once had been his home. They were no doubt descend-

William Williams Mather         197

ants of the flowers once tended with loving care by his

devoted wife.

About the time Professor Mather finished his Sur-

vey in New York, he was chosen professor of natural

science in the Ohio University, at Athens, Ohio. He

held this position from 1842 to 1845, and from 1847 to

1850, being vice-president and acting president in 1845.

From 1845 to 1847 he was engaged in examining min-

eral lands for mining companies, about Lake Superior,

and also in New Jersey, Virginia and Massachusetts.

During part of 1846 he was acting professor of

chemistry and geology at Marietta College, his other

engagements making him unwilling to accept the pro-

fessorship. In the winter of 1845 he began a series of

experiments on the extraction of bromine from the salt

waters of works near Athens, Ohio. At that time bro-

mine, which now sells for a few cents a pound, was sell-

ing at sixteen dollars an ounce. His work has revolu-

tionized the making of this substance.

In similar public and private employments the rest of

his life was passed. He was agricultural chemist for

the State of Ohio, and secretary of the State Board of

Agriculture from 1850 to 1854. During part of this

time he edited the Western Agriculturist and during the

last year was a member of the United States Board of

Agriculture. His wife having died, he married, in 1851,

Mrs. Mary Curtis, who survived him. By this mar-

riage he had one son. Mr. Mather died in Columbus,

February 26, 1859, aged fifty-four years.

In addition to his writings already mentioned, he

contributed frequent papers to the American Journal of

Science and other scientific periodicals. He received the

198      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

degree of LL. D. from Brown University, was a mem-

ber of twenty-five scientific and literary organizations,

was a life member of many religious associations, and

for fifteen years was a trustee of Denison University

at Granville, Ohio.

His geological and mineralogical specimens num-

bered at the time of his death, over twenty-six thousand.

Equable in his disposition, and gentle in his man-

ners, considerate of others, modest, but manly and self-

reliant, thoroughly versed in the branches to which he

devoted himself, he had neither dogmatism nor osten-

tation. As he observed in a letter to a friend who dif-

fered from him on a geological question, "I am not wed-

ded to any theory, but seek the truth--and when found

adopt it." He was a man of gentle disposition, firm

principles, and a high sense of honor.

The supremacy of his will-power over physical pain

is illustrated in the following experience he had while

making an examination of coal lands near Pomeroy,

Ohio. He had injured the second finger of his right

hand, and the finger evidently required amputation. He

directed the surgeon to procure a block, a chisel, and a

mallet; and placing his finger on the block, told the sur-

geon to sever the finger at one blow. This was at-

tempted but proved a sad failure. The chisel was too

thin and highly tempered and the edge crumbled. But he

told the surgeon to go on, and several blows were re-

quired before the severance could be made. Although

in this painful operation the bone was crushed instead of

being cut, he bore the pain without flinching.

Such was this splendid man. Through the whole of

his active and busy life, dealing with many men and