Ebenezer Emmons

Ebenezer Emmons (May 16, 1799 – October 1, 1863), was a pioneering American geologist whose work includes the naming of the Adirondack Mountains in New York as well as a first ascent of Mount Marcy.

Emmons was born at Middlefield, Massachusetts, on May 16, 1799, son of Ebenezer and Mary (Mack) Emmons. Emmons prepared for college under Rev. Mr. Halleck and entered Williams College at age 16 and graduated with the class of 1818. He later studied medicine at Albany, New York, and after taking his degree practiced as a doctor for some years in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. His interest in geology was kindled in early life, and in 1824 he had assisted Prof Chester Dewey (1784-1867) in preparing a geological map of Berkshire County, in which the first attempt was made to classify the rocks of the Taconic area. He still longed to pursue his interest in geology, so decided to attend the Rensselaer School (now Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute). There, he was inspired by the eminent professor Amos Eaton, and graduated from Rensselaer in its first class in 1826. While thus giving much of his time to natural science, undertaking professional work in natural history and geology in Williams College, he also accepted the professorship of chemistry and afterwards of obstetrics at Albany Medical College.

The chief work of his life was, however, in geology, and he has been designated by Jules Marcou as the founder of American Paleozoic stratigraphy, and the first discoverer of the primordial fauna in any country. In 1836 he became attached to the Geological Survey of the State of New York, and after lengthened study he grouped the local strata (1842) into the Taconic and overlying New York systems. The latter system was subdivided into several groups that were by no means well defined. Emmons had previously described the Potsdam sandstone (1838), and this was placed at the base of the New York system. It is now regarded as Upper Cambrian.

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