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Col. Stephen Harriman Long
b.30 Dec 1784 Hopkinton, Merrimack, New Hampshire, United States
d.4 Sep 1864 Alton, Madison, Illinois, United States
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m. 17 Jul 1783
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m. 3 Mar 1819
Facts and Events
Long was a U.S. engineer, explorer, and military officer. As an inventor, he is noted for his developments in the design of steam locomotives. As an Army officer, he led a pioneering scientific expedition throughout a large area of the Great Plains, which he famously described as the "Great American Desert". Longs Peak in Colorado is named for him. He graduated from Dartmouth College on 1809. He was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant Engineers US Army, Dec 12, 1814 and was an assistant mathematics professor at West Point Military Academy for 2 years. He served as topographic engineer as brevetted major Apr . 29, 1816 (and major Jul 7, 1838) and was sent by War Department to examine portages of Fox and Wis consin rivers and explore upper Mississippi River, 1817. He was assigned to St. Louis and helped establish and appraise military posts in Illinois and the upper Mississippi region the following year. Long went to Arkansas, selecting a site for Belle Point (Fort Smith), proceeding sout west toward the Red River, arriving at the site of the later Fort Towson. Long proposed construction of a steamboat for use in exploration of the west via rivers; he was named to command such an expedition, supervised construction of the Western Engineer at Pittsburgh, assembled scientists and secured a suitable military escort. Leaving Pittsburgh May 5, 1819, the Western Engineer decended the Ohio, reached St. Louis and started up the Missouri Jun 22, 1819; reached St. Charles the 27th, visited Fort Osage and continued to Council Bluffs, reached Sep 17, 1819, when winter quarters were established. Source: Encyclopedia of Frontier Biography , pgs. 871-2. In 1820, Major Stephen H. Long and a party of 20, which included naturalists Dr . Edwin James and Dr. Thomas Say, set out to explore the Platte, Arkansas, and Red Rivers. Like Pike before him, Long did not find the Red River. Pike ended upon the Rio Grande, Long on the Canadian. In 1823 Long was sent to locate sources of the Minnesota River and northward of it. For his explorations and for ten years in grade Long was breveted to lieutenant colonel Apr 29, 182 6. For many years thereafter he was engaged in railroad surveys and construction and in 1829 published the Railroad Manual, the first treatise in this country on railroad construction ; received a patent for bracing and counterbracing wooden bridges, 1836; was chief engineer f or Atlantic & Great Western R.R., 1837-1840. He became a major with organization of the Topographical Engineers as a separate corps, Jul 7, 1838. Long became chief of the corps with rank of colonel, Sep 9, 1861; retired Jun 1, 1863. The Wikipedia article on Stephen Harriman Long is at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Harriman_Long For more information, see the EN Wikipedia article Stephen Harriman Long. References
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