MIDCONTINENT STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS COLLECTORS, SUMMARIZERS, AND DISTRIBUTORS OF GEOLOGICAL DATA

There are four state geological surveys in the U.S. Midcontinent that each have been in existence for more than a century - Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. They have been a service by collecting and storing data, and summarizing and distributing them to their clientele. Many of the state geologists and scientists with these surveys have gained national and even international reputations for their work. Also, many new and interesting concepts have been formulated and utilized by these scientists. The 24th state to be admitted to the Union was Missouri in 1821, next was Iowa, the 29th state, in 1846, followed by Kansas the 34th state in 1861, and then Nebraska was the 37th and admitted in 1867. To help in the development of the state each created a geological survey to survey and catalog the natural resources available. As of 2014 all these organizations were still active.

The first state geological survey was created by Missouri in 1853 with George C. Swallow as State Geologist then there was a gap from 1861 to 1870 to the next state geologist. James Hall was appointed State Geologist of Iowa in 1855 and served in that capacity to 1858. Nebraska was next when a permanent survey was created in 1891 with Erwin H. Barbour as State Geologist. The current Kansas survey was created in 1892 with Erasmus Haworth as State Geologist after two earlier surveys which each lasted one year with Benjamin F. Mudge in 1864 and George C. Swallow in 1865 as state geologists.