John Wesley Powell (1834–1902)

Author of The Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons

127+ Works 1,606 Members 15 Reviews

About the Author

Powell was born in western New York. His family later moved to Ohio and then to Wisconsin, where he began his adult life as a teacher. For about nine years, he taught and took time to study at colleges in Ohio and Illinois. When the Civil War began, he enlisted and quickly rose to the rank of show more major, laying out roads and designing bridges. Powell was wounded at the Battle of Shiloh and lost his right arm. Because of these events, for the remainder of his life he was referred to as Major Powell or One-arm Powell. After the war, he organized several expeditions down the Colorado River, which heretofore had not come under scientific study. It was during these trips and others that he formulated the concept of base level and antecedent streams. Although his ideas and observations are noteworthy, Powell was not a prolific writer, and his writings were not scholarly in style. Powell became the president of the U.S. Geological Survey, a position from which he lobbied congressmen and senators for funding for topographic mapping and technical reports. He was a strong proponent of developing the American West on a sound and realistic foundation. Powell died in Maine during the summer of 1902. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

Includes the names: J.W.Powell, J. W. Powell, J W Powell, director, Director J.W. Powell, John Wesley Powell (ed)., Major John Wesley Powell, John Wesley Powell, ed. (BAE)

Also includes: John W. Powell (1)

Image credit: John Wesley Powell (1834-1902) (Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. Reproduction Number: LC-USZ62-3862)

Works by John Wesley Powell

Popular Recent

The Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons (1875) 731 copies, 6 reviews

Down the Colorado: Diary of the First Trip Through the Grand Canyon (1969) 159 copies, 1 review

Introduction to Handbook of American Indian Languages plus Indian Linguistic Families of America North of Mexico (Bison… (1963) — Author — 103 copies

The Hopi Villages: The Ancient Province of Tusayan (1972) 44 copies, 2 reviews

Seeing Things Whole: The Essential John Wesley Powell (Pioneers of Conservation) (2001) 36 copies

Canyons of the Colorado (1981) 30 copies

Report on the Lands of the Arid Region of the United States, With a More Detailed Account of the Lands of Utah (1876) 28 copies

The Grand Canyon Expedition: The Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons (2019) 24 copies

FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT Of The BUREAU Of ETHNOLOGY To The SECRETARY Of The SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 1882 - '83. (2017) 22 copies

First annual report of Bureau of Ethnology to Secretary of Smithsonian Institution, 1879-80 (2016) 21 copies, 2 reviews

The Arid Lands (2004) 19 copies

Ninth annual report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1887-'88 (2017) 17 copies

Seventh annual report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1885-86 (1891) 16 copies

Third annual report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1881-82 (1884) 16 copies

Eighth annual report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1886-87 (1891) 15 copies

Sixth annual report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1884-85 (1888) 14 copies

Second annual report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1880-81 (1883) 14 copies, 1 review

Twenty-first annual report of the Bureau of American Ethnology : to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution,… (1903) 13 copies, 1 review

Anthropology of the Numa; John Wesley Powell's manuscripts on the Numic peoples of Western North America, 1868-1880 (1971) 13 copies

Sixteenth annual report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1894-95 (1897) 12 copies

First through the Grand Canyon: Being the record of the pioneer exploration of the Colorado River in 1869-70 (2009) 12 copies, 1 review

Fifth annual report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1883-'84 11 copies

Tenth annual report of the Bureau of Ethnology : to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1888-89 (1889) 11 copies, 1 review

The Diary of John Wesley Powell: Conquering the Grand Canyon (In My Own Words) (2002) 10 copies

11th Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution 1889-90 (1894) 8 copies

Twenty-third (23rd) Annual Report Of The Bureau Of American Ethnology To The Secretary Of The Smithsonian Institution… (1904) 8 copies

Fifteenth annual report of the Bureau of Ethnology : to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1893-94 (1897) 7 copies

Eighteenth annual report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1896-97 7 copies

Twentieth annual report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1898-99 (1903) 7 copies

The Colorado River Region and John Wesley Powell. A collection of papers honoring Powell on the 100th anniversary of… (2001) 6 copies

Thirteenth Annual Report of the Bureau Of Ethnology (2015) 6 copies

Twelfth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology 1890-1891. 6 copies

Sketch on the mythology of the North American Indians (1881) 6 copies

Nineteenth annual report of the Bureau of American Ethnology : to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1897-98 (1900) 6 copies

Indian Linguistic Families Of America, North Of Mexico Seventh Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the… (2019) 5 copies

22nd Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology, 1900-1901, Part I (2018) 5 copies

Fourteenth annual report of the Bureau of Ethnology : to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1892-93 5 copies

Nineteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology 1897-1898 Part I (1900) 4 copies

Seventeenth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1895-96 Part 2 (1899) 4 copies

On the evolution of language, as exhibited in the specialization of the grammatic processes, the differentiation of the… (1881) 4 copies

Contributions to North American ethnology. Vol. I-VII, IX (2020) 4 copies

Seventeenth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology 1895-96 Part 1 (1898) 4 copies

Fourteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of The Smithsonian Institution 1892-93, Part 2… (1896) 4 copies

Introduction to the study of Indian languages 4 copies

La exploraciòn del gran cañon del colorado (1983) 3 copies

Selected prose of John Wesley Powell 3 copies

Beyond The Hundredth Meridian - John Wesley Powell And The Second Opening Of The West (1954) 3 copies

Twenty-Second Annual Report Of The Bureau Of American Ethnology To The Secretary Of The Smithsonian Institution… 2 copies

Fourteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution 1892-1893 in Two… (2017) 2 copies

John Wesley Powell and the Anthropology of the Canyon Country (1995) 2 copies

Linguistic Families of American Indians North of Mexico 2 copies

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY ANNUAL REPORT NO. 12 PART 2 (1890-91) 2 copies

Eighteenth (18th.) Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution… (1899) 2 copies

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY ANNUAL REPORT NO. 8 PART 1 (1886-87) 2 copies

Bureau of Ethnology 2 copies

THIRD ANNUAL REPORT Of The BUREAU Of ETHNOLOGY To The SECRETARY Of The SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 1881 - '82. 2 copies

Seventeenth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institute 1895-96… 2 copies

Contributions to North American Ethnology Vol. 1 (U.S. Geographical and Geological Survey of the Rocky Mountain Region) 2 copies

Overland Trip to the Grand Canyon (Wild and Woolly West Books) (1974) 2 copies

Exploring the Colorado River: Firsthand Accounts by Powell and His Crew (Dover Books on Travel, Adventure) (2012) 2 copies

Physiographic regions of the United States 2 copies

Utah Historical Quarterly - Vol. 15, No. 1-4, January, April, July, October 1947 - The Exploration of the Colorado… (1947) — Contributor — 2 copies

Selected Prose of John Wesley Powell (1970) 2 copies

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY ANNUAL REPORT NO. 13 PART 2 (1891-92) 1 copy

Twenty-Eighth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution… 1 copy

Twenty-Seventh Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution… 1 copy

Nineteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution 1897-98,… 1 copy

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY ANNUAL REPORT NO. 15 (1893-94) 1 copy

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY ANNUAL REPORT NO. 13 PART 3 (1891-92) 1 copy

Design of aerostatic bearings, (1970) 1 copy

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY ANNUAL REPORT NO. 13 PART 1 (1891-92) 1 copy

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY ANNUAL REPORT NO. 11 PART 1 (1889-90) 1 copy

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY ANNUAL REPORT NO. 11 PART 2 (1889-90) 1 copy

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY ANNUAL REPORT NO. 10 PART 2 (1888-89) 1 copy

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY ANNUAL REPORT NO. 10 (1888-89) 1 copy

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY ANNUAL REPORT NO. 9 (1887-88) 1 copy

Fifteenth Annual Report of The Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1893 - '94. 1 copy

Twenty First Annual Report - Bureau of Ethnology 1 copy

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY ANNUAL REPORT NO. 7 (1885-86) 1 copy

Twenty Third Annual Report - Bureau of Ethnology 1 copy

Nineteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1897-98… (2016) 1 copy

Second Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institute 1 copy

Twenty-Second Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institiute… 1 copy

Twenty-Second (22nd) Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology: 1900–1901 Part one 1 copy

Thirteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution 1891-'92 1 copy

A RIVER RUNNING WEST 1 copy

Publications of the Bureau of Ethnology Part 2 14 1 copy

Twelfth annual report of the Bureau of American Ethnology : to the Secretary… by Smithsonian Institution., 1 copy

NINTH ANNUAL REPORT Of The BUREAU Of ETHNOLOGY To The SECRETARY Of The SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 1887 - 1888. (1892) 1 copy

Contributions to North American Ethnology, vol. 5 1 copy

On Primitive Institutions 1 copy

James Constantine Pilling (1846-1895) 1 copy

The Philosophic Bearings of Darwinism: An Address Delivered Before the Biological Society of Washington at the Darwin… 1 copy

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY ANNUAL REPORT NO. 8 PART 2 (1886-87) 1 copy

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY ANNUAL REPORT NO. 5 (1883-84) 1 copy

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY ANNUAL REPORT NO. 6 (1884-85) 1 copy

Wyandot Government: A Short Study of Tribal Society Bureau of American Ethnology 1 copy

Report of the Secretary of the Interior; Being Part of the Messages and Documents Communicating to the Two Houses of… 1 copy

Twelfth Annual Report of the United States Geological Survey to the Secretary of the Interior 1890-91 Part II Irrig (1891) 1 copy

Report of the Bureau of Ethonology to the Secretary of Smithsonian Institution 1879 - 1880 1 copy

fifth annual report of the united states geological survey to the secretary of the interior 1883-84 1 copy

Report of The director of the USGS 1882 volume 3 (of 4) 1 copy

Nineteenth Annual Report Of The Bureau Of American Ethnology To The Secretary Of The Smithsonian Institution 1897-98 :… 1 copy

Third Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution 1881-82 1 copy

Report on the geology of the eastern portion of the Uinta Mountains and a region of country adjacent thereto. With… 1 copy

Rare -Powell DOWN THE COLORADO First edition Hardback Grand Canyon Eliot Porter Photos 1 copy

Eleventh Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology, 1889-90 1 copy

Franz Boas Introduction to Handbook of American Indian Languages (1970) 1 copy

Introduction to the study of Indian languages, with words, phrases and sentences to be collected 1 copy

Seventh Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution 1885-'86 1 copy

Fourteenth Annual Report of the United States Geological Survey to the Secretary of the Interior, 1892-'93. Part… 1 copy

Mineral Resources of the United States, Calendar Year 1885 1 copy

Twenty-Second Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology 1900-1901: Part I. (1904) 1 copy

Contributions to North American Ethnology Vol. 3 1 copy

Nineteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution 1897-98,… 1 copy

Twenty-Third Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institutions… 1 copy

Thirteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution 1891-'92 1 copy

Third Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution 1881-'82 1 copy

Sixth Annual Report 1 copy

Map of Linguistic Stocks of American Indians. 1 copy

Wyandot government: a short study of tribal society 1 copy

Tenth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology To the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution 1889-89 (1893) 1 copy

SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 1895-96 (in two parts, Part 1) 1 copy

Report on the Lands of the Arid Region of the United States, with a More Detailed Account of the Lands of Utah. 1 copy

Report of special commissioners J. W. Powell and G. W. Ingalls on the condition of the Ute Indians of Utah; the… 1 copy

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY ANNUAL REPORT NO. 4 (1882-83) 1 copy

Exploration of the Colorado River of the West 1 copy

Work Explorer

Associated Works

The Best of the West: An Anthology of Classic Writing from the American West (1991) — Contributor — 266 copies, 1 review

Classic Survival Stories: Thirteen Tales of Strength, Determination, and the Will to Live (2004) 18 copies

A Zion Canyon Reader (2014) — Contributor — 11 copies, 1 review

Utah Historical Quarterly - Vol. 7, No. 1-3, January, April and July 1939 - Diary of Almon Harris Thompson (1939) — Contributor — 1 copy

Tagged

19th century (10) adventure (32) American history (27) American West (57) anthology (30) anthropology (29) Antique Books (10) archaeology (13) Arizona (27) BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY ANNUAL REPORT (14) Colorado (13) Colorado River (62) ethnology (22) exploration (87) fiction (31) geography (24) geology (39) Grand Canyon (62) history (101) Indians (36) John Wesley Powell (36) language (16) languages (11) linguistics (23) memoir (10) Native American (40) natural history (23) nature (24) non-fiction (62) Penguin Classics (11) photography (24) rivers (16) short stories (15) Southwest (15) to-read (35) travel (38) tribes (13) USA (29) West (14) western (15)

Common Knowledge

Legal name: Powell, John Wesley
Other names: Powell, J. W.
Birthdate: 1834-04-24
Date of death: 1902-09-23
Burial location: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, USA
Gender: male
Nationality: USA
Birthplace: Mount Morris, New York, USA
Place of death: Brooklin, Maine, USA
Places of residence: Jackson, Ohio, USA
Walworth County, Wisconsin, USA
Boone County, Illinois, USA
Education: Illinois College
Oberlin College
Occupations: geologist
university professor
civil servant
army officer
Organizations: U.S. Geological Survey
Smithsonian Institution
Illinois Natural History Society
Illinois Wesleyan University
Illinois State Normal University
Museum of the Illinois State Natural History Society (show all 7)
U.S. Army
Awards and honors: mineral Powellite named in his honor
Lake Powell named in his honor
Powell Peak named in his honor
Powell Plateau named in his honor
Powell, Wyoming, USA named in his honor
Criminal Justice Services Department of Mesa County in Grand Junction, Colorado residential building named in his honor (show all 8)
John Wesley Powell Middle School, Littleton, Colorado, USA named in his honor
Powell Jr High School, Mesa, Arizona, USA named in his honor

Members

Reviews

The Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons by John Wesley Powell

This is like an adventure novel and a travel journal, boring at times, interesting and readable others.

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mykl-s | 5 other reviews | Aug 11, 2023 |

The Exploration of the Colorado River and Its… by John Wesley Powell

Classic read about the first major expedition of the Colorado river area. Great descriptions of the landscape and the adventures of the crew. Also interesting to read about the interaction of Powell and his team with local Indian tribes and description of their different cultures

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Crystal199 | 5 other reviews | Jun 27, 2022 |

The Hopi Villages by John Wesley Powell

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pszolovits | 1 other review | Feb 3, 2021 |

The Exploration of the Colorado River and Its… by John Wesley Powell

Though plain spoken in describing the portages in such canyons the immensity of the landscape and the task undertaken by Powell and his men permeated the read. Truly an awesome undertaken. And his descriptions of side canyons and Indians that inhabited these areas in the early 1870s were very interesting and unsentimental. A very enlightening though sometimes tedious read.

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JBreedlove | 5 other reviews | Jun 2, 2016 |

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