MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 57

The close of the period prior to the organization of the First Geo-
logical Survey of Maryland found much interest developed in the
study of the geology of the state and at this early day considerable
knowledge had been already gained regarding the geological deposits.

THE WORK OF THE FIRST STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY AND THE INVES-
TIGATIONS CARRIED ON UNDER PRIVATE AUSPICES DURING

THE SAME PERIOD.
THE FIRST STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, 1834—41.

The decade 1830-40 was a period of great importance in the devel-
opment of official geological surveys. Before the close of the decade
nearly every one of the eastern and some of the central states as well
had officially inaugurated geological work. With three exceptions,
viz., North Carolina, Massachusetts and Tennessee, Maryland was
the first state to establish an official survey. To Maryland, however,
belongs the credit of first fully recognizing the importance of a topo-
graphical map as a basis for a proper representation of the geology
of the state, and we find the General Assembly both in 1833 and 1834
making provision both for a Topographical Engineer and a State
Geologist.

The inception of the first geological survey of Maryland dates from
1833, when resolutions relative to a state map and geological survey
were passed by the General Assembly of the state upon the 6th and
16th of March. ¹ Memorials had been presented to the Legislature
recommending the survey, including one from the Maryland Academy
of Science and Literature.

The original resolution provided for the appointment of both an
engineer and a geologist, but the latter office was stricken out at the
time the first resolution was passed. It was incorporated in a second

¹ The General Assembly of Maryland was petitioned by Fielding Lucas,
Jr., in 1831 to grant money to prepare a more correct geographical map of
the state upon which were to be laid down the prominent features of its
geology. This petition was not granted, and the bill presented at the
same session was rejected. Several earlier attempts, looking to the same
result, had been defeated.